The Blueprint: The Tunero Collection - #004

The Tunero Collection is probably my most enjoyable apparel collection to work on to date. The idea first came in 2020 from the simple notion of loving how the silhouette of a boxer looked when they wore oversized clothing. The movement was so artistic in nature and it seemed a shame that this couldn't be captured through the clothing we wore. 

I'd watched Gladiator a few weeks before and remembered how elegant yet aggressive their Roman armour looked as they fought. There's no other sport on the planet where the intensity of the lower body can switch up in a split second and then go back to a graceful rhythm a moment later.

I knew this collection needed to be free-flowing but also super technical to actually do service to elite boxers, while containing a message that represented a mindset that drove action and addressed fear - LFG. 

I wanted to create a pair of shorts that could flow with each step and highlight this motion but still provide the compression required for the trenches. We developed an ultra thin, almost weightless 'apron' style outer short, laser cut the edges and laser perforated the entire back to allow for more air flow. We then welded the breathable mesh waistband to a compression inner which was developed with an open stance base in mind.

Once the shorts were done, I then tried to follow the same theme for developing an overarching collection. That said, I didn't want this to be like every other 'training collection' where all the fabrics had to be the same. The reality was that relaxed/oversized layers often didn't work as well with technical fabrics for the purpose of t-shirts/tops. 

We had the opportunity to go against normal convention and create a collection that could be worn together without necessarily looking like it was a matching uniform. I wanted to bring in natural fibres in a way that could further accentuate the poetry in motion that a boxer expressed when shadowboxing in the mirror.

Then came the raw edge waffle - a long-sleeved relaxed cotton layer which could sit light and airy across the body and flow with each punch, just like the shorts. Boxers, myself included, typically wore basic cotton t-shirts to the gym paired with technical shorts/bottoms.

For me it's because I often cba to change before boxing and prefer wearing cotton during the day. I wanted something that was smart and simple enough to wear during the day but still suitable to wear in training.

For the bottoms, I wanted the same free flow movement the shorts provided but also wanted the ability to tighten the cuff on the ankles to remove any friction with your shoes as you stepped.

We then added some pleats around the knees to further improve the fit as the front knee bent when in your stance. Finally, we laser perforated the entire back panel to allow for proper airflow as the rounds built up.

Finally came the LFG jacket. I knew Tank trained extensively in our shell jackets when warming up, running or trying to get a sweat on and frankly, his style leaned itself towards loud and outlandish upper body fits.

Taking the design language of the outline strike logo and reversed filled strike logo, we created a shell jacket to contrast the technical bottoms and shorts. We landed on a design that spoke to the entire juxtaposition that this collection embodies.

The Tunero Collection is really the becoming of a new era in BOXRAW's approach to product. In taking the visual artistic components of boxing and marrying them with its science, we've created something unique that speaks to boxing's elite. 

LFG.