Darrell Alston Springs Forward: A VH1 Special + Bungee USA

by Melissa Jacobs

Darrell Alston knows all about big jumps. Alston named his company Bungee Brand exactly because he’s faced so many ups and downs on his road to becoming a sneaker and apparel designer. Now, he’s jumping into a new sector: luxury gear for sports fan.

Bungee USA is Darrell Alston’s newest division of Bungee Brand – and it may just be a new category for clothing. “I went shopping for an Eagles jersey for my dad and didn’t see anything unique,” Alston said. “So I designed it myself.”

Instead of creating standard-issue sweatshirts and T-shirts, Alston applied his upscale aesthetic to fan gear. Bungee USA’s apparel combines high-quality materials and unique detailing with the colors of professional sports teams.

Launched as a capsule collection on Dec. 1, 2023, Bungee USA’s Eagles-inspired sweater-like jerseys were an immediate hit. He’s following that up with a Phillies-inspired jackets and short-sleeved shirts. “They are an homage to Philadelphia’s sports teams and some of the retro styles that players wore in decades past,” Alston explained.

The launch of Bungee USA coincides with Alston’s appearance on VH1’S “True Crime Story,” which tells the tale of his incarceration for selling drugs. It was while Alston was in prison that he started sketching sneakers and created the business plan for Bungee.

For a brand that was born in a jail cell and launched during a pandemic, Bungee Brand has achieved remarkable things. Alston’s shoes and clothing have been worn by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ludacris, Keenan Thompson and other celebrities. In 2021, Darrell Alston  became the first Philadelphia designer to have a sneaker launch in Foot Locker. In 2022, Bungee set a sales record with its trunk show at Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia. “Being at Neiman Marcus was a dream come true,” Alston said. “To see my sneakers on the shelves was an amazing experience for me, my team and the Bungee community.”

There’s another side to the high voltage, tongue-wagging version of Alston that people see at events, on magazine covers and on social media. There is the quiet, contemplative side of Alston, the one who prefers to be alone when he designs and finds his flow on the other side of solitude.

In fact, low key Alston fuels superstar Alston. They coexist in synchronicity, as they do for many CEOs and creative types. But in Alston’s case, many people think that he is all flash-and-glam. They discount his business acumen and his work ethic. Maybe that’s because he’s Black, because he was incarcerated, or both.

Alston has been able to interact with students during the lectures he’s given at local high schools, the University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University and at Penn State, where he was the entrepreneur-in-residence for the fall 2022 semester. He also conducts workshops for people who are still incarcerated but working on their business plans.

Because at its heart, Bungee isn’t just about selling sneakers. Bungee’s mission is to inspire, educate and confirm the belief that, with hard work and dedication, people who are sitting in dorm rooms, jail cells or office cubicles can, in fact, make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. 

---

Connect with Main Line Tonight!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn