[STYLE] TIMBERLAND CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.’S ‘READY TO DIE’ ALBUM WITH NEW COLLAB
Today, Timberland announces the release of the Christopher Wallace Collection, honouring the 30th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album ‘Ready to Die.’
Timberland is honoUring the late rapper’s influence on hip-hop culture with the release of the Christopher Wallace Pack. Coined as a cultural icon in its own right, the new collaboration features the iconic 6-inch boot in two unique styles, representing the significance of Biggie’s impact through the blend of music, fashion and culture.
Known for his iconic street style, Biggie popularized Timberland® boots as a staple of urban fashion, particularly within the hip-hop community. His choice to wear and rap about Timberland, both in music videos and everyday life, cemented the brand’s association with authenticity, culture and resilience.
Biggie’s cultural impact is still felt today, as Timberland boots remain an iconic symbol of the era and continue to be celebrated in fashion and music circles.
Introduced in wheat and black colorways, the collection includes our Original Timberland® boots, with detailed elements that incorporate iconic visuals and lyrics from “Ready to Die” onto the Timberland design. Mirroring the original artwork from the album cover, the shoe tongue and badoink pay homage to one of the most recognizable album covers in hip-hop history. The boots also include a second gold-toned badoink with a crown design, inspired by Biggie being coined as “King of NYC”. Incorporated is an aux tip as the aglets of the laces, symbolizing the direct, personal experience of listening to music on devices like portable audio players and CD players, tapping into the nostalgia of Biggie’s reign in hip-hop. Biggie’s name is also laser etched in the heel of the sole and embossed in the collar, representative of how he has cemented his name in hip-hop, Timberland history and continues to inspire the next generation of icons.
“Designing Timberland’s Christopher Wallace Collection was a profound honor, deeply rooted in the core elements of the iconic album cover,” says Chris Dixon, Senior Footwear Designer of Advanced Concepts and Energy at Timberland. “With a vision that embraced both style and grace, I recognized that a minimalist approach would best capture the essence of the design, that matches the timeliness of the
‘Ready to Die’ and the yellow boot.”
An Emmy nominated avatar of The Notorious B.I.G. will be featured in the marketing campaign. The hyperrealistic model of the late rapper was created by analyzing dozens of hours of footage from home videos and family photos at pore-level resolution in order to understand and track the minute elasticity of sub-skin layers and facial skin movements to create a realistic avatar. Through micro-expression reference materials, advanced motion capture and Al technologies, Elliot Osagie, Chief Strategy Officer of The Notorious B.I.G. Estate and the Founder & CEO of Willingie, and Benin City, spearheaded the technology development.
