#17talks

Michael Jordan's Game-Worn Nike Air Ship Sold for $1.47 Million USD At Sotheby's Auction

At Sotheby’s “Icons of Excellence & Haute Luxury” auction, organized in connection with MGM Resorts at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Michael Jordan‘s earliest known regular-season game-worn Nike (NYSE:NKE +0.80%) sneakers were sold for a record-setting price. Leading the multicategory luxury sale featuring jewelry, watches, collector’s cars, sneakers, designer handbags and more, the pair of autographed Nike Air Ship sneakers sold for $1.472 million USD cementing them as a legendary piece of basketball and sports history. The sale establishes a new world record the highest price achieved for a pair of sneakers at auction and becoming the first pair of sneakers to sell for more than $1 million USD at auction. The sneakers worn by MJ during his fifth NBA game in his rookie season on November 1, 1984, were acquired by avid trading card collector Nick Fiorella. Michael Jordan’s game-worn Nike Air Ships are now the second most valuable pair of sneakers ever, following Sotheby’s record-breaking sale in April of Kanye West’s “Grammy Worn” Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes from 2008, which fetched $1.8 million USD at a private sale. “To present such a groundbreaking and important pair of sneakers at this special auction in Las Vegas further solidifies the strength and broad reach of the sneaker collecting community. This record-breaking result for the Jordan Nike Air Ships affirms the place of Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan franchise at the pinnacle of the sneaker market. Since launching sneaker sales at Sotheby’s in 2019, we’ve seen time and again the ceiling for sneakers continue to be pushed, and we are excited about all the potential ahead of us,” said Brahm Wachter, Head of Sotheby’s Streetwear and Modern Collectables.

Video: Priceless – Favorite Girl ft. Yxng Le (Prod. Vanno & Churchbwoy)

SKATEDELUXE Teases a New Nike SB Blazer Mid Collaboration

While the Blazer Mid has received a colorful mix of mosaic-inspired designs throughout the past few months, the Nike (NYSE:NKE +1.09%) SB team has teamed up with SKATEDELUXE to tease a new collaboration pair looking to debut anytime soon. Constructed with an all-black suede upper, a mini Swoosh touches on the side of the toe, while a large globe grid sits above the main lateral Swoosh sewn on in white. The design prefers two-toned gray and black shoelaces wrapping over a tongue with a matching grid motif and a hint of red while a classic white textured sole seals off the look. An official release date has yet to be announced, but the brands will be holding pre-release Night Shift Sessions in Barcelona and Berlin by the coming weekend. The SKATEDELUXE x Nike SB Blazer Mid can be expected to launch at select retailers, Nike and the skate brand’s website.    

Video: Jonna Fraser – Samen Met Mij (Prod. SRNO)

Dior’s B30 Is a New Balance for (Very) Rich Sneakerheads

What We’re Saying: Dior’s new B30 sneaker, unveiled as part of the luxury house’s Resort 22 collection, is one of its sportiest to date, taking inspiration from retro running aesthetics. At first glance, one might even say that the sneaker looks slightly like a rich person’s New Balance sneaker. The Dior B30 features a mesh base with leather paneling on the foxing, heel, and around the toe box. A performance-esque reimagining of Dior’s “CD” logo sits on the quarter panel. The initials are present on the sole and heel of the sneaker, too. Courtesy of Dior The move is nothing new. Luxury brands have borrowed quite extensively from sportswear brands in the past. Under Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton has designed sneakers that look a lot like the Nike Air Jordan 3 and Salomon trail-running sneakers. Gucci’s running-inspired sneakers could easily be an ASICS collaboration. The Dior B30 arrives in five colorways — black, white, olive, beige, and lime — and is available for pre-order now.

Cristiano Ronaldo & the $150,000 Louis Vuitton Trunk

When earning upwards of $400,000 per week, one can afford to indulge their loved ones in life's finer things. Cristiano Ronaldo's detractors might accuse him of being greedy on the pitch, but off it, he has never been shy in spreading the wealth. See this past weekend, when the returning Man United hero treated his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez to a $150,000 Louis Vuitton "Malle Vendome" trunk. Posting on Instagram, Rodriguez claimed to be "speechless" at the gift. The Malle Vendome is a towering jewelry box that was created to celebrate the opening of the new Louis Vuitton boutique on the famous Place Vendôme, more commonly known as the home of haute joaillerie. The famous cobblestones have welcomed the finest names in French jewelry, stretching way back to the 19th century. As is the case with all Louis Vuitton trunks, there is a lot more to this absolute unit than meets the eye. It stands at 4ft 6in tall and houses eight drawers. There's also a bust and mirror, meaning there's ample space for Rodriguez to showcase her expansive collection of adornments. CR7 hardly lacks in that department either: see his custom $300,000 women's engagement ring or $1.5 million Franck Muller Cintree Tourbillon. Louis Vuitton Undoubtedly the most iconic item in the Louis Vuitton canon, the trunk, or "La Malle," has been reworked in all manner of iterations over the years. It was Mr. Vuitton himself who once said that just about anything can be housed within the confines of the famous monogrammed casing. In other words, assuming you're willing to part with some serious dough, they'll happily make what you want to spec. Some of the more ambitious creations over the years include a custom option that converts into a fully functioning deluxe shower (got to keep fresh when traveling, right?), and a special-edition caviar case for when your wealthy Russian oligarch friends come to visit. Infamously, Karl Lagerfeld had a travel case built to house his iPod equipment, before designing his own "punching trunk" that housed a full-size, Floyd Mayweather-friendly punching bag (now that's the kind of fashion industry metaphor we are here for). Supreme has been arguably the most famous trunk collaborator in recent times, with the likes of Nigo, Sam Ross, and BTS also offering up remixes to mark Mr. Vuitton's 200th birthday anniversary in the summer. If Ronaldo ends up feeling jealous about his gift, perhaps he can get something built to house his vast array of cleats and sneakers? Or, just buy the one that's already on the market, courtesy of a collaboration with the NBA in 2019.

Video: JoeyAK x Frenna – Laat Het Niet Lijken (prod. Spanker & Vanno)

Young Thug's 'PUNK' Projected to Debut in Top Three of Billboard 200

Young Thug‘s PUNK is looking to debut with big numbers on next week’s Billboard 200. According to HITS Daily Double, PUNK is projected to open in the top three as it could earn between 85,000 to 95,000 in total activity including 2,000 to 5,000 in album sales. The extensive 20-track album features major guest appearances from the likes of the late Mac Miller and Juice WRLD, J. Cole, Gunna, Future, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Travis Scott and Doja Cat. Thugger’s last full-length solo record So Much Fun dropped in 2019 and he followed it up with Young Stoner Life Records‘ 2021 compilation record, Slime Language 2. Both records debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.      

Beyoncé and JAY-Z Reportedly List Their New Orleans Mansion for $4.45 Million USD

Beyoncé and JAY-Z‘s multi-million dollar historical mansion in New Orleans might now be up for sale. The 13,292 square feet mansion is a seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home that is selling for $4,450,000 USD. The home, which was originally built by the Presbyterian church, has been around since 1925. The listing reportedly says, “a Grammy winner” once noted “I did my best writing ever, while watching the sunset from the rooftop garden.” Though it is uncertain who the description is referring to, both Beyoncé and JAY-Z fit the caption. The house is located in NOLA’s Historic Garden District and boasts a three-story building with 26-foot ceilings that feature Spanish baroque architecture. The listing comes just three months after the house caught on fire for a little over two hours. The New Orleans fire department classified the incident as arson. New owners of the home will be able to choose the paint color of their choice for the house’s exterior.

Take a Look at the NIGO®️ x Louis Vuitton LV² Second Collection

Following the success of their first team-up, Nigo and Virgil Abloh have come together once again for the second NIGO®️ x Louis Vuitton LV² collection. Building on early looks, we now have a full look at the upcoming special range accompanied by a launch schedule. Carrying the themes established in the initial 2020 collaborative release, the latest collection continues LV²’s fascination with the fashion associated with British subcultures. The streetwear icon has investigated his style roots to express elements tied to his relationship with men’s wardrobes in Japan and Europe during his childhood. Standouts include a wool coat belt that is reminiscent of the design of an obi sash found in traditional Japanese clothing, along with a striped tailored jacket marked with a monogram pattern and wrap structure drawn from the kimonos. Japanese elements have also been applied to classic bag styles and accessories, such as the furoshiki knot detail found on the cruiser bag. While a contemporary street-leaning outlook is found on the latest takes on the LV Trainer with bold graphic motifs marking the collaboration. Priced between ¥114,400 and ¥482,900 JPY (approximately $997 and $4,226 USD), the second NIGO®️ x Louis Vuitton LV² collection will be released at the Louis Vuitton Shibuya Men’s Store November 12, with a wider global in-store release set for October 28 and online availability from November 18.

Klassen's Rolls-Royce Cullinan Can Withstand Two Grenade Explosions

German car customizer and multifaceted retailer Klassen has unveiled its take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, giving it a full bulletproof makeover. Every panel, including the roof and the chassis, has been enhanced with CEN 1063 BR6 armor proofing that makes this Cullinan capable of withstanding the impact of two simultaneous DM51 grenade explosions, while bulletproof glass also adds to the overall protection of this luxury SUV. Furthermore, elements such as the electronics control unit, suspension, door hinges, and other crucial weak points of a car have been given the bulletproof touch, meaning that altogether this Cullinan is essentially a road-going tank that can tackle anything thrown at it. Importantly, the bulletproof customization is barely noticeable so that the car doesn’t draw extra attention to itself — because the Cullinan is anything but subtle in the first place. Inside, you’ll find an interior that can be customized as per the customer’s request, on top of the already lavish interior supplied as standard by Rolls-Royce, while powering the 4×4 is its stock 6.7-liter V12 that produces 563 HP and 627 lb-ft of torque as standard, or 600 HP and 664 lb-ft of torque if it falls under the Black Badge range. As expected, Klassen’s iteration doesn’t come cheap — €833,000 EUR, to be precise (approximately $965,000 USD). Take a closer look at the car above, and find out more on Klassen’s site.

Report Reveals Tech Companies Are the World's Most Valuable Brands in 2021

Visual Capitalist recently unveiled their list of the world’s top 100 most valuable brands of 2021. The insights of the report have noted that though must of the 2020 saw many companies experience of the worst declines in sales since the Great Depression, the brands that stand out on top are tech companies. Visual Capitalist recently unveiled their list of the world’s top 100 most valuable brands of 2021. The insights of the report have noted that though must of the 2020 saw many companies experience of the worst declines in sales since the Great Depression, the brands that stand out on top are tech companies.Though many have felt the crippling effects of COVID-19, tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft have come out on top. The report takes into consideration the brand’s total financial value and proportional value when ranking the brand value of each compant. For the third consecutive year, Amazon has placed first on the list. Since last year, the brand value for the tech giant has grown 64%, accounting for all areas including its web and subscription services. Apple takes second on the list with a brand valuation of$6`2 billion USD, even though the company experienced an all-time stock decline of 19%. By Q4 of 2020, Apple reported a record-breaking revenue mark, generating $64.7 billion USD. Following Apple is Google, Microsoft, Tencent, Facebook, Alibaba, McDonald’s and Mastercard. Amongst the top fastest growing brands, Tesla comes out on top with TikTok following close behind. Tech brands have proven to be the brands to watch time and time again. Particularly with this report, it is only more evident that the industry is growing immensely.