Mary J. Blige’s fans have been asking her for a boot collection for years. Now, the music legend has delivered on her promise.
In May 2023, the “Good Morning Gorgeous” singer exclusively shared with AFROTECH™ that her signature boot line was on the way.
“It’s in the works,” Blige told AFROTECH™ at the time. “For some reason, this is taking longer than everything else, but we’re gonna get there. Trust me. Everything else is here so that’s on its way.”
The time has officially arrived as Blige teamed up with Giuseppe Zanotti in May 2024 for “The Mary Boot.” What’s more, she was a part of the design process.
“Giuseppe Zanotti and Mary J. Blige have transformed their longtime friendship into an exclusive, limited-edition collaboration,” Giuseppe Zanotti shared on its Instagram page. “‘The Mary Boot,’ a stunning over-the-knee boot co-designed by the two talents.”
During the 2024 Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, Blige rocked the metallic thigh-high boots, which had the price point of $1,295. According to Vibe, after the boots dropped on May 12, they sold out in just a day. The boots going out of stock quickly came after online controversy from a group of people who believed that the pricing was too expensive. Despite the pushback, the opposing side of the debate agreed that teaming up with the Italian luxury designer was on brand for Blige and made the most sense based on her being one of the biggest artists across three decades.
While the Giuseppe partnership was Blige’s first official foray into the fashion industry, she’s been busy in other ways, including entering the spirits market in 2020. Launching her wine collection, Sun Goddess, made her one of the few Black women in the spirits industry, as previously shared by AFROTECH™. In partnership with Fantinel Winery, the collaborators launched an Italian pinot grigio ramato, sauvignon blanc, merlot, and prosecco, per the Sun Goddess website.
“Launching during a pandemic wasn’t how I imagined the start of this new venture, but the success so far has completely surpassed any expectation I had, and we’re not done yet!” Blige shared.
