admin Danish menswear label Les Deux are putting down roots in New York City, kicking off their upcoming arrival by contributing to the community.
With an investment of 70,000 U.S. dollars, Les Deux has completely redesigned two basketball courts in Washington Market Park in Tribeca, aimed at local students as well as the greater city locale.
Developed in collaboration with Copenhagen-based design duo Kongstad Studio and non-profit organization Project Blackboard, the renovated courts feature updated surfaces, walls, and artwork, in addition to a range of new basketball gear.
The opening of a sales office in New York marks the brand’s first foray in the U.S. market, with much intention behind the choice of address. “New York is the world’s city, and our goal is to be a worldwide brand,” said Les Deux co-founder Andreas von der Heide in an interview with FashionUnited.
Drawing aesthetic inspiration from American collegiate style and skating street culture, Von der Heide cites New York as both an aspirational nexus and a home-away-from-home. “New York has always been a big inspiration for us because of that connection with the American dream, that mentality of staying hungry and striving for more,” said Von der Heide, who hopes to see the U.S. become the biggest market for Les Deux.
With a longstanding connection to Nordstrom and a newly signed partnership with Bloomingdale’s, Les Deux is on the brink of significant growth, strengthened by not only retailer connections but also a shared ethos of entrepreneurship that “mirrors some of the best values you see in the U.S.”, according to Von der Heide.
Legacy, the CSR platform of Les Deux, sponsored the refurbishment of the basketball courts—an initiative that followed the funding of a school for Syrian refugees last year. “It’s really important to me that this isn’t a one-off,” said Von der Heide. The courts were the leading project of 2023, with more efforts underway in the coming years.
