Lingua Franca launches Jalen Brunson collection benefiting Second Round Foundation
The New York fashion brand debuts a hand-embroidered cashmere capsule with the NBA champion and his family, with 10 percent of sales supporting their foundation for underserved youth.
Lingua Franca, which builds its reputation on hand-embroidered cashmere, has launched a collaboration with NBA champion Jalen Brunson and his family on October 20, timed to the New York Knicks’ season opener at Madison Square Garden. The collection draws from Brunson’s mantra, “The Magic Is in the Work,” a phrase rooted in his path from second-round draft pick to one of professional basketball’s most celebrated players.
The partnership unites two New York stories through shared values of hard work and community. According to the brand, 10 percent of what the collection sells will support Second Round Foundation, the nonprofit that Brunson and his mother, Sandra, founded in 2022 to serve young people facing barriers of resources, representation, and expectation.
The Collection
The Lingua Franca x Jalen Brunson’s Second Round Foundation collection features made-to-order cashmere sweaters and sweatshirts, each hand-embroidered at Lingua Franca’s Manhattan studio, located blocks from Madison Square Garden. The pieces draw from the family’s values and commitment to community, using the brand’s signature embroidery and approach to telling stories through what people wear.
Fans attending Knicks games at the arena can shop both the new collaboration and Lingua Franca’s existing Knicks sweaters on-site.
The Campaign and Family
The collaboration spotlights Jalen Brunson modeling with his mother Sandra, father Rick, and wife Ali. Sandra Brunson played Division I volleyball at Temple University and spent three decades in business law before helping to establish the foundation.
For Lingua Franca founder Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, the partnership holds personal significance as an extension of the brand’s mission. “As a small New York brand hand-embroidering sweaters just blocks from Madison Square Garden, getting to work with Jalen and his family is a little surreal,” she said. “But what makes this collaboration so special to me isn’t just what Jalen has accomplished on the court. It’s the family behind him, the years of dedication and support that helped him get there, and their commitment to making sure other young people have opportunity and access.”
About the Foundation
Second Round Foundation, according to its mission statement, aims to help young people succeed regardless of their circumstances, by creating opportunity through education, athletics, and community work. The organization is expanding to reach more young people and give them the chance to flourish.
This article was compiled by the Glamorade editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
