MIKE FRIOLO: THE MAN WHO SET THE BAR FOR PACQUIAO NIKE DESIGNS -- PART III
By Oliver Iglesias
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 12 Apr 2014
This is a four-part article/interview on Mike Friolo, the Nike designer of Pacquiao's Nike brand. Click here to read Part II.
Oliver: Kindly cite 5 Nike Pacquiao design endeavors which you are fond of? Any motivation or raison d? etre on each of those designs?
Mike: First would be the MP logo. It was great to collaborate with Manny himself and see it evolve. It emanated from a respected boxing past and I added a cultural twist to it.
My second favorite would be the Crest, so much thought and story telling went into it. Whether you like it or not, this is a story of a man and the people who support him.
Third would be the In-Ring gear that he wore when he fought. A lot of brainstorming was put onto it. Placement of logos was essential so that Nike is represented in every photo angle. It was a learning process for me.
Fourth in my list would be the Robes. My favorite one was the ?Philippine Flag? robe which I eventually saw him wear for Pacquiao-Marquez 3. That robe was a great show piece and translated perfectly what I had in mind. In every robe, I made it a point to have a simple one-liner message or a list of Manny?s family members family embroidered close to his heart -- a little reminder not just for him but for whom he was fighting for.
Fifth would be the little projects that no one ever knew about which were only for Manny or his trainer Freddie Roach, and a few things for Manny's wife Jinkee. Noteworthy is the Air Bizness basketball shoe which I collaborated with Charlie Alfaro (Filipino footwear designer). It was a project exclusively for Manny and his love of basketball. I endorsed nine (9) pairs to Manny before his fight against Oscar de la Hoya in December 2008.
Mike Friolo's robe studies on Nike's Pacquiao brand.
Pacquiao's crest and box.
Oliver: Of these 5 designs, what is your ultimate favorite and why?
Mike: My ultimate favorite project was the MP Logo. It entailed a lot of work to capture a look and tell a story solely for an athlete. I am truly very proud of that. I think the MP logo resonates with Pacquiao fans too as I see images of people getting tattoos of it, or getting the MP Logo shaved on the side of their heads, and all the knock-offs, you can't NOT appreciate that.?
CONTINUE READING ON PART IV ...
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Oliver Iglesias.
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