New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor is the latest athlete to bring his love for fashion to another level. This weekend he launches, Diallo, his own luxury menswear line with stylist Dex Robinson which aims to take a modern approach to classic silhouettes and reimagine American luxury. He tells The Daily about his love for fashion and what you can expect from Diallo.
Have you alway had a love for clothes?
Yes, I would say so. I’ve always wanted to, or liked to, dress the part. Fashion is something that I’ve always had a passion for. Obviously you grow more into it as you get older, as you experience things, and being able to go to different fashion weeks and getting the chance to appreciate it from a different level.
How would you describe your style?
I let my style, or my sense of style, speak for me. I think there’s different ways to command a room. I believe that you don’t always have to be the loudest in the room to command—there are different ways. Posture, confidence, and what you wear plays a part in that. I kind of let my style or my outfit speak for me, whether that’s putting pieces together or doing some bold look or blending colors together.
What do your teammates think of your love for fashion?
I would say everyone appreciates my eye for fashion. Everyone is always asking me what’s new, what’s out, what’s coming, where did I get certain pieces from. I try not to wear a lot of what the masses wear. I always try to create different looks from different pieces and not try to stick with just one brand. Hopefully my teammates appreciate my sense of fashion. I appreciate their style, too.
Tyrod Taylor
What are some brands that you love?
I want to say that my favorite, and I actually had a chance to meet him and keep in contact with him, is Jerry Lorenzo [Fear of God]. I think it’s because of the natural blend of comfort and business-like attire. You can create a wardrobe around his brand, if you call for the comfort look, or if you’re looking for a nice dinner jacket or even a more business casual. His brand covers it all. My closet literally has all types of brands. I would also say, more in the comfort zone, that John Elliott is a brand I’ve worn for years. And I love the cut of Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Bottega.
What shows have you attended?
Oh man, I’ve attended a bunch. I mean the most recent show was this past summer, or last summer. KidSuper, Zenga, Tod’s had an exhibition that was real nice as well. Zenga was probably the one that blew me away after all the years that I’ve been going to the fashion shows.
Tyrod Taylor
You now have you own line coming out!
I have a passion for so many brands; it’s just kind of like a blend of it all. Obviously we use those brands for inspiration but this brand itself, it’s more of a reflection of me and how I see clothes and how I put things together.
Has it been a blast working on this?
It has, and I’ve learned a lot in this process. When you start your own business, it’s always a learning process but it’s been a fun time. I’m going to different factories and putting things that you thought would go together, and then seeing it in person and it’s not coming out the way you thought it would! It’s a process that you don’t have an appreciation for until you actually sit down and spend time with it. But it’s good fun, I’m excited for when the masses see the actual collection. I’ve shown it to a couple of people and I’ve actually worn it a couple times without even hinting that I’ve had it on and I’ve got a good response from it. It’s named after my middle name Diallo. I think it has a good ring to it.
Dex Robinson and Tyrod Taylor
Now that you’re not playing football every weekend, what’s your workout routine?
I don’t really take much time off as far as training. I still go 4-5 times a week to the gym and I change the actual exercises and the different weights that I’m doing. In season, obviously you’re training for a specific game or prevention but out of season this time of year, it’s more so [about] staying in shape and keeping range in motion and flexibility. There’s just different ways to train this time of year and obviously as you progress throughout the off season the workouts get more intense as we get closer to April and May, which is when we head into the program. I actually enjoy working out! I play with some guys who don’t enjoy working out, they just enjoy playing the game and obviously I enjoy playing the game but I enjoy working out, too. It’s not a problem for me.
You had a pretty good season! You should be feeling good!
For sure! It’s always a plus when you come out of it super healthy. That’s always something to be proud about but obviously you want to win the Super Bowl!
Next year!
This year was just so a learning process for us, and a step in the right direction of that goal.
Editor’s note: Check out the line this weekend at Nordstrom in New York City.
Images: Ron Ronson and Rodney Williams
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