NBA Fashion invades Project Runway

If you think it’s just male models and fashion forward guys who have style cred, think again.

The most stylish and coolest men in the planet are probably in sports – professional basketball, most notably. Cool, confident and loaded with swag, NBA players now appear catwalk-ready, whether they’re checking in for their pre-game walk-through, chillin’ away from the court, or doing business outside of the playing arena.

Credit the A-List look on NBA players to a dress code instituted in 2005 by then National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern who felt that players should wear a ‘business casual’ attire every time they ‘engaged in a team or league business.’ This includes all games (pre-game and postgame), press interviews, and charity events throughout the season.

Now NBA players set fashion trends, are looked up to as icons of good fashion sense and sophistication. In 2006 LeBron James appointed stylist Rachel Johnson to take over his work wardrobe and made even bigger waves off the court. Those with wilder tastes – like Dwayne Wade, who started the revolution of ultra colorful basketball socks with fun designs – have gained their own cult following.

Today, the NBA’s pre-game and postgame routines are as watched as the games themselves – mainly because that’s where one sees star players coming or going, dressed to the nines or sporting the most desirable smart casual duds while they sport Dre headphones and listen to music that pumps them up for the game.

Individual players have developed their own styles and are copied for it. Like Russell Westbook’s polka-dot dress shirts and eyeglasses without any glass; LeBron James’ bowler hats, Melo Anthony’s’s trench coats, Dwyane Wade’s scarves, and Amare’ Stoudemire’s Italian-made suits.

Not just basic rags, but also accessories have a language all their own. Suddenly, every basketball crazy Tom Dick and Harry can capture the look and aura of the incredibly cool NBA player by throwing together “a look”. And where to get the best NBA looks than from the NBA Store?

Recently, the fashion reality television series Project Runway Philippines, the Philippine adaptation of Project Runway produced by Solar Entertainment and Unitel Productions took the style and fashion swag of the NBA to a whole new level.

On Sunday, August 16, Filipino designers competed on the show by creating a fashion look from items available in the NBA Store at the Glorietta.

Gilas Pilipinas’ forward Gabe Norwood, one of the acknowledged more fashionable players in Philippine basketball, was one of the judges as competing young designers put their own twist to NBA jerseys, shirts, shorts, shoes and accessories. NBA Philippines Country Manager Carlo Singson was on the show as well and tried to suggest some possible designs.

The six remaining designers went to the NBA Store, chose their basketball jerseys then proceeded to create a total look out of the other pieces they chose. How did the various NBA fashion looks do on the runway?

If you missed this cool basketball edition of Project Runway, get some fashion ideas, NBA-style by catching the replays on ETC on Tuesday, August 18 on ETC at 7-8 a.m. and 2-3 p.m.; Wednesday, August 19 from 10-11 p.m.; Thursday, August 20 from 3-4 a.m., 10-11 a.m. and 5-6 p.m.; Saturday, August 22 from 1-2 p.m. and Sunday, August 23 from 8-9 a.m. Fresh episodes of Project Runway run every Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m.

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