Written by Walter Grio. Film provided by ESPN.
MR PORTER recently posted a photo album on their Facebook page, titled “ESPY Awards | The Renaissance of Pro Athlete Style“. You can view more photos here.
This is a snapshot of our conversation:
MR PORTER: It’s no secret that we’re in the midst of a pro-athlete style renaissance. The 6-button draft-day suits (Google ‘Carmelo Anthony Draft Day’) have fallen by the wayside, replaced with sleek silhouettes & razor-sharp tailoring.
Fashiontographer: It’s actually very interesting. When David Stern implemented the dress code for the NBA, everyone wasn’t very happy about it. But I would say that’s when things started to change.
MR PORTER: That was definitely a turning point. And it seems a lot of these guys now have a genuine interest in menswear. It’s pretty common to see a lot of these athletes front row at Fashion Week.
Fashiontographer: And of course the next generation will see and think that being sartorial is actually cool and will take that to another level. Great situation for men’s fashion all around. It’s also no coincidence that Hamm was chosen to host it. Draper has played a huge part in today’s increased interest in men’s fashion.
MR PORTER: You couldn’t be more right about that.
