Like he times his baskets, Steph Curry is an expert in timing when to debut a personalized, one-of-a-kind creation.
Curry’s “NUIT. NUIT.” hoodie took the internet by storm after the Warriors superstar sported the custom piece designed by Mike Fogg following his iconic performance in Team USA’s gold-medal victory over France.
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In a conversation with Darren Rovell of cllct.com, the French designer explained how he connected with Curry and how the popular hoodie came to be.
“Steph and I connected about three years ago through some of his closest friends and business partners,” Fogg told Rovell.
“At the time, I was establishing my own path as an art director, working on a side project. By a stroke of luck, they came across my work, reached out, and we started collaborating.
“So, for the past few years, I've been doing a few one-off, custom projects for Steph and his ventures. But nothing like this, this was completely a personal side project for him.”
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Fogg added that Curry, who dropped four 3-pointers in the final 2:47 of Saturday’s game, was “fully aware” of the project, which began a month before the Olympics commenced.
Fogg and his team even shipped one of the pieces to Curry’s hotel in Paris, despite not knowing if he would wear it.
Of course, Curry would wear it, and he would time it perfectly.
“Once the pieces were shipped to the hotel in Paris, we had no idea when or if he would wear them,” Fogg said.
“Steph chose the perfect moment, making it all the more iconic. It really shows how calculated he is. It truly felt like a lighting-in-a-bottle moment for all of us.”
While the exposure certainly helps, Fogg remains stunned by how everything lined up.
“I’m still in shock,” Fogg added. “As a designer, you always dream of having your work showcased globally, but this was on another level.
“Everything aligned perfectly — the game, Steph’s legacy, the cultural significance of Paris, and, of course, his signature "night night" moment, or should I say "Nuit Nuit" moment.”
Despite the high possibilities of the United States walking away with gold and Curry showing up in his first – and likely last – Olympics appearance, Fogg and Co. never considered retail plans.
It was always meant to be an exclusive piece for Curry.
“There were no retail plans; it was really a personal, custom, creative project just for Steph,” Fogg told Rovell.
“It was something uniquely his, meant for that one special moment. We wanted to make something he would want to wear, and be proud to wear, with a little bit of attitude behind it of course.”
And that Curry did.