Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
The New York Times profiled Actively Black, the Black-owned athletic apparel brand founded by Lanny Smith in 2020, in its July 2024 feature "The Small, Black-Owned Label Taking on the Big Brands in the Style Olympics" by Vanessa Friedman. The story covered how our Los Angeles-based label was chosen to dress Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, putting a company the Times described as having only three employees alongside the biggest names in sport and fashion. For us, it was proof that a brand built by and for the community can stand on the world's biggest stage.
Key takeaways
- The New York Times reported that Actively Black would outfit Team Nigeria for the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, podium, Olympic Village and track and field competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- According to the Times, Actively Black had only three employees at the time of the Olympic partnership.
- The opening ceremony looks used a green-and-white block print made from Funtua cotton, with men's styles inspired by the Nigerian senator suit and women's styles derived from the buba dress, finished with traditional gele and fila headwear.
- The Times reported the looks were designed with Jordan Jackson and Danielle McCoy of Amen, Amen. Studios in Portland, Oregon, working with Nigerian partners Lekki Garment Factory and Afrikstabel Textiles Productions.
- Smith was connected to Team Nigeria through Seun Adigun, a college friend who competed for Nigeria in track and field in 2012 and founded the country's bobsled team, according to the Times.
- The Times noted that Smith, a former University of Houston star who reached the Sacramento Kings in 2009, would march into Paris with Team Nigeria on July 26, 2024.
In Lanny's words
“To see a Black-owned brand on the same global stage as Nike and Lululemon and Adidas, it makes everyone start to look at us differently.”
— Lanny Smith, to The New York Times
“And when I say that, I don't mean just African Americans. I mean we're a global brand for the entire diaspora.”
— Lanny Smith, to The New York Times
“Part of that Nigeria vibe is you're going to look nice.”
— Lanny Smith, to The New York Times
Why it matters
The Times placed this partnership in the same conversation as the luxury and sportswear houses dressing other nations for the opening ceremony. That is exactly the point. As Smith told the paper, billions of dollars have been made off Black culture, Black talent and Black consumerism without adequate reinvestment back into the community. Actively Black exists to change that equation: we're not asking for a seat at the table, we're building our own table.
The feature also traced the personal road behind the brand, from an ACL injury 33 days into Smith's professional career, to founding Active Faith Sports in 2010, to launching Actively Black on Black Friday in 2020. The Times reported that Smith was already hearing from other African countries and some Caribbean delegations about working together, a sign of what a diaspora-owned brand can build when the Tribe stands behind it.
Shop the story
Wear the pride of Paris with our Team Nigeria Kit and the wider Actively Black Olympic Collection, or gear up in our performance apparel.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Actively Black?
Actively Black was founded by Lanny Smith, a former University of Houston basketball star who signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2009. The brand launched on Black Friday in 2020.
What did The New York Times say about Actively Black?
In July 2024, The New York Times profiled Actively Black as a small, Black-owned Los Angeles label taking on the big brands by dressing Team Nigeria for the Paris 2024 Olympics, including the opening and closing ceremonies, the podium and track and field competition.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Actively Black is a Black-owned athletic apparel brand, and The New York Times described it as a mission-focused, Black-owned label.
How did Actively Black get connected to Team Nigeria?
According to The New York Times, Smith was introduced to Team Nigeria by Seun Adigun, a college friend who competed for Nigeria in the 2012 Summer Olympics and founded its bobsled team. She reached out again when Nigeria's planned uniform sponsor for Paris fell through.
Read the full feature: The Small, Black-Owned Label Taking on the Big Brands in the Style Olympics, The New York Times (July 2024)
