Fashionable fellas: Odell Beckham Jr. x Louis Vuitton
Sports and fashion have an inherent connection and seamlessly intersect on and off the court, pitch and field. From fans sporting their favorite players' jerseys to professional athletes posing before games for their walk-up photos. Players these days have personal stylists and truly can make a mark on the fashion industry with their clothing choices.
Fashion is a way for these players to show off their style and flair without running afoul of league-mandated rules for on-field apparel. Although NBA players are generally at the forefront of these fashionable choices, NFL players are using their fashion freedom to promote their own favorite designers while also speaking up about social justice issues near to their communities.
First up is Odell Beckham Jr.'s outfit for the NFC divisional playoffs between the Buccaneers and the Rams on Jan. 23, 2022. Beckham consistently sports French fashion house Louis Vuitton clothing including custom collaborations. This outfit is nearly head to toe Louis Vuitton, topped off with a Readymade varsity jacket.
Beckham has a strong connection with Louis Vuitton and its late artistic director, Virgil Abloh, who was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018. He was given increased creative responsibilities across the LVMH brand in early 2021. Abloh also worked with designer Yuta Hosokawa who is the founder of Readymade, a Japanese brand where he also is a leading designer.
The fashion and sports worlds mourned the loss of Abloh in November 2021 when he succumbed to his battle with cancer. Abloh was connected to many professional athletes including LeBron James, P.J. Tucker of the Heat, and Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, among many others.
Beckham paid tribute to Abloh in 2021 during pregame warmups at State Farm Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.
Abloh is still a huge name in the sports and fashion worlds and he created the Virgil Abloh™ "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund, raising "$1 million to support the next generation of Black fashion industry leaders." With this scholarship, expect more professional athletes to support these up-and-coming fashion designers to continue to highlight the legacy of Abloh.