Rocco's WeHo opened its doors in 2019 in West Hollywood and quickly became a hot spot in the neighborhood. Like many businesses across the globe this past year, Rocco’s had to fight through the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, which as we all know, was no easy task for anyone involved. Doors closed, doors opened and doors closed again. But that didn’t stop them. Using creative ways to keep the fun times rolling, the Rocco’s team proved to be relentless in their efforts and resilient in their belief to keep fighting the good fight and are now back in action—bigger and better than ever! We’re thrilled to be teaming up with Rocco’s to celebrate Pride Month and the entire LGBTQ+ community by producing a brand new collaborative Lasso performance sock just in time for Pride Day!
Entertainer, entrepreneur and all-around awesome guy, Lance Bass played a major role in connecting the dots between Rocco’s and Lasso for this collaboration. The Rocco's Pride sock would not be what it is without Lance and as co-owner of Rocco's WeHo, we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner and work with such a talented, like-minded individual on this project. As an added layer of celebration, a percentage of all Lasso sales are being donated to the National Pulse Memorial & Museum to support their efforts in opening hearts, opening minds, and creating educational programs to open eyes!
If you’re wondering where Lasso and Rocco’s intersect, the answer is actually pretty simple. It’s our values, forward-thinking ethos and desire to promote strength and empowerment to our communities that really magnetize us. Add the simple fact that Lasso performance socks are an incredible component to any professionals working on their feet for long hours—people like waiters and bussers, bartenders and entertainers—and you start seeing the alignment even clearer.
“The socks are so vibrant and fun! I know they’ll be the perfect addition for Pride this year.”
“I think there is great synergy between Lasso and Rocco’s,” explains Lance. “Lasso is innovative and forward thinking just like our amazing team at Rocco’s WeHo. Our waiters, bussers, managers, and dancers work hard all day on their feet, and so a collaboration just seemed to make perfect sense.”
There are plenty of options for entertainment in West Hollywood, so you might ask what sets Rocco’s apart from other bars in the area? Lance expands on this, telling us, “We opened [Rocco’s] as a gay sports bar, but it has evolved into so much more. From our popular food menu and packed daily happy hour to our drag shows and nightly transformation into one of the premiere nightlife spots in WeHo—we offer the community a little bit of everything for everyone.” Rocco’s truly is a place for everyone and caters to all walks of life. To anyone who’s never been to Rocco’s, you can definitely expect a little bit of everything. The crowd is diverse, but always fun. And that’s as important as anything. Lance emphasizes on this, “It’s not just a ‘gay bar’ in the traditional sense but rather a bar for everyone. We have college kids watching football games on a Sunday’s while amazing drag shows are taking place in Paradise.” Lance and the team tell us they absolutely love the diversity of West Hollywood, and try to emulate that same diverse spirit within Rocco’s. “We’re all about good food, good drinks, good people, and most of all—a good time,” he adds.
As mentioned, the collaboration between Lasso and Rocco’s WeHo happened pretty naturally. After trying Lasso performance socks for himself, Lance immediately fell in love with the compression benefits and stability the socks provide. For someone like him who is always on the move, Lasso offers the stabilization he needs to keep moving forward in comfort. “I first heard about Lasso from my friend Oliver Trevena, and after trying them for myself, I became a huge fan,” Lance tells us. “I’m on my feet so much during the day and for the first time in a while, these socks truly alleviated my foot pain.” Stories like this are what keep our gears grinding here at Lasso. We want everyone to move confidently and the unique benefits and technology designed in Lasso performance socks are next to none when it comes to moving stronger, healthier and recovering safer. Leave them on after a long day and let them work their magic. “I deal with circulation issues with my feet from time to time,” says Lance. “And after wearing Lasso socks for a few hours my issues truly dissipated. I now don’t workout or fly without them!”
Innovation and adaptation are two major qualities that have the ability to define a business or brand. Everything is fine when everything is fine, but it’s the fires we put out—large and small—that start to reveal true character and work ethic. But with the right team, right attitude and right plan, nothing is impossible. Here at Lasso, we never take this idea for granted and we’re glad to know that Lance shares the same ideals when it comes to Rocco’s. “In business it’s so important to always keep striving for innovation,” he explains. “There’s always something more you can be doing and it’s so important to take those chances when they are available to you. During the last year, like most restaurants/bars across the world, we had to close our doors and try our best to survive this pandemic. That’s when our team came up with the genius idea of transforming our parking lot into Rocco’s Paradise—an outdoor dining/nightlife escape that not only became a haven for the community but allowed our doors to remain open while keeping our amazing staff employed.” This kind of thinking is another avenue that intersects Lasso with Rocco’s. Rather than dwell or become discouraged, we move forward confidently with the belief that we can—and will—succeed.
“I’m on my feet so much during the day and for the first time in a while, these socks truly alleviated my foot pain.”
The Rocco’s Pride sock is unique in design and offers the same Lasso technology you all know and trust, but with a new, creative twist. It's the perfect sock for a nice workout or a night out; for running around or lounging on the couch. “The socks are so vibrant and fun!” exclaims Lance. “I know they’ll be the perfect addition for Pride this year.” And we couldn’t agree more. At the end of the day, we want you all to celebrate individuality, healthy movement and always be yourself. We believe if you move with confidence, you'll never stop moving forward. We want to change the world one footstep at a time.
“I’m just thrilled that two great forward thinking brands are able to join forces and create an amazing product that actually delivers on their promise,” Lance concludes, touching on this new relationship. “I’m a Lasso fan for life and after trying them for yourselves I’m sure you all will be too!”
As the five-year anniversary of the devastating Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, we're reminded how important it is to protect the rights of all humans, despite any differences in gender, race—anything. President Joe Biden signed a law designating the Pulse nightclub in Orlando as a national memorial at a White House ceremony that included survivors of the 2016 attack making the news bittersweet as we remember those who we lost that tragic night, as well as their families and loved ones.
"A place of acceptance and joy became a place of unspeakable pain and loss. We'll never fully recover, but we'll remember," Biden said before signing the law designating the memorial. Pulse survivors stood around the president as pictures of the 49 killed displayed on video screens. "May no president ever have to sign another monument like this," Biden said.
We love what the National Pulse Memorial & Museum does for the LGBTQ+ community and we are genuinely honored to be working with them on this collaboration in support of their incredible vision. Let's celebrate Pride every day!