the homecourt collection

by major x mitchell & ness for the washington wizards

launch date: february 5th, 2022

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

Paying homage to the district’s championship past

Mitchell & Ness, a brand that’s synonymous with authentic lifestyle sports apparel, approached us at MAJOR with an idea to celebrate the rich heritage of the NBA 75th Anniversary Season. Shawn Curtin, who is the Director of Headwear for Mitchell & Ness reached out to MAJOR’s owner and creative director, Duk-ki Yu about a possibility of putting together a capsule for the Washington Wizards, as a part of the Homecourt Collection, bringing together the top local boutique retailer with the home team in each market. The 2 designers worked together to dig through the historical archives of Washington Wizards/Bullets history, including the 1978 World Championship and the 2001 NBA All Star Game to come up with a collection that speaks to not only the fans of the Wizards franchise, but the entire Washingtonian population in general.

The District Of Columbia tagline has been a staple of MAJOR’s hyper local approach to celebrate the local pride with fashionable merchandise that speaks to the streetwear consumer that frequents the Georgetown boutique. The designers took the typeface of the original 1997 Wizards and turned it into a rendition of The District Of Columbia wordmark that graces the front of the jersey, as well as other selections from the capsule. MAJOR’s DC map logo, along with the original 97 Wizards logo, makes up the front face of the jersey. For the back of the jersey, MAJOR wanted to bring to focus the DC Statehood movement. The DC flag in combination with the number 51 represent the District’s ultimate destiny to become the 51st State of the United States. Make DC 51 artwork also appears throughout the capsule for that very reason.

The shorts and the long sleeve t-shirts feature the 3 stars that was displayed prominently on the game shorts of the Washington Bullets, which is prominent in our city’s flag. The same 3 stars are also featured in MAJOR’s logo, as the allegiance to our city is at the forefront of both the Wizards and MAJOR.

Another highlight of the capsule collection is the Hoodie, which celebrates the 2001 NBA All Star Game. The 50th NBA All Star Game was played at what was then known as the MCI Center (now called Capital One Arena), and Georgetown University’s own Allen Iverson was the MVP of the game. 2001 All Star Weekend also marked the beginning of the redevelopment of Downtown DC, which was preceded by the building of the MCI Center 3 years earlier.

All in all, DC’s entry to the Homecourt Collection is abundant with references to the historical hues and symbols of the Championship Bullets, along with 1998 Wizards team that brought professional basketball back within the city limits of the District. We added the touch of MAJOR’s branding and design language, and called attention to the people’s desire to obtain Statehood for DC. The Homecourt Collection is about our home, The District Of Columbia, and the celebration of the past, the present, and the future.