Authentic Brands Launches Muhammad Ali x RVCA Collection
Authentic Brands Group has brought two of its brands together for a special collaboration: Muhammad Ali and RVCA.
On Wednesday, a co-branded collection of men’s and women’s merchandise launched that includes T-shirts, polos, boxing shorts, leggings, sweatpants and hoodies. Several of the pieces feature graphics of the famed boxer as well as his iconic quote: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Overall, the line merges sport and street, a hallmark of the RVCA brand.
Images of Muhammad Ali are featured on several of the pieces.
Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
“We’re not a pure surf brand, but we have surf,” said Mark Tinkess, president of RVCA at Ethos Brand, the U.S. licensee for RVCA. “We’re not an MMA or a skater brand, but we have those. We don’t want to be pigeonholed, we’re an apparel brand and we make great board shorts, but we also have men’s and women’s wovens, bottoms, fleece. We serve multiple subcultures.”
The Muhammad Ali collection will retail for $30 to $86 and is available in sizes small to XXL. It is being sold on the RVCA website as well as the Muhammad Ali Center Store. Proceeds from the latter will go to the Muhammad Ali Center to support programs to uplift young people around the world.
The boxer’s most famous saying is printed on the collection.
Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
To introduce the line, RVCA held a HIIT boxing workout hosted by performance coach Brian Mazza at the soon-to-open Life Time High Performance gym on Fifth Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. A dinner was to follow Wednesday night at Barlume where guests will view a video message from Muhammad Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, as well as a personal letter that reads: “Muhammad’s legacy as an athlete is one of unmatched discipline, confidence, and charisma. He approached sport not just with talent, but with passion, purpose, and an unwavering belief in who he was. That same spirit is at the heart of this collection — a celebration of movement, strength, and self-expression.”
Authentic has owned and managed the intellectual property associated with Muhammad Ali for more than a decade. In 2023, the company acquired Boardriders, parent company of RVCA.
