Bad Bunny Chooses Zara for His Super Bowl Fashion Statement

During the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, Bad Bunny chose to wear an ensemble crafted by the popular retail brand Zara.

In a pre-recorded segment, Bad Bunny made a dramatic entrance, descending through the roof alongside Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. He later appeared on stage wearing a distinctive cream-colored cropped jersey, emblazoned with the number ’64’ and his surname ‘Ocasio’ on the back.

Opting for a more accessible fashion choice, the 31-year-old Puerto Rican sensation, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, steered clear of luxury designers, instead embracing a look from Zara.

Following the performance, Zara issued a statement expressing their enthusiasm, stating, “It was an incredible show. Benito delivered an unforgettable performance. What a remarkable outfit.”

To celebrate the occasion, Zara employees received a special surprise on Monday: a replica of Bad Bunny’s jersey accompanied by a heartfelt note. The message read, “Thank you for the time, the talent, and the heart you put into this. Thank you for bringing it to life. This show was yours too. I hope you enjoy it. See you soon! Benito.”

Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also shares the name on the back of his jersey with his uncle

On Monday, Zara employees were gifted a copy of his jersey alongside a note reading: ‘ Thank you for the time, the talent, and the heart you put into this. Thank you for making it real. This show was yours too. I hope you enjoy it. See you soon! Benito’

The Spanish fashion house released a statement after the show reading: ‘It was an amazing show. Benito put on a memorable performance. What a great outfit’

As well as talk of the designer, it was later learned that the number and name have special significance to the singer, as they are an homage to his late uncle.

His uncle previously played football and wore 64 on his jersey, and the performer shares the name with his uncle. The rapper also paid tribute to his late relative by carrying a football that read ‘Together, we are America.’ 

He passed off the flag and shouted ‘God bless America!’ before reciting the names of Latin American countries that many immigrants in the US hail from, adding the US and Canada and his ‘motherland,’ Puerto Rico, at the end. 

Behind him, an electronic billboard reading ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is love’ shone out above the field.

He slammed the football to the ground as fireworks went off on the perimeter of the stadium and red, white and blue smoke filled the air in distinct columns.

But the number may have also done double duty as a dark allusion to the death toll of Hurricane Maria.

The storm battered much of the Caribbean in September 2017, but the most severe damage was felt in the US territory of Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny was born.

As well as talk of the designer, it was later learned that the number and name have special significance to the singer, as they are an homage to his late uncle 

Bad Bunny performed a week after earning three Grammy Awards, including the top prize Album Of The Year

The death toll was initially reported by the island’s government as 64, but that figure was widely mocked by locals and experts, and it eventually proved to be a woefully inaccurate undercount.

In response to a study of deaths attributable to the hurricane by George Washington University, Puerto Rico’s governor later released an updated death estimate of 2,975.

Donald Trump, who was serving his first term as president at the time of Hurricane Maria, later disputed the more accurate death toll. 

Although the number was arrived at as the result of an extensive study, Trump falsely claimed that ‘3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico.’