Shaun Johnson debuts new clothing line

League player Shaun Johnson has taken his love of fashion to the next level releasing his own line of clothing. Professional athletes and clothing lines seem to go hand in hand. Le Bron James, Serena and Venus Williams and Lewis Hamilton are examples of how sports and fashion can meet in the middle. Here in NZ Maria Tutaia and former All Black Dan Carter have explored fashionable opportunities outside of their sporting commitments, featuring on magazine covers and fronting campaigns and shows for various brands.

The latest New Zealand sportstar to join the ranks is Vodafone Warriors league player Shaun Johnson, who has launched his own clothing line SJ Shaun Johnson.

“I’ve always liked clothes and fashion, and I never thought I’d grace the cover of a fashion magazine,” recalls Shaun. “It was cool to step outside the box and try new things and to wear different things, so it was definitely a good experience.”

Shaun launched the clothing line with friend and sportswear distributor Harley Anderson of Performance Distribution Ltd and former Huffer co-founder Dan Buckley who took into account Shaun’s wardrobe and sense of style. The collection consists of sportswear-inspired separates, including denim shorts, button-up shirts, T-shirts and singlets featuring the SJ logo.

To support the new label, which has already secured four stockists (Culture Kings in Australia, Threads Store in Auckland, Stencil in Christchurch and Ballantynes in Christchurch and Timaru), Shaun and Harley spent some time over the past weekend at an in-store launch at the Contemporary Lounge department in Ballantynes Christchurch.

There to raise funds for the Kaikoura Earthquake Appeal, fans got the chance to meet their hero up close as Shaun took photos and signed autographs for two hours. An auction also took place as fans bid for a special lunch with Shaun and a signed Warriors Jersey, with Ballantynes donating $5000 and 20 per cent of sales of the SJ collection to the appeal.

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