Michael Vick | Sports Issue 2018

to do. I was introduced to an
NBA player through a mutual
friend a couple months
later who ended up becoming
my first client.
How did you transition
to carving your niche
in sports?
Overcoming the challenges
of dressing a 6’11 athlete for
the first time was very painful.
Thankfully I had become
good friends with my client
over time and with his heart
of gold he allowed me to fail
over and over again until we
finally got it right.
The failure that I felt was
so convicting for me that I
dedicated an entire team to
finding designers that could
fit my client off the rack. We
have spent years building a
portfolio of designers that
can accommodate the sizing
demands of athletes. It has
been through all these experiences
and my undying determination
to see this vision
come to fruition that I have
become an expert in dressing
vertically gifted men, which
I’ve classified as my niche.
always a process that I thoroughly
enjoy because we get
the opportunity to go beyond
the surface of the sales floor
and intricately understand
the brand, the creative energy
and process behind the
collections. Fashion can be a
very intimate experience and
working with creative people
on that level to bring your
vision to life is very fulfilling.
How does fashion help
create an athlete’s public
image?
Athletes are given a very
special platform and what
they choose to do with it
will literally determine how
successful they can be both
on and off the court. An
athletes public image and
the equity they have behind
their personal brand is what
creates the opportunities for
lucrative endorsements and
contracts beyond the court.
Their personal style is an
extension of them and their
reputation. It gives cues
into who they are and what
they represent as a person
and brand. Brands consider
the public image of athletes
when exploring partnerships.
So the two are directly
related. It’s very important to
have a stylist on their team
to help enhance and revolutionize
that persona for
potential opportunities and
partnerships.
How much of your job
is teaching the player
about fashion?
There’s a lot of open dialogue
about fashion with my clients.
Fittings are the time
where I get the opportunity
to walk through our racks
with them and show them
new designers and pieces
I’ve brought in. Most of the
time its like, “Look at this! I
found this designer on “X”
and they are from “X” and
the inspiration behind this
piece came from “X”. As
we’re working I’ll show them
how to tie something, how to
enhance the visual effect of
something, which colors and
patterns go with what etc.
It’s very important that my
guys know who and what
they are wearing every time
they get dressed. I appreciate
that they take an invested
interest in learning about
fashion, which is reciprocated
when they teach me
about their field of expertise
in sports. It’s a great tradeoff
and we all stay educated and
current in both worlds. My
clients all come from diverse
backgrounds and cultures. I
love when they come to the
table with their own perspectives
and offer suggestions;
it becomes a truly creative
collaboration. I learn from
them as much as they learn
from me.
What was a memorable
time when your client
came into himself sartorially
and he loved it
and owned it?
I can’t tell you how much
I appreciate someone who
understands who they are
and owns it. Authenticity is
one of the rarest, yet valued
traits in my opinion and
I am so thankful that I get
the opportunity to work with
guys who embrace that. The
Your clients aren’t traditionally
sample size,
so what is it like working
with the designers?
What’s cool is that athletes
have become an ideology and
a new representation for men
in fashion. Designers now see
a lot of value in working with
us, which makes the process
more streamlined and amicable
compared to how it
was before 2005 when the
commissioner implemented
the new dress code. Collaborating
with designers is
Spring 2018 | The Quintessential Gentleman 32