Vanessa Bryant honors daughter Gianna's 15th birthday with 'Mambacita' clothing
Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late basketball star Kobe Bryant, honored what would have been her late daughter Gianna's 15th birthday with a "Mambacita" clothing line.
After teasing the line on Instagram for a few days, she released the loungewear line in partnership with Dannijo on Saturday.
The Mambacita x Dannijo unisex collection has 10 items that include tie-dye print hoodies, sweatpants and face masks.
The hoodies also feature #PlayGigisWay on the right arm, which was Gianna's basketball shooting arm.
Gianna "Gigi" Bryant died along with her father Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
"When I thought about how best to celebrate Gianna's birthday with so many who loved her, I knew it had to be a combination of sharing her bright and fun personality with her sense of purpose and passion that would help make a difference in this world," Bryant said in post.
She described some of Gigi's standout personality traits, mentioning that she was "kind, energetic, a leader and so much MAMBACITA swag."
"When I thought about who would help me capture her laid back yet girly-edge, I thought of female-owned @DANNIJO," added Bryant. "Two fun-loving sisters running a successful clothing line, they jumped on the opportunity to celebrate Gigi's birthday with us, completely pro-bono."
Prices for the capsule collection range from $24 up to $332 and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which was founded in loving memory of Gianna's legacy. The foundation was created to help underserved athletes and young women in sports.
Shortly after launching, Bryant thanked several NBA Golden State Warriors such as Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney and Draymond Green for wearing "Mambacita" hoodies and sweatpants before their game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
"The legacy lives on #2! Happy birthday Gianna, honored to celebrate you & all that this beautiful game meant to you," Curry captioned a photo where he is wearing pieces from the line.
Ciara also shared a gallery of photos and videos of Bryant and Lala Anthony wearing the "Mambacita" line.
"No greater joy than seeing you and the girls smile and laugh today V @VanessaBryant @NataliaBryant," Ciara captioned the series of images. "A beautiful celebration for the B Day Princess Gigi! We celebrate you Forever & Always Mambacita."
The collection appears to already be completely sold out, but Dannijo's website has an option for shoppers to receive an email as items become available again.
Bryant's "Mambacita" line comes shortly after news that she would be ending her and Kobe Bryant's partnership with Nike after 18 years.
