Some may say that Knicks power forward Amar'e Stoudemire's decision to collaborate on a collection for Rachel Roy's secondary line, Rachel Rachel Roy comes out of left field (sorry, wrong sport), but on reading WWD's profile of the pair at work, it starts to make sense:
“I was never a designer or anything like that, but as far as putting together what I was going to wear, I was a fashion rebel, always mixing it up,” said Stoudemire. “As long as I remember, I always did something with my clothes. I would slice up the bottom of my jeans so that they would look different. I would change the design of my shirt and add an extra layer. I would wear two different tennis shoes."
And now, as a 28-year-old stud with a five-year, $100-million contract and a 6-10 frame that requires custom-made suits, Stoudemire is prime candidate to dabble in a side project like fashion. Not only has he long had an interest in fashion, he knows his designer labels: The athlete told WWD he likes to shop at Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Tom Ford.
According to WWD's report, Roy was an instant fan of Stoudemire's skill and sportsmanship on the court, and began thinking of the aesthetics of athletic-minded ladies.
"What does Gisele wear when she goes to see her man [New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady] play? What would Kate Moss wear? Those images are the inspiration as we’re designing.”
As for the duo's collaborative efforts, it looks like Roy designs the clothes, and Stoudemaire picks out the sketches. As Stoudemaire told WWD: "I pretty much let her drive the car and I am just being the maintenance man."
The Knicks' uniform will even factor as a motif throughout the line of casual dresses and separates, along with vintage-inspired NBA logos and stars, inspired by Stoudemire's Star of David tattoo. The line will retail between $45-$250 when it hits Macy's racks in September.
