Bronx high school students land N.B.A. Store slot for streetwear line

Students at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School in the Bronx designed a streetwear brand called EVNTLLY and, after pitching to executives, landed a spot for their apparel in a section of the N.B.A. Store.

The 11 student business partners built the venture through a basketball-themed curriculum that emphasizes careers and entrepreneurship. They met after school to design garments, turned a gym closet into a storeroom, and adopted orange as a signature color for gun violence awareness. The program’s founder, Dan Klores, enlisted industry help and the class worked with Centric Brands to produce the clothes.

The students rehearsed pitches and addressed practical hurdles — including concerns that tariffs on goods made in China could sharply raise production costs — before presenting in a Hudson Square boardroom to Fanatics executives. Centric staff accompanied the group to meetings, assessed garment quality and guided the teens on marketing and pricing; Fanatics gave feedback such as bringing more samples, which the students had on hand.

The immediate result was placement in the N.B.A. Store for emerging designers; if customers buy the clothes, the students will receive a share of proceeds. Beyond that placement, the story’s longer-term commercial outcomes remain to be seen.

Key Topics

Business, Evntlly, Bronx, Earl Monroe School, Centric Brands, Fanatics