‘Empire’ Launches Fashion Collaboration With Hood by Air

If you’re seeking some Empire merchandise with a high price point, look no further than Hood By Air’s collection, released today (November 11).

Already a fan of the show before the collaboration, the brand's founder Shayne Oliver used vocals from Taraji P. Henson’s character, Cookie Lyons, as the soundtrack for his Fall 2015 runway show.

Speaking with Vogue he said, "Everyone I know was inspired by that show. Cookie’s a boss, doesn’t take sh---t, doesn’t comply with any sort of male rules...To use the vocals in the show, it just gave off good energy. It means you’re here to rip heads off. Cookie’s the first thing out here in a while that feels punk.”

Soon after, the show reached out to Oliver, asking him to create a few pieces that reference its characters. The line, which is up for sale over on Hood By Air’s official site, features a collection of hoodies, tanks, shorts and more emblazoned with photos of Empire’s characters and newspaper headlines. The brand also created a handful of accessories to go with it the line, including a pillow clutch recalling the time Cookie tried to suffocate Lucious.

Oliver said, "When we saw that moment, we were literally screaming, like, ‘No, she’s not going to take it there!’ Empire gives you that water-cooler moment, the idea of having something that you can be like, ‘Oooh, girl, did you catch that?’ ”

The designer said, of the collection, "A lot of it is also references to things I grew up with, that are very specific to Queens. All the boys in the oversized Hot 97 Summer Jam tees, all the West Indian girls in the printed Gallianos and Moschinos.”

Check out the full collection over at Hood By Air.