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British Knights is back, and the brand—that had a brief pop-culture fueled run in the late-'80s/early-'90s—has a mad doctor running its newly minted ship:Dr. Romanelli.
Some people might know Romanelli for cutting up vintage Nike jackets and stitching them to leather jackets or for his sneaker collaborations. But he's here to bring new energy to British Knights while staying true to the brand's original designs.
To find out what Romanelli has planned for British Knights, we talked to the man himself, and he enlightened us to what's in-store. Hint: There are good things to come. Here are 10 Things You Need to Know About Dr. Romanelli and the British Knights Comeback.
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He wants to resurrect British Knights.
Dr. Romanelli isn't at British Knights just to design a few sneakers and call it a day. He's there because he wants to bring British Knights back. He told us, "The thing I've always been attracted to with these projects is resurrecting something—resuscitating a brand that might not have any market energy at the moment. I was given the opportunity to resurrect British Knights, a brand that had a moment in the late-'80s/early-'90s, and work on a project where I can operate creatively and start on the resurrection."
The product is most important to Romanelli, but he's adding something extra to this project.
People know Dr. Romanelli because he makes great stuff, and continues to do that with British Knights. This time around, however, Romanelli is putting together a complete package for the brand. He said, "I always pay attention to the product as the most important part of the equation. I always look at something from the storytelling perspective. But for this project, I'm paying just as much attention to the marketing and messaging as I am product."
He thinks the current streetwear and sneaker scene has grown boring.
Romanelli has had a long run in streetwear. That's because he's been able to reinvent what he does and come with new stuff. As for the current streetwear scene, he's not feeling it. He said, "There's not a whole lot that's exciting. That's where I like to come in, find a space that needs that boost, and to reinvent."
He wants to keep British Knights as British Knights.
When new designers come to a brand, they often feel the need to switch things around. Not Romanelli—not yet at least. He told us, "I want to pay as close attention as I can to the original model for at least the first four of five seasons, maybe with richer color palettes and textiles, as I can."
He might not be the biggest sneakerhead, but there's something about British Knights that connected with him.
We all can't be triple-O.G. sneakerheads. And that's fine. Romanelli admits he isn't one, but British Knights is the one of the brands that left a lasting impact on him. He said, "I'm not a huge sneaker collector, but I appreciate them. I remember being a kid after watching the commercials with my brother and being like, 'Mom, I need these Dymacel joints.'"
There's going to be apparel, too.
What would a Dr. Romanelli collection be without clothes? He said, "I don't want to say I'm going to bring back the tracksuit. But I definitely want to re-interpret the classic track suit. With BK, some of this apparel is incredible. For that era, they were really innovative. I'm looking to do them the best that I can. I like finding objects or vintage brands and then deconstructing them."
Romanelli is looking to put artists at the forefront of street culture.
First and foremost, Dr. Romanelli is an artist, and he represents that with his brand. Instead of going after new basketball talent, they're searching for artists to display. He said, "The mantra of this brand is 'Artists Are the New Athletes.' I back that. I live by that everyd ay. I collect contemporary art, so for me to connect with artists and put them up on a pedestal and give them shoes or apparel programs for BK—that would be my goal."
Working with Scooter Braun is a big reason why he sided with British Knights.
Scooter Braun needs no introduction. He's the man who discovered Justin Bieber. Enough said. And that maverick spirit is what interested Romanelli in doing this project. "If you look at what he did for a number of people in the music industry, he's definitely a mogul and has reinvented the wheel a couple of times," he said. " I was just as excited about the opportunity of working with him as I was for the opportunity to resurrect BK. From a viral perspective, having him to energize the program really supports the product."
He's a fan of '80s and '90s hip-hop and that's one of the things he loves about British Knights.
Hip-hop was great around the time that British Knights was first around, and Romanelli wants to re-capture some of that energy. He said, "I don't want to say that, 'I want to bring hip-hop back,' but I want to bring that era of hip-hop back as much as I can as far as the fashion, the culture, the lifestyle."
There is a Derrick Coleman sneaker on the way.
British Knights had a bigger rep for style than athletic performance, but the one moment the brand had was with then-Net Derrick Coleman. Romanelli confirmed to us that there will be a Derrick Coleman sneaker on the way, just like the Dymacels that he wore in his playing days. The sneakers will come in New Jersey Nets and Syracuse Orange-appropriate color schemes.
