Millennials grew up alongside the X-Games, the annual exhibit of the world’s best in extreme sports – the Olympics on skateboards and dirtbikes. Now that both the event and the generation alike have grown up, Macy’s is cashing in on extreme sports’ fashion appeal.
Macy’s announced Thursday (Feb. 18) that it had officially teamed up with Shaun White, former X-Games and Olympic gold medalist skateboarder and snowboarder, to launched an edgy clothing line aimed at customers looking for an “extreme style” – naturally. With T-shirts up to $29.99, woven shirts up to $59 and outerwear at the up to $299, the new “WHT SPACE” clothing line has Macy’s hoping that younger shoppers are drawn into its look and the face attached to it.
“Shaun White is an icon in the world of extreme sports, and his cool style is emulated by fans around the world,” Durand Guion, vice president and director of men’s fashion at Macy’s, said in a statement. “WHT SPACE puts a twist on casual and offers product that is effortlessly stylish and as dynamic as Shaun is.”
The WHT SPACE collection is scheduled to launch in mid-June with all pieces available through Macy’s online store or the 175 stores slated to receive shipments of the new products. While White’s endorsement may seem like a big get for the suddenly hapless retailer, The New York Times reported that White wasn’t invited to participate in the 2016 iteration of the X-Games, supposedly for comments he made in October 2015 criticizing ESPN’s lack of support for growing the event and sports associated with it. If Macy’s is banking on White’s notoriety and influence to move leather jackets and ripped jeans off its shelves, it may not have picked the best time to do so.
Although, in the true spirit of extreme sports, Macy’s knows it’s running out of options. For better or worse, Macy’s has to go big or go home.
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