TUNL Hosts Star-Stuffed Inaugural Gala Featuring Taraji P. Henson, Suni Lee

Athletes, rappers and tastemakers gathered at the inaugural TUNL gala during New York Fashion Week on Thursday night at Spring Studios in Tribeca, hosted by Roc Nation’s Lenny Santiago and basketball star Chloe Pavlech. Named after athletes’ pre-game “tunnel attacks,” TUNL is a new media platform that fuses media and e-commerce, where sports and fashion intersect. The Hollywood Reporter was a media partner of the event, organized in collaboration with Spotify.

Embodying the essence of the TUNL brand, the venue transformed into a club-like lounge with a “tunnel walk,” and guests were offered fruity cocktails upon entry. Inside, there were merch previews, Spotify-branded photoshoots, and a collaborative installation by Zales + Prince, which included a stunning display of a diamond-studded lavender tennis racket. The TUNL Gala also featured bars offering D’USSÉ cocktails, and shredded cheese sandwiches, a New York City staple, were passed around for those craving a bite to eat.

One of the first stars to arrive was Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, who made the most of his early entrance: He posed for photos in a Spotify installation and played with a photographer’s camera before settling into a roped-off seating area with his teammates. The star-studded guest list included Taraji P. Henson, super agent (and Adele’s boyfriend) Rich Paul, Rachel Lindsay, A$AP Ferg, Joan Smalls, Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, and a dapper David Banner.

The night featured DJ sets from producer Chase B and duo Angel & Dren, before Grammy-winning producer and DJ Mustard closed out the night. Mustard began his set with a tribute to iconic rapper Fatman Scoop, who passed away a week earlier. “We partying, man. We gonna do it for Fatman Scoop one time,” the DJ announced before launching into Scoop's hit with Crooklyn Clan, “Be Faithful.”

Mustard’s performance also brought out some of the night’s biggest basketball stars, including Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley, Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown, recently departed Celtics center Oshae Brissett and San Francisco Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney. NBA players grabbed a spot near the DJ booth, dancing to the beat.

Earlier this summer, Brown and WNBA star Kysre Gondrezick turned heads when they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2024 ESPY Awards. They proved they are one of the most stylish duos in sports, wearing matching all-black ensembles. Speaking about her tunnel fit with The Hollywood ReporterBrown noted that he has a team of stylists he uses throughout the year, “but for the most part, I do my own styling.” When asked if he has a favorite look, the Celtics player said, “Every look is my favorite.”

The event served as a launch for TUNL, which comes via a collaboration between creative studio Versus and creative director Ashley Champ. The company aims to bridge the gap between high fashion and streetwear, making fashion more accessible to everyday consumers. It is also working to centralize sports and fashion content through collaborations with designers and organizations, along with an online marketplace.