Tobe Nwigwe’s investments in himself and his savvy networking have paid off immensely.
At Art Basel Miami, the artist and fashion designer took part in a panel discussion, reflecting on his journey so far, moderated by “Earn Your Leisure” podcast hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. He shared a memorable story about investing in his own artistry by funding a feature with Pharrell Williams, who was already a fan of his work.
“Pharrell charged a lot of money for his beats. It costs a lot of money. So when he hit me up and was like, ‘Yo, I love what you’re doing.’ I was like, ‘Man, appreciate it.’ He was like ‘Man, the industry been waiting on somebody like you.’ I was like ‘Man thank you, man.’ He was like, ‘It’d be honor if you could come up to Miami‘ and we met Pharrell,” Nwigwe said on the panel.
Their collaboration resulted, and as part of the agreement, Nwigwe received an invoice for the feature — a testament to the professional exchange that helped bring their creative vision to life. Nwigwe fulfilled the invoice, and within two days of the transaction, he received an opportunity to work with the luxury Italian fashion brand Moncler from Williams.
It would lead to a payday for Nwigwe that compensated him even more than he had lost.
“They send the invoice. Now watch this. I’m not dumb. I got something that I’m trying to do. I want my music to touch the masses. So I pay the cost. Two days later after I pay the cost. Pharrell called, hit me up and say he designed the jacket with Moncler and that he don’t have time to go out there and do the photo shoots and stuff like that for Moncler and if I could stand in and represent Pharrell with Moncler. It paid me almost double what it cost for the song,” he revealed.
Reebok Deal
Nwigwe also highlighted the importance of strategic networking in other business ventures, including his deal with Reebok. While he had grown accustomed to operating independently — handling everything from music production to directing videos, marketing, and designing — his Reebok collaboration took a more collaborative onset. According to information shared with AFROTECH™, the partnership was sparked during a meet-up with Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya. During the gathering, Nwigwe connected with a Reebok executive, a conversation that planted the seed for what would become a major collaboration.
When it came time for business negotiations, Nwigwe turned to a woman named Lauren, whom he had connected with while working on a campaign for Beyoncé’s Ivy Park.
“She is phenomenal and she has been leading the the way in terms of our partnership relations… So when I’m in the meetings with Reebok that I ain’t never been in… I got the vision for what it is that I want to do but I got somebody who speak the language very precisely,” he said.
The rest is history. In January 2024, Nwigwe and Reebok announced a multi-year partnership that kicked off with the Reebok by Chukwu collection, a news release mentions.
“I’m honored to partner with a brand like Reebok that represents so many iconic moments in culture and possesses timeless designs that have spanned generations. I can still vividly remember fighting with one of my best friends in middle school over who could first get their hands on the latest Question drop” Tobe Nwigwe said at the time in the news release. “I’m excited to bring my point of view and join our worlds together to create something truly special.”
