When Jasmine Maietta talks about Round21, she doesn’t talk about sportswear or merch. She talks about identity. About art. About community. For her, the brand she built from the ground up isn’t about jerseys or logos, it’s about the people who wear them and the stories they carry.
A former athlete who played professionally overseas, Jasmine spent years in the corporate world, building brands that defined eras. But the further she climbed, the more she noticed that something was missing. “Speed and community,” she said. “I wanted to create a new way to engage through sport—something that put the identity of the people first.” That idea became Round21, a company that sits at the intersection of sport and art.
Five years later, the Maryland-based founder is fresh off her biggest collaboration yet, a partnership with Marsai Martin and the WNBA on a new capsule collection. The project, powered by Shopify, brings together three forces that rarely share the same space—fashion, athletics, and young Black creative energy.
“Round21 represents identities in all forms,” Jasmine said. “Marsai embodies that. She’s an artist, an actor, a producer, and a businesswoman. She lives a life of multiple identities at once, and that’s exactly what this brand is about.”
When the two first met, Marsai didn’t come in talking strategy or numbers. She said something that stopped Jasmine mid-call: “I just want people to feel fly without forcing it.” That line became the tone for the entire collection—clean, intentional, and effortless.
Built around a cream-colored palette and modern shapes, the Marsai Martin x Round21 x WNBA drop feels less like a sports collab and more like a lifestyle statement. Each piece, from the plush sweat sets to the minimal logo—“MM r21”—carries quiet symbolism. “MM” stands for Marsai Martin, but also “Modern Momentum,” a nod to the WNBA’s past and its next chapter. “The world doesn’t need another hoodie,” Jasmine said. “This is meant to reflect purpose. The WNBA represents women creating their own value in real time, and we wanted the collection to mirror that.”
Marsai echoed that same energy when she announced the launch on Instagram, writing, “Built for versatility, it reflects my lifestyle—off the plane, at the game, on the move. Nothing extra. Just essentials.”
For Jasmine, the road to this moment hasn’t been easy. Round21, based in Los Angeles, is still a small team, running fast on tight budgets and big dreams. “We’ve had our share of pressure,” she admitted. “But seeing Marsai fully believe in what we’re building—that was rewarding. She wasn’t just a face on the campaign; she poured into it.”
That shared sense of ownership runs through everything Jasmine touches. Round21 doesn’t mass-produce. It collaborates. The company works with independent artists to reinterpret sports through culture and storytelling. “The artists keep me grounded,” Jasmine shared. “When I spend time with them, I’m reminded why we started. There’s just so much love and creativity in what they do.”
The collaboration also arrives at a pivotal moment for the WNBA. As the league renegotiates its collective bargaining agreement and pushes for greater visibility and equity, the capsule stands as a symbol of where women’s sports and culture are headed. “The players are redefining value right now,” Jasmine said. “This collection is a physical statement of that power.”
When asked what she hopes people take from the partnership, Jasmine didn’t hesitate. “Your next collaborator or co-founder might be sitting right next to you,” she said. “Ask them, ‘What are you working on?’ That’s what Marsai did. She saw something, believed in it, and wanted to build.”
She paused for a moment, then added, “The Marsai drop was a culmination of so many small steps. Seeing people show up, seeing our community feel seen—that’s why I do this.”
Round21 isn’t trying to reinvent streetwear. It’s just showing that there’s room for everyone in it—and that style can carry a story.