The fact that the NBA draft took place during the menswear show in Paris was something of a cosmic coincidence.
After all, Draft has increasingly become one of the most watched runways, a hub of fashion and sport convergence that has spawned tunnel walks and social media accounts documenting athletes’ wardrobes, and some of the most iconic shows like Louis. Rick Owens, who recently appeared with LeBron James, and Kyle Kuzma, who will lead to the front row seats. And it’s becoming more and more important.
ESPN added a one-hour “NBA Draft Red Carpet Special” just like E! Same with the Oscars and the Met Gala, including his 360 camera like E!. Granbot wasn’t the only one to capture the look during the round, but there was also a reporter asking the participants, “What are you wearing?”
Yes, this question is no longer just for women.
Perhaps because most athletes aren’t used to answering, rather than “what,” they answered “why,” without revealing the brand name. why they chose that style. This reflects why this is important.
In his forthcoming Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion, Mitchell Jackson, author of a coffee table book that elevates the subject to the same decorative status as Dior and Gucci monographs, presents: says so. The subject matter now is part of the big show, not an afterthought. It’s always been on players’ minds, but with the advent of social media and the Tunnel, media coverage of the draft has grown and become an important, dare I say, essential part of a player’s star power. ”
This is the first opportunity for players to create their own brand and bring it to the public. As a result, everything is customized. Not just literally, but conceptually as well.
First of all, Victor Wenbanyama, who was nominated for overall first place and was widely praised as a “generational talent” from France, wore a Louis Vuitton forest green suit and a kimono-like jacket wrapped around his waist. , wearing a matching forest green shirt. A stone hanging from his neck. Of course, Vuitton is a world-dominating luxury brand, synonymous with French savoir-faire, and the brand that recently hired black American Pharrell Williams as its menswear designer, to embrace all values (inclusivity, borders). Diplomacy beyond, success) is in line with what Mr. Wenbanyama has promised to express.
As for the color, he said he likes it because it reminds him of space (he’s reaching for the stars), while the stones around his neck are less flashy than other ice worn by his soon-to-be rivals. said. , was an element said to help achieve the goal.
His only rival in the high-fashion bet is Kobe Buffkin (No. 15 pick, Atlanta Hawks) in a shirtless cream-tweed double-breasted suit, a choice that reveals a highly tuned antenna for trends. It was shown to. It implicitly associates him with other celebrities who endorse the shirtless suit look, like Timothée Chalamet (who popularized the trend by going shirtless at the 2022 Oscars). rice field.a little strange league fit “Atlanta is confirmed to be in contention for the League Fit Championship,” the statement said.
Notably restrained were No. 2 pick Brandon Miller in a plaid three-piece number and tailor Walea Boswell selected No. 4 and No. 5 in matching double-breasted suits. They were identical twins Amen and Orser Thompson. One was white and the other was navy. “They went for subtlety,” Jackson said, but this meant that draft fashion went from straight “look at me” to “think about me” or “invest in me.” It shows how much it has changed.
It has been pointed out that this look was part of a collaboration with Amex and was also designed by Mr. Boswell. limited jacket Inspired by the Thompson suit, available only to Amex cardholders. Want to start making an impact as soon as possible?
At the other end of the spectrum were Scoot Henderson (No. 3 pick) and Grady Dick (No. 13 pick), who were the most captivating athletes of the night. But still, their brilliance was not just for the sake of brilliance. Reason shone through it.
Henderson’s suit was made by Indocino (a label that has worked with nine players this year and has some restrictions on draft day attire), and his family tree incorporates his parents’ birthstones. It was covered with over 600 jewels representing and brothers.
“I wanted to think about how my outfit on draft day would reflect where I’ve come from and where my life is going,” Henderson, who also donned a customized dazzling grille, said in a news release. . “This suit is a visual representation of how I got here.”
This is the next iteration of an approach that has become familiar among many players, adding a personal story to the lining, which has become familiar among many players, with silk-printed paper with photos and memorabilia on the inside of the jacket. Take Taylor Hendricks (ranked 9th), for example. His sugar pink suit hid his entire career.
Mr. Dick wore a turtleneck and a zoot suit jacket, both covered in red sequins. While the look was compared to Zoolander, Siegfried and Roy on social media, Dorothy’s ruby slippers and Kansas to the supposedly magical world of the Toronto Raptors (who also happened to have the same team colors). It was a nod to his own journey, he said. red). Not to mention it is also suggested that he has courage and heart.
As an option, sequins are ridiculed It was admired in equal measure, but could not be ignored either way. In the attention economy, it’s a win.
