The NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night in Detroit with 13 prospects hitting the red carpet, proving they are a force to be reckoned with for both their athletic prowess and their style.
Athletes such as Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., Darius Robinson, Terrion Arnold and many others used the NFL Draft as a platform to showcase their personal style, wearing an array of bold and colorful looks that put a fresh spin on the classic menswear suit .
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“In a way, these are the new NBA style gods in the making,” GQ creative director Jim Moore said of the night’s looks. “They start a little earlier and are definitely more swaggy and meticulous about how they look. They want to dress for the role. Before I started the draft it was like, “I’m going to tiptoe in there in a dark suit and let’s see what happens,” but now I think they’ve brought their A-game style, until the bling and the sunglasses and cool hairstyles and all that. That has been a real game changer.”
Williams, the number one draft pick of the Chicago Bears, was one of several prospects who stood out for his unique style. The quarterback wore a custom Chrome Hearts suit, designed with a side zipper and various cross motifs. Williams stated that he went with the navy blue shade to represent the team color of the Chicago Bears.
The quarterback talked about his style on the NFL Draft red carpet, saying, “It’s me. You call it unique, I call it me. And that’s kind of how I approach it. I paint my nails, I wear unique things both on and off the field, and we can show that here today and soon in the future.”
“It’s become their red carpet,” Moore continued. “I would like to [in the past] the design has not been the red carpet. It was more like, OK, who are these guys? Are they going to get what they wanted to achieve? Or have their management teams aligned them so they can get the team they want and the number they want? Obviously that’s all up to the teams, so what I saw, especially in this concept, is that the carpet felt like they were at the Oscars because they were signing autographs and stuff. As novices, they were a little earlier than kind of ‘Aw shucks’ and a little modest when they hit the carpet. Now they see themselves as stars – rightly so, as they should be.”
Arnold, who was traded to the Detroit Lions, was a football player who used his NFL Draft red carpet suit to pay tribute to his roots. The cornerback wore a custom pale salmon and silver floral embroidered suit created by menswear designer Tom Marchitelli.
Marchitelli explained that the bespoke suit was a family affair, with Arnold and his stepmother working closely with the designer to decide on the color of the suit and the personal touches on the lining.
“Terrion loves to dress up,” Marchitelli said. “He has a really big, exciting personality and I was even more excited to dress him as I tend to do some of the more expressive, outspoken fabrics. He was perfect to wear one as I obviously love dressing each man differently to reflect the personality they have. This was a great fit.”
Marchitelli said discussions with Arnold started by focusing on the color aquamarine or teal, but after the football player saw the designer wearing one of his own pink and gray tuxedo jackets, Arnold and his stepmother wanted to switch up the design process and go for a new look to go. pale salmon shade. Marchitelli and Arnold decided to add the silver embroidery to give the suit another interesting and unique element.
“He is here as a unique person,” Marchitelli said. ‘I told him I don’t make that jacket and suit for anyone else. When I use the word one-on-one, he said, ‘Well, I’m already one-on-one,’ so his goal is to stand on that carpet, be the best dressed without even a debate in front of the second, third place. or fourth. That has always been my goal, and his goals matched that.”
The inside of Arnold’s suit jacket attracted just as much attention on the red carpet. Sewn onto the lining was a photo of Arnold as a young footballer and one of his entire family. On the other side of the jacket, the acronym “LANK” was sewn on the inside. Marchitelli said it stands for “Let All Naysayers Know,” a saying from Arnold’s time playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Other footballers also used their red carpet looks to pay tribute to their upbringing. Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 draft pick selected by the Arizona Cardinals, gave a nod to his father, Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, with a double-sided chain medallion with one side inspired by “The Lion King,” featuring his father’s image. son characters Mufasa and Simba, and then an image of himself and his father on the other side.
Given the increasing focus on style in the NFL, the league has expanded its red carpet coverage for this year’s draft to highlight the players’ appearance. According to the NFL, the league’s fashion coverage was a top performance on social media this past football season. The average fashion post generated 43 percent more engagement and 51 percent more video views year-over-year.
Last season, the “NFL Tunnel,” similar to the long-standing “NBA Tunnel,” was as watched as the football games themselves, with athletes like Travis Kelce, Stefon Diggs and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah making regular appearances, among others . impress viewers because of their style.
If the 2024 NFL Draft and its standout fashion moments are any indication, this upcoming NFL season is sure to deliver even more standout style moments.
“Now it’s universally accepted and it’s a style bar you can walk through [NFL] tunnel, making sure that not only are you going all out in terms of style, but you’re also having your own specific look that maybe not everyone has,” Moore said of the NFL tunnel. “That’s why years ago the athletes got their own stylists, so they could really help them discover what set them apart from the other guys. These are highly competitive, talented athletes who have now become as competitive in the tunnel as they are on the field.”
Launch Gallery: NFL Draft 2024 Red Carpet Arrivals: All Looks, Live Updates
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