Rhuigi Villaseñor Of Rhude Becomes Head Creative Of NHL’s Arizona Coyotes

The NHL’s Arizona Coyotes announced today that global fashion designer and Filipino-American Rhuigi Villaseñor is taking the helm of design as its Creative Strategist, partnering with parent company, The Meruelo Group. Villaseñor will operate through his creative agency Rheimage, joining The Meruelo Group and the Coyotes for the 2022-2023 season. We can expect to see exclusive player, team, and fan apparel, a special edition jersey, including hoodies, shirts, and hats.

The conversation started with Rhuigi Villaseñor when Alex Meruelo Jr., Chief Brand Officer of the Coyotes, expressed his interest in sports and the streetwear brand Rhude, founded by Villaseñor. As the creative director of the Los Angeles-based streetwear brand, Villaseñor also holds the title of Creative Director of Bally, expressing his streetwear perspective via high fashion. Meruelo Jr. and Villaseñor found a common thread in merging sports and fashion.

Alex Meruelo Jr. recalls, “I have always dreamt of merging sports with fashion and culture to create a global brand at the forefront of pushing the boundaries. The moment I met Rhuigi, I knew he was the perfect fit. He is a true visionary who embraces the history of the Coyotes brand and knows what it will take to bring it to the next level.”

The sentiment is mutual from Villaseñor, embracing the opportunity he has been provided. “I can’t discredit the genius in Alex [Meruelo Jr.] for seeing a new interpretation in the sport of hockey – and he’s tapped me,” Villaseñor illustrates. The moment has become monumental as a designer for Villaseñor.

“We really bonded over dinner, with him and his father, family values, and core beliefs. All the things that are foundational in building a strong friendship. Kind of like when starting a basketball team – when you’re homies are talented – you might as well play with your homies. For us, we’re building this – hockey team, and it’s going to be an interesting take.”

Rhude has already been influenced by Formula1 Racing, introducing the Maclaren F1 x Rhude collection featuring the Maclaren logo and design elements on vintage style tees, hoodies, jackets, hats, and button shirts, for example. Pivoting sports, Villaseñor will collaborate with the Arizona Coyotes hockey team on a range of projects, which includes a new exclusive collection and special-edition Third Jersey.

“As one of the most influential people in fashion today, Rhuigi brings his unique creative talents to help inspire and energize our fans. Together we have set out to reimagine how a sports team can interact with its supporters and the region. We are beyond thrilled to work with him – and to introduce him to our Pack, the greatest sports fans in the world,” Meruelo Jr. says.

With this partnership, Villaseñor is excited about the challenge of designing for the Arizona Coyotes, new to the brand identity of a sports team is a streetwear designer. He says, “it’s the energy, the colorway, the font – this is one of the things I’m super proud of because I always wanted to design a jersey for a team. It’s so cool that it’s hockey – because it’s so unexpected.”

Unexpected is sewn into streetwear and lives in a continuum, as expressed through resale markets. Villaseñor sees longevity in creating jerseys for an official sports team – garments streetwear knows all too well. He further dives into the love for sports and streetwear, “there are ways to interpret the sport. ‘How do we take it on the streets?’ Like a beta test – like street hockey. When they called my brand streetwear – that was my answer – it is streetwear! Because my clothes are being worn in the streets.”

The Rhude brand has created streetwear that has resonated globally, reflecting a synergy between tastemakers and consumers and strong brand identity. “What Alex [Meruelo Jr.] and I bonded over is the idea of ‘brand.’ So much of what I truly believe in, aside from design, is brand and marketing. To approach the team as not only a sporting team but a brand that represents Arizona in lifestyle form.”

The Arizona Coyotes is the first and only NHL team with a Latino majority owner in Alex Meruelo, Meruelo Jr.’s father, and a Latino President and CEO, Xavier Gutierrez. The Coyotes have also unveiled a new brand campaign video and rallying cry #RunWithThePack to usher in the 2022-2023 season for fans.

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The collaboration with the Coyotes is part of Villaseñor’s partnership and work with The Meruelo Group. He will also design merchandise for the iconic Sahara Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, owned by The Meruelo Group. Rhude teased the partnership in its Spring Summer of 2022 Show “Monaco, With God’s Help,” where music producer Metro Boomin wore a Rhude Sahara smokers jacket.

“There’s got to be economics to this,” the Rhude founder says of his creative intent. “It’s going to feel like it’s part of the heritage and classic. But all these codes we drew on are very new, like the fonts. But feel vintage.” Evolution has been a way of design for the informally-trained fashion designer Villaseñor. His design aesthetic reflects sportswear and style, creating a seamless interpretation. “I want to set it up where it can evolve on its own,” Villaseñor explains.

“I’ve set up codes that I can tweak whenever over time and evolve it. Rather than creating something unsustainable where I have to innovate constantly.” Villaseñor has cracked his own code of design at the helm of Rhude and Bally. With the Arizona Coyotes, he is breaking the ice for new interpretations of sportswear intrinsic to hockey.