NEW YORK — Amar’e Stoudemire is running about 20 minutes late for a design meeting with Rachel Roy. The New York Knicks star is stuck at ESPN, looking to wrap up an interview before he puts on his other creative hat — that of design collaborator with Roy and her secondary Rachel Rachel Roy line for fall.
When Stoudemire finally walks through the glass doors of Roy’s Broadway offices, he looks dapper in his slim-fit attire. Few things would give away his basketball superstar status were it not for his 6-foot, 10-inch frame. Shortly after his arrival, that becomes a major focus when a couple of female executives of The Jones Group, which owns a 50 percent stake in Rachel Roy IP Co. and oversees the secondary line, angle to be photographed with Stoudemire, demonstratively kicking off their high heels to make a point of his height — or perhaps the lack of theirs — for the photo.
Thankfully for Roy, height isn’t an issue. In heels, the designer easily complements Stoudemire, and in the course of the meeting and photo shoot, it becomes clear the two have a natural chemistry. Stoudemire met the designer at the Four Seasons hotel in November at a brief meeting to discuss a potential collaboration, and, according to both, they hit it off from the get-go.
Roy struck a similar note about her design counterpart. “To be honest, I was very unfamiliar with him,” she admitted. “Basketball is a field I knew nothing about. I had not been to basketball games probably since I was in college, but once I watched him play, I was completely and utterly impressed with his work ethic, by how much he encourages his teammates, and how much of a team player he is. After those initial meetings, we both decided we had a similar point of view and wanted to work together.”
(I so want this Knicks Jersey!!!!!)
Stoudemire’s fashion profile is clearly on the rise — especially since he joined the New York Knicks after eight years with the Phoenix Suns. In addition to sitting in the front row at Tommy Hilfiger the last two seasons, Stoudemire was invited by Anna Wintour to the Fashion’s Night Out runway show in September, and he just appeared in Vogue’s April issue.
Stoudemire said he had a knack for fashion practically since his Florida childhood.
“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,” he said. “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.
“Fashion is very attractive, which fuels me and makes me want to give it more importance,” added Stoudemire, who also has designed basketball shoes for Nike, one of his sponsors. “That’s one thing about fashion: You can really, really tell someone’s type from what they are wearing.”
Stoudemire is now 28 years old, with a five-year, $100 million Knicks contract, and his sartorial taste has evolved quite a bit since those early days when he deliberately mismatched his sneakers. Waraire Boswell, the Los Angeles bespoke tailor, custom-makes his suits and shirts for obvious reasons, but Stoudemire said he also enjoys shopping at luxury boutiques. “I love Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford,” he said. “I try to shop when there are not a lot of fans out. It’s a lot easier.”
He is not always in designer mode, though. “It depends on where I am going that day,” he said. “If I am going to practice, I don’t think much. I just put on some Nike sweats and Nike tennis shoes and I am good to go.”
Much love for both Amar'e & Rachel!
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