Style Seeker: Black Diamond Bracelets
Get your fatigues on, all black everything, Black cards, black cars, all black everything.
Jay-Z "Run This Town", featuring Rihanna & Kanye West
A few simple lines from a verse is all it took for the menswear masses to follow Jay-Z's example and go for the now infamously titled, all black everything look. "Murdered out": black on top of black on top of MORE black is not a new concept, but since Hova went all monochrome it's popular again. Not only are there black cards and cars, but all black accessories: hats, sunglasses, sneakers and of course, jewelry. A black matte ceramic watch is a statement piece but the one accessory that's really taken off for men, and especially NBA athletes, is the black diamond beaded bracelet.
Sean Carter himself really brought the black diamond bead bracelet to the forefront right around the time his latest album, The Blueprint 3, dropped. He's worn the bracelets in every editorial he's appeared in and wears them in almost every paparazzi photo. His signature model is the Shamballa Jewels' black diamond pavé bead bracelet. The company preaches that their pieces will "invite the possibility of connecting to the energy of creation". Whether or not Mr. Carter wears it for spiritual or fashionable reasons or both; the bracelets make a style statement. The designs are simple but beautiful and luxe due to the materials being used. Shamballa took a basic idea, the spiritual bead bracelet, and made it special and marketable because a high-end crowd wants something high quality. While it's hard to an exact price on the bracelets, similar models go from $4000 to upwards of $40,000 depending on the amount of black diamonds or onyx used in the design. I can only imagine what the cost is for a custom design item.
It's not all that surprising that NBA players, who use stylists who also work with A-List actors and musicians, have caught on to the black diamond craze. LeBron is still friends with Jay-Z, despite eschewing both the Nets and Knicks as options for the upcoming season. The King has worn the bracelets since last season. Recently, he wore a black diamond necklace at the Cowboys at Redskins game in Washington D.C.. Apparently, LeBron really likes black diamond everything.
Chris Bosh, who we saw at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this season, picked up on his teammate's style and has begun wearing the black diamond bead bracelets. I can understand players using the same stylists or admiring a friend's style, but isn't that complete style biting? Perhaps a leather bracelet or a more interesting option, like this Martin Margiela (another Jay-Z favorite brand) ring could help show off more of Bosh's personal style personality.
Brandon Jennings picked up a few bracelets for himself this summer as well. He's not only tweeted his love affair for his accesories, but wore them to the Under Armour basketball brand unveiling in New York City. The black diamonds do match his new shoe, the Micro G Black Ice, quite well, along with his black Camaro. David West is another fan of black diamonds and has worn them for sometime. I'm not sure if he's following someone else's style tips or found them on his own. There are more athletes, stars and stylists who wear the brand, but it's curious how so many of the most well-known NBA athletes are obsessing over this same trend.
Would you wear the bead bracelet? If the price disconcerts you, Oliver Smith has a similar model for a little less than $2000. Other black bead bracelets that are still stylish at a small price are available from online stores like Asos or you can pick up a beaded bracelet for under $5 in Chinatown or off of eBay. Either way, it looks like the beaded bracelet is here to stay, at least until the H-O-V picks a new signature accessory. We'll see if the NBA follows suit yet again. Only time and good stylist, will tell!
Sean John and the NFL Draft: Tailored for Performance
The draft for professional sports leagues are hype machines. College-age kids parade in front of media and NFL staff like prized dogs; it's the most public job interview on the planet. While all leagues have something offer fans and athletes, the pure pageantry of the NFL Draft cannot be beat.
The event takes place in Radio City Music Hall, the grandest of stages, in the biggest American city "where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do" - New York City. These draftees are the nation's focus, some at the peak of their careers: it's their Hollywood moment - there's even a red carpet. These young men will sign contracts that most of us couldn't even fathom, from the dollar signs to the endorsements to the restrictions and ownerships on their lives. It's fitting that companies and stylists are clamouring to dress these future stars before they're whisked from collegiate stars to NFL starters, as the old cliché goes, it truly is the first day of the rest of their lives.
In the past, draftees have sometimes come correct, showing their flair or perhaps a swift mother's hand. Other looked like they're wearing old ill-fitting church suits and some were just trying a little too hard to impress. As much I want to see these young men shine, bad draft day outfits are what keep blogs going. But dressing properly for the occasion is something that all new employees of the NFL should learn as it can help them in their public and private reputation for years down the line. If the NFL added a style boot camp to the combine, I would be in sports heaven.
One brand decided to try to do their own version of a style boot camp coupled with a strong branding initiative - Sean John. It was announced in Women's Wear Daily, that the man they call Diddy's fashion brand would be dressing a number of top NFL prospects for the draft. Sean Combs' defined his company's work with the draftees as a "pre-draft tailoring experience" where they would be given a fine suit and the use of an in-house tailor and stylist at Sean John's 5th Avenue flagship store. Conversion Sports and Entertainment ran the event which also included a chauffeured Rolls Royce Phantom and a bevy of other goodies. From my last count, the Sean John roster included seven players, all first round draft picks. Diddy didn't get to go number one, but he did get arguably the best player in the draft in Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh who went second overall to the Detroit Lions. Other players included Eric Berry (#5), Russell Okung (#6), Joe Haden (#7), CJ Spiller (#9), Derrick Morgan (#16), Demaryius Thomas (#22) and Dan Williams (#26).
This initiative is a great look for Sean John for a number of reasons. They're reaching out to one of the most powerful and flush demographics in the United Sates - professional athletes. These players will be soon cashing in on their talent (and not their universities) and building brand loyalty could really pay off in the long run. Also, this is one of the first occasions for these college players to receive a gift in a public, grand scale without having to worry about jeopardizing their amateur status. Once they declare for the draft, everything is fair game. Sean John swooped in by telling the players that they were rewarding their fine play with a fine suit and showing them a slice of the good life. It's like equating NFL talent with what I'm sure Sean John hopes is NFL style. The other athletes, who perhaps turned down Sean John's invite, see their fellow draftees chauffeured in luxury and catered to by a media mogul may think twice about going to Sean John in the future. Look at all the Louis Vuitton and Beats by Dre in dressing rooms - could the Sean John suit be the new coveted item? Maybe not, but the attired athletes in their brand will exist in the archives for ages.
Down the line, Sean John could also tap into these young men for advertising as using athletes as the model and muse seems to becoming the norm in men's fashion. Cristiano Ronaldo stripped down for Emporio Armani, Tiger Woods was a Tag Heuer man - could Suh be the face of Sean John big and tall? It's not a far-fetched idea. Sean John is doing what their CEO does so well - network to improve his net worth. Diddy would never have come this far without friends and powerful connections - from the Notorious B.I.G. to Anna Wintour, the man makes his Rolodex spin with his connections and hard work. It's only fitting that he models his clothing line with the same work ethic. Sean John also used their blog and Twitter to feature vignettes and behind the scenes photos on the athletes on their Sean John experience. In the age of social media where so many players are taking to Twitter and becoming more accessible than ever, it's fitting to have Sean John let the fans into equation, without even giving them an invite.
Some friends who are more sports fans than fashion mavens asked why would these athletes who will soon be making first round money be wearing a brand that is more known downtown than uptown - isn't Sean John a lesser quality product? Although I agree that some of Sean John's suits are not as fashion forward as brands like Z Zegna, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, J. Lindberg, or Dior Homme, but are more standard American sportswear. Players that bring size and strength on their frame are not easy to fit into skinny cut suits from a high fashion house even with a tailor's help. Also, like most major fashion brands, Sean John licenses their product to a manufacturer that specializes in suit construction. Peerless Clothing has a factory in Montreal that cranks out 25,000 suits a week for brands like Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Chaps, Ralph Lauren, and of course, Sean John - all New York base brands. When you buy their suits, you're really paying for the name and styling and not their manufacturing and customization.
Finally, as a stylist, it's a bit disappointing to see a big company taking over the styling for so many young players who could be potential clients. However, I applaud their use of a tailor on site and suit customization. Buying off the rack will rarely work any man - not just professional athletes. It's worth the time and effort to have a suit to tailored so it fits to perfection than just spending all your money on just a name. Fit is the most important thing to keep in mind while shopping and is accessible at every price and size. Sean John may not offer such luxury to all shoppers, but a personal shopper and a tailor can turn their suit into your suit with a few tips and a little work. And while fashion disasters on draft day are memorable, it's nice to see these young men looking ready for their next big step - the contract and then finally, the playing field. Good luck, young fellas.