If there was ever a perfectly planned piece of postgame clothing, Steph Curry broke it out in Paris on Saturday night.
Shortly after Curry dropped four 3-pointers in the final three minutes of Team USA's gold-medal win over France, Curry was pictured wearing a blue hoodie with white writing that read "Nuit, Nuit" and featured a sliver of the Eiffel Tower.
When stopped by media personality Rachel Nichols at the team's postgame party, Curry said "Nuit, nuit. In France, we say that instead of Night, Night." The phrase matched the folded hands Curry turned into a pillow when he hit the dagger shot on the court.
To find out how this all came together, we talked to Mike Fogg, the designer behind the project.
Although quick-strike bootleggers are selling knockoff "Nuit, Nuit" items online, Fogg's original design is not for retail and was intended only as a personalized project for Curry.
“NUIT. NUIT."
— Mike Fogg (@MikeFogg24) August 11, 2024
It feels impossible to describe this one. Back in June, I had an incredible opportunity to create a few custom clothing designs for @StephenCurry30 for this year’s Paris Olympics, a dream.
“Nuit Nuit” was born.⁰⁰In English, it’s Night Night. In French, It’s… pic.twitter.com/6iiUGDovdA
Here's Fogg's exclusive conversation with cllct:
cllct: How did you and Steph connect?
Fogg: Steph and I connected about three years ago through some of his closest friends and business partners. At the time, I was establishing my own path as an art director, working on a side project.
By a stroke of luck, they came across my work, reached out, and we started collaborating. So, for the past few years, I've been doing a few one-off, custom projects for Steph and his ventures. But nothing like this, this was completely a personal side project for him.
It has been about three years of on-and-off projects with them. It has been an incredible journey for my career, something I never thought would be possible but always dreamed of.
cllct: How secretive did this project need to be? I mean, it’s a gold-medal-or-bust situation, were there NDAs involved?
Fogg: Steph was fully aware of the project, making it a very collaborative effort from the start. The entire process, from design to approvals and production, moved incredibly fast. We kicked off in mid-June, just a month before the Olympics began, and quickly transitioned from creative to finalizing designs for production.
Once the pieces were shipped to the hotel in Paris, we had no idea when or if he would wear them. Steph chose the perfect moment, making it all the more iconic. It really shows how calculated he is. It truly felt like a lighting-in-a-bottle moment for all of us.
cllct: The fact that it debuted in a win against France, how excited were you? How crazy was the buzz?
Fogg: I’m still in shock. As a designer, you always dream of having your work showcased globally, but this was on another level. Everything aligned perfectly — the game, Steph’s legacy, the cultural significance of Paris, and, of course, his signature "night night" moment, or should I say "Nuit Nuit" moment.
I was at dinner with my wife when the images started flooding social media. Sleep was definitely scarce that night. I was in complete awe of how viral it went. Seeing childhood heroes comment on it was surreal. It’s a moment I’ll never forget, and I’m incredibly thankful and humbled by the experience.
cllct: I’m getting a million ads for "Nuit Nuit" shirts. I assume there were no retail plans? You guys didn’t trademark it?
Fogg: There were no retail plans; it was really a personal, custom, creative project just for Steph. It was something uniquely his, meant for that one special moment. We wanted to make something he would want to wear, and be proud to wear, with a little bit of attitude behind it of course.
We had no idea it would go viral to this extent. Like you, I’ve received numerous requests, but I’ve been responding that it was a one-of-a-kind creation for the gold medalist himself. I’m expecting to see knockoffs pop up everywhere — that’s just how it goes!
cllct: Do you anticipate more athletes doing these personal messages and planning them with merch? Kobe Bryant obviously did 'Mamba Out' years ago.
Fogg: Absolutely. I believe every athlete should have their personal brand ready to go. While not every athlete will have a "Nuit Nuit" level moment, there’s immense potential on social media to represent themselves as both a brand and an athlete.
We’re already seeing this trend in college sports, with social-media handles on practice jerseys and NIL deals. The next generation of athletes is essentially becoming part-time social media influencers. Once that’s established, merch, iconic game moments — almost any moment in time — can be monetized.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.