Masai Ujiri and Harry Rosen Come Together for Humanity in 2.0 Capsule Collaboration
TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Harry Rosen and Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President and Giants of Africa Founder Masai Ujiri present the Humanity capsule collection in its second consecutive year. Building on the #ThatsHumanity movement that Ujiri launched in 2020, the 10-piece athleisure curation is inspired by values of diversity, inclusion and community partnership.
The 2.0 capsule collaboration is between business leader and philanthropist Masai Ujiri and celebrated Canadian luxury designer Patrick Assaraf, in partnership with Canada's premier menswear retailer Harry Rosen.
"The #ThatsHumanity movement is meant to challenge all of us to seek out and embrace the things that make us human," said Ujiri. "Inspired by Nelson Mandela's fight for equality for all people, it is expressed through stories, shared experiences and art—all of which is represented here in the beauty of fashion."
A key component of the 2021 Humanity capsule project will be a donation to community partner Water First Education & Training Inc. Founded in 2009 to bring drinking water resources to rural schools in Uganda, Water First began working in Canada in 2012. The Water First Internship Program supports young Indigenous interns to become certified water treatment plant operators within 15 months—with 90% of the pilot Internship graduates employed or pursuing further education within weeks of completion.
"Absolutely everyone should have sustainable access to safe, clean water," said John Millar, Executive Director and Founder of Water First. "This support from Harry Rosen and Masai is a critical investment in Indigenous youth and communities that will help solve water challenges independently, and in the long-term. We are inspired to have new friends from diverse walks of life join us in making a meaningful impact together."
The 10-piece athleisure collection is comprised of various hoodies including a tie-dye fleece option with matching sweatpants, an assortment of logo print T-shirts and a full-zip Humanity logo merino sweater. It will be available in time for the holiday season exclusively at Harry Rosen in early December, in-store and online. The capsule items will join shelves that also feature lines from new BIPOC designers Bohten and Aller Retour.
"We are thrilled to partner with Masai, Patrick and Water First for this next generation of #ThatsHumanity," said Larry Rosen, CEO of Harry Rosen. "It is a priority for us to raise funds for charity, support local communities and remind the world that there's more that unites us than divides us."
Social media assets: #ThatsHumanity @ThatsHumanity
That's Humanity Manifesto:
- "I want to see the world as we did on the first day, a blank slate. Absent of the things that divide us. We must relearn what it is to be human. No limits. Full of possibilities. A world that dreams big no matter who we are or where we are from. A place that allows us to use some of the things that we have all been given. That's the essence of HUMANITY."
- Masai Ujiri
About Masai Ujiri
Vice-Chairman and President – Toronto Raptors; Founder – Giants of Africa
Masai Ujiri is the first and only African-born President of a professional sports franchise in North America – the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors. In 2019, Masai led the Raptors to their first-ever NBA Championship and the first NBA Championship won by a team outside the United States in NBA history. Born and raised in Nigeria, with a deep passion for basketball, Masai began to pursue a career as an executive when his professional basketball career came to an early end. In 2003, Masai founded the Giants of Africa (GOA) organization, based on the idea of using basketball as a means of educating and enriching the lives of African youth—both boys and girls. In 2020, Masai launched thatshumanity.org, inspired by his experiences and the lessons learned from leaders like Nelson Mandela.
About Harry Rosen
Harry Rosen is Canada's leading quality menswear retailer. Founded in 1954 by the man whose name the chain still bears, the eponymous store has grown from a single 500-square-foot store in Toronto to become a powerhouse in Canadian retailing with 17 stores across Canada and a robust e-commerce offering. Harry Rosen stores and its website offer extensive collections from the world's finest labels, the latest must-have designers and its very own Harry Rosen Signature brand. Whether in-store, online, via social media or at any other touchpoint, Harry Rosen is known for providing a personalized and outstanding customer experience. This trust has been gained through decades of helping men feel good and do good in their personal and professional lives. Please visit: harryrosen.com
About Patrick Assaraf
Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest, or as Mies van der Rohe so eloquently put it, "less is more." The line of luxury basics designed by Patrick Assaraf embodies his many schools of thought from over three decades of a rich career in menswear fashion. Inspired by the European elegance and tailoring of Italian menswear, the Patrick Assaraf line is a contemporary take on luxury, comfort, and the ease that is the central principle of what he believes the ethos of luxury to be. The simplicity in his silhouettes allows for the elevation of what he calls "extravagance." This extravagance exists in the progressive, high end fabrication of Peruvian cotton, choice fabrics, and in the novelty of a vibrant color palette. At the heart of this brand is integrity, one that Patrick Assaraf gives back to his customers, while presenting them with effortless basics, with elegance and simplicity.
About Water First
Water First Education & Training Inc. is one of the top charitable organizations in Canada addressing water challenges in Indigenous communities through education, training and meaningful collaboration. Founded in 2009 to bring drinking water resources to rural schools in Uganda, Water First began working with Indigenous communities in Canada in 2012, after being challenged and inspired on numerous occasions about why communities here in Canada experience water challenges. The Water First Internship Program supports young Indigenous interns to become certified water treatment plant operators. This approach ensures sustainable access to safe drinking water in Indigenous communities for the long term. Please visit: waterfirst.ngo
SOURCE Harry Rosen Inc.
Rick Byun, [email protected], (416) 575-3675
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