The Man behind the Air : "H"
Howard "H" White was a hometown hero out of Hampton, Virginia. White was well known as a playground legend with handles that left defenders gasping for air and command of the court resembling General Custer. White was being recruited by the likes of North Carolina’s Dean Smith and Maryland’s Lefty Driesell, the former whom would help groom a young prospect later known as "Air" Jordan.
At Maryland, White dazzled onlookers just as he did in his hometown of Hampton, Va. White's hard work, was rewarded by having his nickname “H” placed on the back of his jersey instead of his last name. Not sure if this has ever been done in NCAA Hoops, but this made "H" a household name. Maryland had an NCAA Elite 8 appearance and was the NIT Champion in White’s last two years with the Terps.
"H" produced a short-lived NBA career due to injury, but this would just prove to show his impact on Basketball was imminent by any means. "H" would sign on as a Field Representative with Nike. During this tenure White developed a relationships with budding stars, one of them being a young man by the name of Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
““I could not have made it through my fifteen-year career without Howard White.”
—MICHAEL JORDAN”
"H" would lure Jordan to "The Swoosh" after watching his exploits in the college ranks. The attack plan was to get Jordan to drop the Converse sneaker and be a leading tastemaker of a sneaker phenomenon. In other words, Jordan was known for wearing only Converse sneakers while with Carolina, but Nike wanted him. The rest is history.
Jordan and White would eventually create Jordan Brand under Nike. Fast Forward to the present and "H" is now Vice President, Jordan Brand. As stated earlier Howard "H" White's impact on the game of Basketball was imminent. Instead of simply being known as a court General for the Terps, he is also know as the "Man Behind the Air", raising the Jordan brand to iconic status and laying a path for former student-athletes to pivot to create synergy between sports and corporate America.
The Original Jordan "Wings" logo paid homage to Mike's freakishly-long wingspan and ability to fly across the floor. The logo was created in 1985.
Thanks "H"
DAPPER DAN : High Class Street Fashion
The year is 1987 and the streets of Harlem are buzzing full of energy and style. Hip Hop is at the forefront of creativity and fashion, and at the epicenter on 125th street is the fashion Mecca, DAPPER DAN's BOUTIQUE.
On any given day you could bump shoulders with L.L. Cool J, Rakim, Mike Tyson, Big Daddy Kane or maybe even the infamous "D Boy" Albert "ALPO" Martinez. These days Dapper Dan's styles could be labeled many words such as phony, bootleg and Fugazy to say the least.
“I’m so dapper man, funky fresh Dapper Dan...
-Tyler the Creator”
Instead of those frivolous terms, Dapper Dan's remix of European high fashion mixed with streetwear was a badge of honor amongst hip-hop's elite and tastemakers.
The smile of a Genius. #FashionKilla
As Dapper Dan's fame and fortune grew, the European fashion powers that be would begin an intricate plan to terminate this great time in hip hop expression. Though the legal troubles ended the Renaissance on Harlem on 125th street Dapper Dan is still a staple in the fashion industry and a example to urban youth to GO-DO-BE.
Below are some of Dapper Dan's most iconic pieces:
LADIES LOVE COOL JAMES
"IRON" MIKE TYSON
SALT-N-PEPA
ALBERT "ALPO" MARTINEZ
BOBBY B.
DAPPER DAN'S MCM JEEP WRANGLER $$$
FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE...
STAN SMITH : The adidas Robert Haillet
The Stan Smith before the Stan Smith was the Stan Smith. #RobertHaillet
“In 1965 the tennis shoe was given the name “adidas Robert Haillet” after the French tennis player. It wasn’t long after that Haillet retired from tennis and adidas went looking for a new face for the increasingly popular shoe.”
“During the 70s there was some transition from the Haillet to the Stan Smith. Between 1973 - 1978 the shoe was still called the Robert Haillet but had a portrait of Stan Smith on the tongue.”
