two hype originals est. 1989
BRAND HISTORY BOOK
the original urban street sportswear brand The iconic brand from the ‘90s The first, The originals, The Trailblazers, The trendsetters, The Pioneers Defining & blurring the lines between global streetwear & luxury sportswear Our longevity stems from our brand’s business model of combining sports lifestyle with urban street culture into a performance-lifestyle brand that appeals to a broad audience. Two Hype Originals Brand History Book features storied collections of iconic timeless and diverse styles along with media content pulled from 30 years of the brand’s historical archives. Please enjoy this visual journey through our rich 30-year history of product storytelling.
© 2019 Two Hype Enterprises, Inc.® All rights reserved
since 89 Who would have guessed that a small sportswear brand founded in Boulder, CO could have made such an imprint in the world of street style and sport culture? Today, Two Hype stands as one of the first and only minority-owned companies to obtain pro league licenses (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL) as well as NCAA, HBCU and Olympics licenses to create official apparel for sports and fashion enthusiasts.
CHRIS CHRISTMAS CO-FOUNDER
JEFF PENIX CO-FOUNDER
licensed sportswear meets street gear Fresh out of College Two Hype Action WareÂŽ was founded by One Big Dreamer Chris Christmas and One former college athlete Jeff Penix, both visionaries with a passion for their community and brand building. What began as a motivational t-shirt design that played a role in the change of Colorado Football tradition, who then elevated to the creation of UNLV's 1990 Basketball National Championship t-shirt, soon after evolved into the first minorityowned company to obtain all pro-league licenses through a licensing deal with Salem Sportswear promoting self-actualization and social consciousness through a unique collection of progressive ethnic, street and lifestyle-inspired performancebased sports apparel.
that company was two hype action ware.
NCAA 1990 Champions UNLV Runnin’ Rebels The “Shark Takes His Bite” T-shirt would go on to gross over $20,000 in total sales and would serve as the catapult to Two Hype’s legacy.
“a rebel with a business cause” MICHAEL WILBON, THE WASHINGTON POST SUN-SENTINEL March 28, 1991 “…Greg Anthony is a not just a studentathlete, he's a scholar-athlete, a politicianathlete. "I'd like to think of myself as an example of what the NCAA would like its student-athletes to strive to be," he said. But the NCAA decided Anthony went too far when he and two friends created a business called “Two Hype," a T-shirt and silk-screening venture. Anthony knew he'd make more than enough money as an entrepreneur to pay his own tuition, so he gave back his athletic scholarship, worth $12,212 this year. But the NCAA apparently doesn't like the concept of the businessman-athlete. They told Anthony the first week of October that giving up his scholarship wouldn't be enough; he'd have to give up his involvement in the business or be declared ineligible to play…”
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While Greg Anthony was helping Nevada Las Vegas win the NCAA basketball title in 1990, he also relinquished his scholarship to pursue a lucrative business venture with Two Hype. The first college athlete to do so.
California governor signs bill allowing college athletes to sign endorsements “ In ripping the NCAA, Gov. Gavin Newsom said: "Colleges reap billions from student athletes but block them from earning a single dollar. That’s a bankrupt model.” Read Full Article HERE.
two hype is the creator of the ‘urban sports’ category & the first brand 2 ever: ‣ question status quo in college sports by launching an “athlete first” sports brand for college athletes ‣ have two national championship teams wearing its brand in the same year: unlv basketball & cu football 1991 ‣ be awarded sports licenses by nba, nfl, ncaa, nhl & hbcu as a minority-owned company ‣ be awarded olympic license as a minority-owned company
“THINGS HAVE CHANGED” CU’s 27-21 win over Nebraska gave the Buffs a shot at the National Championship Read full S.I. article HERE
The Story… The T-Shirt… that established CU’s Football tradition designed by Two Hype after Coach McCartney’s motivational pep-talk to players
PLAYER EXCLUSIVE 1991 OFFICIAL ORANGE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE CU Football Orange Bowl Championship T-Shirt
Reversible Nylon Pullover featuring Two Hype’s signature Jacquard Shadow Print
Florida State University
Duke University
two hype ncaa nylon collection. University of North Carolina
Georgetown University
University of Miami
University of Michigan
the iconic look of the 90s. University of Nevada Las Vegas
Colorado University Boulder
two hype was known for reversible styling Combining sports leisure with that of urban street culture into a performance-lifestyle brand that would appeal to a broad audience.
two hype x salem sportswear circa 1992
Two Hype signs Pro-league NCAA & HBCU licensing deal with Salem Sportswear. Becomes the "First Ever" minority owned company to sign such agreement.
Two Hype Originals - is a collection of timeless and diverse unisex styles from its historical catalog ranging from the early to mid 1990’s.
Re-Issue and Re-imagined archived styles, featuring select product ranges from NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NCAA and HBCU
TWO HYPE NBA ORIGINALS COLLECTION The NBA Originals Collection featured a series of head to toe styles
NYLON COLLECTION
Signature reversible styles - Anorak, 3/4 Nylon Pullover, Nylon Pants
FLEECE HOODIES
JERSEY BASICS
Large Team Monogram letter with
Two Hype Originals team jersey shirt & shorts
signature team print in hood lining
set featuring custom graphic packages & team color-inspired Kente prints.
the new standard for luxury sportswear Culturally Relevant - The legacy of Two Hype comes from our use of African kente and other ethnic prints. The prints have been recolorized to align with pro team colors to create one-of-a-kind collections that meet at the intersection of licensed apparel and street gear. Limited product release all with superior design, technically advanced construction, detail and materialization.
Two Hype Branded Reverse Side
expanding the playing field
A Statement of School Pride In the 1990’s Two Hype reflected the energy and culture of the inner city, hip hop, and sports cultures, while simultaneously reflecting upon political and environmental concerns. As an official HBCU licensee, Two Hype hosted several speaking engagements at Moorehouse University. Two Hype was also the host sponsor in 1993 at the legendary Howard Homecoming event in the RFK pavilion where top schools competed in a stomp competition.
HBCU Lifestyle
HBCU Lifestyle
TWO HYPE Black College Series
BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE JUNE 1994
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Two Hype is proud to announce its merchandising licensing agreement with the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Poverties (ACO). Two Hype, a direct licensee of the 1996 Olympic Games has produced a line of authentic sports apparel and outerwear in fabrications of nylon, mesh and linen. Two Hype Olympic merchandise will be available throughout the entire county doing the 1996 Olympic Games. Two Hype is based out of Denver, Colorado and has designed several successful clothing lines, including lines for Reebok, Salem Sportswear, and FILA. Two Hype’s most notable accomplishments are the recent completion of he Shaq line for Reebok and receiving Snow Country’s National Ski Wear Award for Best Snowboard Line. Two Hype is a young progressive group of individuals who are on the fashion forefront of apparel design. Two Hype is also known for its grassroots approach to marketing. Keep an eye to for Two Hype’s Black Pride World Wide “BPWW” campaign during the Atlantic Olympic Games. BPWW will highlight and celebrate the 100 years of participation of African American athletes in the Olympic Games. For more information regarding BPWW, please call 303.831.9658.
Charles Austin wearing Two Hype with Billy Dee Williams after his Gold Medal High Jump win during the 1996 Olympic Games.
TWO HYPE “HOUSE OF AFRICA” Two Hype served as host to the top African Olympic Athletes during the Atlanta 1996 Olympic games. Each night featured an array of cultural cuisine.
originals.
National Skiwear Design Award Winner January 1994
sno hype. First urban sports brand in ski and snowboard business. In 1993 won prestigious SIA snowboarding design of the year 1993.
two hype signs with reebok circa 1994
Two Hype signs on with Reebok to become global brand managers of Shaquille O’neal collections.
Shaq signature collection, featuring never seen before in any basketball collection a mix of style, silhouette, fabrication and performance integration.
Two Hype also designed additional collections for Reebok such as Reebok Basketball, Blacktop Basketball, Hard Court Tennis, signature collections for Michael Chang & Venus Williams, as well as a variety of accessories during Reebok’s dominance in sports branding.
launch of dunk.net circa 1999
Two Hype joins Shaq and launches Dunk.Net
Dunk.Net was the first Internet e-commerce sports performance footwear, athletic apparel and marketing brand endorsed by Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Piazza, Rebecca Lobo, and Delisha Milton.
Dunk.Net was the First Direct to Consumer sportswear brand.
Ahead of its time, Dunk.net introduced how all brands can reach consumers.
Shaq Drops 41 points in one of his all-time great performances to clinch first title in his Dunk.net Chromz during the 2000 closeout game 6 agains the Indiana Pacers of the 2000 NBA Finals.
two hype x nbalab 2019
the official re-launch of the Original NBA team designs featuring custom Two Hype graphic packages & team color inspired kente prints.
www.twohype.com