Entertainment
Coco Gauff is gearing up to release her second signature shoe with New Balance, the Andscape
Behind the scenes of certainly one of the busiest periods of her young profession, 20-year-old tennis star Coco Gauff patiently prepared for the launch of her second signature shoe with longtime sponsor New Balance.
On Aug. 21, the Boston-based apparel company unveiled Gauff’s New Balance CG2 ahead of her return to the U.S. Open as the defending women’s singles champion. At last yr’s Open, Gauff wore her debut signature shoe, the CG1, en route to winning her first profession Grand Slam since turning pro and signing with New Balance at age 14.
“I won my first major in the CG1, so that shoe will always be special to me,” Gauff told Andscape via email. “Having a signature shoe in tennis is a dream come true, and being able to build on the first CG2 is another milestone I’m proud of.”
New Balance will officially release the CG2 for $170 a pair, a yr after celebrating Gauff’s Grand Slam victory with an ad campaign.
“As a brand, we were prepared for Coco’s first Grand Slam win with a campaign that we were excited to launch as soon as she reached that big milestone,” Evan Zeder, New Balance’s tennis marketing manager, told Andscape via Zoom. “But ultimately, every little thing that got here out of her first Grand Slam win was more necessary to us. Coco is someone who all eyes are on now as she continues to transcend tennis.
“She’s one of the best players in the world, with one of the most coveted trophies,” Zeder said. “So how do we continue to grow, not just from a marketing perspective, but from a product perspective? That’s where CG2 comes in.”
Even though the shoe was released in late August, number 2 tennis player in the world is not expected, nor is she contractually obligated, to debut her CG2 on court at the last major tournament of the yr.
“There’s no pressure for Coco to wear the CG2 at the U.S. Open,” Zeder said. “For us, the approach will always be about how Coco can feel her best and most confident on the court. We know she loves her new shoes. But in this current window, she’s focused on winning while we continue to shape her personality by delivering authentic stories.”
Gauff’s upcoming US Open appearance will probably be her sixteenth tournament in 2024. a busy eight-month scheduleShe has played tennis in 11 countries, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she served as the U.S. flag bearer during the opening ceremony.
“This year hasn’t given Coco a chance to stop,” Zeder told Andscape. “Her schedule has been so crazy that we’ve tried our greatest not to interrupt her, not to distract her, not to overdo it. We’ve tried to plan for 2024, knowing how busy she’s going to be and that she’s going to be covering and doing other supporting things after she wins her first Grand Slam.
“There’s a lot of internal dialogue and conversations going on with her team about making sure that Coco doesn’t do anything that gets in the way of her main goal of winning tennis matches,” he said. “That’s not to say we didn’t say, ‘We’re launching a new shoe and we need feedback.’ But we hope that Coco doesn’t feel any stress or anxiety about working with New Balance.”
Taking under consideration industry standard timeline of 18 to 24 months to design and launch a signature modelInitial discussions about the New Balance CG2 began in November 2022, about 4 months after Gauff’s first shoe went on sale in July 2022. That means the design process for Gauff’s second signature model began almost a yr before she won her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open.
“We had literally just released her first shoe, and then almost immediately started talking to Coco about the next iteration,” Zeder recalls. “So I think Coco was initially a little surprised by the long-term life cycles that we have with branded products.”
In the fall of 2022, when New Balance hosted Gauff and her family in Boston for the first official meetings to discuss the design of her second shoe, she had only played a handful of tournaments in her debut CG1. So New Balance had rather a lot to work with Gauff, who signed a multi-year contract extension with the brand to proceed her signature footwear and apparel line in 2022.
“When we started talking about CG1, Coco was 16. When we started creating CG2, she was 18,” Josh Wilder, senior footwear manager for tennis at New Balance, told Andscape. “Players go through a lot of changes from 16 to 18, so we had to give her a variety of options that ranged from what we would consider mild to extreme. We sat down with Coco and her whole family with about three different shoe samples. Then we all just broke them down and expressed what we liked and didn’t like about each one.”
A big a part of New Balance’s strategy for Gauff is focused on maintaining the continuity of the brand’s team of directors and designers who work on its signature footwear, apparel and marketing.
“Seeing how we build products with her and for her, Coco has been around a lot of our team,” Zeder told Andscape. “Early on, she agreed with us on a lot of things, which I think was just because she was a very well-mannered and polite person. Before, we had to dig into her a lot more. Now, we dig into her less because she understands that when we tell her, ‘We love it when you don’t like something,’ the fact that she doesn’t like something helps us just as much as the fact that she likes something. So honestly, we’re able to go through that process more smoothly because she’s more confident in her style and her ability to give feedback. And she’s also started to understand that our work will evolve and bear fruit over time.”
Gauff has openly expressed his appreciation for working with the established creative team at New Balance. After working together on CG1, Cordell Jordan, a black designer, and Jodi Klann, a female design manager, returned to lead the creation of CG2.
“I’ve been with the brand since I was 14, so they’ve been there for me every step of the way and they really care about me as a person—not just an athlete,” Gauff told Andscape. “The entire New Balance team is amazing to work with, so going through this process a second time was great.”
Early on, while planning her sophomore shoe, Gauff uttered a phrase that has guided New Balance for the past two years.
“Coco specifically told us that she wanted the CG2 to be ‘an evolution, not a revolution,’” Wilder said. “The reason is — and she’s mentioned this a few times over the last few years — not everyone who follows her on Instagram plays tennis. So she wanted her shoe to be very versatile and not just be worn on the court, like a lot of tennis shoes that other brands make.”
The CG2 draws direct inspiration from the New Balance 550, certainly one of the brand’s popular lifestyle models and Gauff’s favorite off-pitch silhouette. Gauff’s New Balance team had to get official approval to incorporate certain elements of the 550 into the CG2’s design, most notably on the shoe’s tongue label.
“It was pretty cool that we went to the lifestyle team and said, ‘Hey, we know the 550 is an iconic shoe and brand, but can we make it tennis and make it Coco?’ And the answer was basically, ‘For Coco? Absolutely,’” Wilder recalls. “When we design with Coco, it’s all about her. We don’t do anything to her shoe or her product unless she says so. Our relationship with her isn’t based on our subjective thoughts, but on her specific opinions and what she wants as she evolves as a person and as a tennis player.”
Gauff had one other notable request for the CG2—she saw samples in private sessions ultimately yr’s US Open before testing the shoe for the first time in early December 2023.
“I wanted people to be able to tell the difference between the CG2 and the CG1,” Gauff said. “The first shoe was supposed to tell my story and let people know who I am. The second shoe still has those little details that are relevant to where I am in my life. My family has always been my biggest supporters and taught me how to lift others up. I hope that fans, especially young girls, feel like I support them when they put this shoe on.”
Soon, the New Balance CG2 will complete its successful development, be launched on the market and at last be the moment when Gauff presents his first shoe.
“I’m very proud and appreciative of the CG1 because it felt like more than just a shoe,” Zeder said. “It was a mid-cut in a tennis category that doesn’t produce many mid-cuts. It represented a woman getting a signature shoe, which we haven’t seen much of historically, especially outside of basketball. And tennis in general hasn’t traditionally produced signature products—a topic we’ve gotten a lot of questions and pushback about. There were people who said, ‘She’s 18 and she’s getting her own shoe, but what else has she won?’ Even though you can look through the NBA and find a ton of signature products made for players who don’t have championship rings. But I think any criticism of creating a signature line for Coco was thrown out the window when she lifted the U.S. Open trophy last year.”
Since first signing Gauff in 2018, New Balance has taken a partnership approach with Coco, which has helped the brand thrive by increasing the variety of athlete signings it has made, including Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, Arizona Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brazilian soccer forward Endrick.
“It’s a special time to be at New Balance, and Coco has been with us since we first started authenticating our brand across all sports,” Zeder said. “We can now say with confidence that we have the best athletes in the world wearing New Balance, which is something we’ve never been able to say. For us, Coco has long been a huge part of New Balance’s plan to grow the brand with fewer, bigger, better athletes. And it’s been so much fun to work on creating a product that’s not only unique to the industry and the tennis category, but also unique to Coco.”
“We’re thrilled to have landed our second signature model with Coco,” Zeder said, “and we’re even more thrilled because regardless of her on-court performance, we’re still growing with her.”
Entertainment
Erykah Badu attacked, reignites fire for Beyoncé fans after calling out Jay Z and accusing the singer of stealing her style
The buzz of swarming bees is music to Erykah Badu’s ears, which also includes real insects and fiercely loyal followers who pledge their allegiance to Beyoncé.
As for speculative fans, each women consider Texas their home state, but there isn’t any semblance of a relationship between them. They have evolved into one of the most unsuspecting rivals in music over the last yr, largely as a result of Badu several times attacking the “Beautiful Liar” singer’s creative integrity, or perceived lack thereof.
On multiple occasion, the Neo-Soul star saw her comments crammed with bee emojis, marking an all-out digital attack from the BeyHive, angered by her snubbing Beyoncé.
A number of months after his last sting, Badu asks one query: “Where is the hive now?” He appeared on Halloween episode “The Breakfast Club,” where hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne tha God, and guest Lauren LaRosa didn’t hesitate to ask the artist if she was being targeted by her modern fans.
“I haven’t seen BeyHive in a long time. And I love bees,” she replied shyly. “They do not know I prefer it. I like bees. This is my totem… They will tear me to pieces.
In 2023, Badu angered countless members of the hive when she derisively remarked that she was “everyone’s stylist” while showing photos of herself and Beyoncé wearing similarly large, metallic, wide-brimmed hats.
The global pop star was on the Renaissance Tour at the time and recurrently used the accessory as part of her stage costume collection, although the look harks back to her time on the Lemonade Tour in 2016.
When Badu faced backlash for the comment, she hopped on Twitter to call for support. “To JAY Z. Say something to Jay. You left, you let that woman and those bees do this to me?”
To Jay Z. Say something, Jay. You left, you let that woman and those bees do that to me? 😆 pic.twitter.com/oxNhNgvfWp
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) March 20, 2024
When asked about the intentions behind her decision to involve Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband, in the fight, the Dallas native replied that it was all a joke. “I don’t know why people take everything so seriously. It’s just my sense of humor. I love Jay,” she joked.
Badu said earlier Standard that BeyHive never gave her the opportunity to offer context to her tweet. Instead, she was “guilty before it started.”
However, the murmurs about suspected rift between the women became louder when Badu once more fueled the rumors by slamming Beyoncé for wearing Fulani braids in the cover of her “Country Carter” album.
Badu has worn the same hairstyle over the years and others throughout her profession. On The Breakfast Club, she selected her words fastidiously when she noticed her peers taking the same approach.
“Even though we love our art, it doesn’t belong to us once it comes to light… You can’t decide what people do with art. You can’t decide if they’re going to replicate it, do a different interpretation, or just enjoy it or use it as inspiration. It can’t be done, but there is no need to remain silent about it,’ she said. Badu added: “If it makes you feel any way, you should say something about it.”
Andre 3K if he hears screams like that from her, he might give Erykah an aneurysm https://t.co/2YkzCagTA5
— Can I tag you @Sethrogen? (@MrsKhandiCoated) April 2, 2024
The response to the interview was: “Badu is not mocking Beyhive trolling.” Someone else said her comments prove she’s jealous of Beyoncé. Although one other person suggested: “He’s weirdly obsessed with her.”
Another viewer wrote that the women’s dispute involved a 3rd party. “It’s about André 3000,” he said. André 3000 and Badu dated over twenty years ago and share a son. He collaborated with Beyoncé and even gained recognition when she received the Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeart Awards.
Entertainment
Gayle King slams Megan Thee Stallion, calling her a ‘slut’ after confessing she lied about her relationship with Tory Lanez
Gayle King is not concerned after hearing Megan Thee Stallion call her a “bitch” within the Prime rapper’s latest documentary “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words.”
In a latest Instagram video, the “CBS Mornings” host immediately responded, saying, “Hey, I’m sitting here minding my very own business. People contact me and say, “Hey Gayle, Megan Thee Stallion just called you a bitch.”
“I do know you are expecting me, or possibly you’re thinking that I even have something negative to say. I do not. I even have nothing but great, great love and respect for Megan Thee Stallion. I’m at all times rooting for her,” King added, before turning to what she considers more necessary topics, equivalent to the 2024 election next week.
Fans responded to King’s message, defending the “Savage” rapper. Two said, “She didn’t mean it that way,” and “She said the word b—tch out of endearment, but clearly didn’t admit that Meg had lied to her.”
A 3rd fan scolded the 29-year-old for calling King by name: “I’m sorry, no matter what context she said, respect your elders… it was inappropriate and disrespectful.”
In a documentary that aired on Halloween, Megan Thee Stallion gives fans insight into her personal thoughts and feelings following the rapper’s sentencing Tory Lanez. Lanez was found guilty of three felony charges in 2022 following a 2020 shooting incident that left Megan shot within the foot.
After the controversial and widely discussed trial, the “Hot Girl” coach had a one-on-one interview on “CBS Mornings,” during which King asked her if she was intimate with Lanez.
Megan denied it on the time, but almost eight months later, during her testimony in court, she confessed that she and Lanez were close.
At the time, a lot of Lanez’s supporters and Megan’s haters took this confession as ammunition and justification for his or her claims that Megan was falsely accusing Lanez of shooting her too.
In the document, she truthfully explained why she lied to King within the interview. She said, “Fuck yeah. I lied to Gayle King, bitch. First of all, I don’t know if this female dog even wanted to ask me this shit. I thought we were going to talk about this shooting. Why are you asking me about fucking Tory? That’s not what this is about.”
The “Bigger In Texas” artist continued, “Even if I… fucked that nigga once, possibly twice on a drunken night. You kept knocking me out of my fucking mind.
Megan Thee Stallion admits she lied to Gayle King about sleeping with Tory Lanez in her latest documentary. pic.twitter.com/5jimgmR5Gm
— 〽️ (@drizzyys) October 31, 2024
Megan’s second confession is now causing backlash from fans who imagine Tory is, the truth is, innocent. Many people imagine that Megan’s former best friend, Kelsey Nicole – who was present on the time of the shooting – was the actual wrongdoer within the situation and imagine that she was the one who pulled the trigger on Megan.
Prior to the incident, Kelsey was also romantically involved with the Toronto resident, which many imagine sparked an argument between the three of them in a automobile that resulted in Megan being shot in the summertime of 2022.
Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence and plans to appeal his case while maintaining his innocence.
One of Lanez’s representatives released a statement to TMZ in response to the video wherein Megan admits to lying. They said: “The fact that Megan lied about her sexual relationship with Tory clearly makes her an unreliable witness. If someone lies to millions of people, how can you trust what they say next time?”
Entertainment
Roy Wood Jr. explains why he left “The Daily Show”
Roy Wood Jr. was on the short list of people that could develop into host of “The Daily Show” after Trevor Noah. Many people guessed or assumed that he would eventually get the job. One day, Wood announced that he was leaving this system. Why? We enter “Masters of the Game”, which is now streaming on theGrio platform.
There is quite a bit to this story, but let me provide you with the shortened version. Every time I hear a few black person voluntarily leaving their job, I feel anxious. Can we actually ensure there will probably be one other one??? Maybe I’m silly, but anxiety should not be logical. But I asked Wood why he left, and his most vital point was this: he needed to be in charge of his future. He was on The Daily Show waiting for them to make a call, and that meant putting his future in other people’s hands. He desired to be the captain of the ship that was his profession.
Wood told me he left his job not knowing what lay ahead. I love the courage he showed. Leaving a job without knowing where you are going takes courage, especially while you’re a parent. I also admire his persistence in controlling his profession. We often rush to do what we were hired to do as a substitute of attempting to create a situation where we do what we would like. Wood has built his skilled life around doing what he wants. Not everyone can do that, but there at the moment are more tools that can help you try. Just take heed to Wood discuss leaving “The Daily Show” and see what you concentrate on yourself and your job. Don’t miss Wood on “Masters of the Game,” now streaming on theGrio.
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