Hip-Hop's Chic Designer Marc Ecko Presents Print
Written by Keith ID1520   
Saturday, 11 June 2005 02:37

Hip-hop fashion designer Marc Ecko Presents: Save the Rhinos, a benefit concert starring hip-hop and rap acts The Roots, De La Soul, MF Doom and other surprise guests will be held rain or shine in Central Park's Rumsey Playfield (enter at 69th Street and 5th Avenue) on Tuesday, June 28th. The event merges one of today's greatest live acts, The Roots, with the group that pioneered their eclectic mix of rap, funk and soul, De La Soul. MF DOOM & DJ Premier will open the show. Doors open at 5pm and the first performance begins at 5:30pm. Proceeds from the event will go directly to the International Rhino Foundation as part of Marc Ecko and *ecko unltd's multi-year financial commitment and overall partnership effort to double the populations of the Indian, Black, and Sumatran rhinos, three of the planet's most endangered species. As a symbol of this program, a baby Indian rhino born at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park in January was recently named "Ecko" after the well- known designer.

The youngest member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's board of directors, Marc Ecko is founder of *ecko unltd., the world famous rhino brand. In eleven years since its creation in 1993, the group of companies that comprise Marc Ecko Enterprises has grown to include: *ecko unltd.® men's and Eckored® women's apparel, as well as outerwear, footwear, watches, eyewear, underwear, belts, bags, hats, small leather goods, formalwear and more. Marc Ecko Enterprises also includes Marc Ecko "Cut & Sew" (a contemporary menswear line launched Fall 2004); G-Unit® clothing and accessories (a joint venture with multi-platinum hip-hop rap artist, 50 Cent); Zoo York® (a line of action sports-inspired clothing and accessories); Avirex® Sportswear Collection (a licensed mid-tier brand debuting Spring 2005); and Fetish (a women's accessories collection developed in conjunction with multimedia icon Eve). The Company also publishes Complex® magazine, a men's consumer magazine with a rate base of 315,000, and is developing Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, the first truly authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti art debuting in the second half of 2005. *ecko unltd. products are available in over 5,000 stores domestically and in over 45 countries internationally, as well as through 34 of its own retail stores across the country. For additional information, please visit www.marceckoenterprises.com.

Tickets for Marc Ecko Presents: Save the Rhinos are $36 in advance, $40 the day of the event, and are available from May 11th through select Ticketmaster Outlets, Online at www.ticketmaster.com  and Ticketmaster charge-by- phone: (212) 307-7171, (201) 507-8900, (631) 888- 9000, (845) 454-3388. Tickets are also available at "Fatbeats," located in New York City at 406 6th Avenue.