It was a rough summer for Hollywood. Despite some big names and even bigger marketing budgets, most films fell short of box-office expectations, with this summer season ranking as the least attended since 1981 — COVID-19 years notwithstanding — according to The New York Times.
That could change this weekend when “Wicked: For Good” opens. The second installment of the Ariana Grande/Cynthia Erivo-led movie, which will open in theaters on Friday, is expected to draw crowds and give Hollywood coffers a boost. Ditto for the Timothée Chalamet movie “Marty Supreme,” opening on Christmas Day.
Although its premiere is still more than a month away, “Marty Supreme” already has some major buzz. The sports comedy-drama is set in the 1950s and tells the story of Marty Mauser, who dreams of becoming a champion table-tennis player. Celebrities including Tom Brady, Misty Copeland, Kid Cudi, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner have all been photographed sporting “Marty Supreme” hoodies. And those hoodies — along with a range of other products — were created by Los Angeles designer Doni Nahmias.
This is the second Chalamet film that Nahmias has worked on. Last year he created merchandise for “A Complete Unknown,” the Bob Dylan film in which Chalamet starred. Nahmias designed a hoodie for the actor’s press tour that completely sold out.
A polo from the “Marty Supreme” collection.
Courtesy of Nahamias
This collection will be more extensive and includes tracksuits, sweatsuits, polos, jerseys, hats, socks, pants, key chains and other products, priced from $50 to $250. Chalamet teased the collection online and posted a cryptic image of a planned pop-up on his Instagram page.
So some of his 19.5 million followers in the New York area flocked to the pop-up in SoHo that was only open for four hours on Thursday afternoon to be among the first non-celebrities to snatch pieces from the collection.
Misty Copeland is among the celebrities who are wearing the merchandise.
Brendan Wixted
That’s what drew Nahmias to New York, to get ready for the secret launch and see the frenzy unfold first-hand. “Last Christmas, Timmy had the ‘A Complete Unknown’ movie come out, and we did these hoodies with him, and it was a huge success,” the designer said. “I think we built a kind of trust within the space. So now that he had this movie coming up, I was working closely with him and his stylist on his wardrobe for press. And we started producing these jackets and sportswear for him to wear.”
That led to a commercial collection that serves to not only promote the film but also let fans be a part of the action, he said. “It just continued to expand and get bigger.”
Courtesy of Tom Brady
Nahmias said Chalamet hand-selected the celebrities who would be gifted with products from the line, and they’re all people he considers “great — which is based off the film. They’re people that have inspired and pursued greatness.”
After the New York event, a series of global surprise activations are planned throughout November and December to promote the movie and sell product.
Nahmias has already seen the film twice and said it’s “amazing. I hope Timmy gets his Oscar for it. He’s well worthy of it.”
Nahmias said working with Chalamet has been a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s also taken him away from working on his own collection. He said he plans to return to Paris with a Nahmias show during men’s fashion week in January after a three-year hiatus. “It’s super expensive to do a show for a small brand,” he said. “But we felt like it was time to let people know what’s up.”
The show will be focused on his men’s and unisex collection, but he said he’s planning to launch womenswear in the future. “I think I’m still a couple of seasons out,” he said.
Nahmias added that he’s in no rush to grow his business and prefers this “very healthy and controlled” expansion. “I feel like it’s in a really good space and I’m definitely excited for the next six to 12 months.”
