Fashion Focus: Fashion, a bobblehead, and ‘Childhood Dreams’

Apart from their on-the-court threads, such as the 21 generations of Lebron shoes, soccer jerseys, football helmets and tennis skirts, what do athletes rock off the field?

The world of sports has been running parallel to the world of fashion for decades. What used to be just ubiquitous stadium entrances are, literally, turning into concrete runways. Athletes nowadays are no longer perceived only as athletic figures, but also sensational forces in encouraging the vocalization of perspectives. One prominent way of doing that is through fashion.

Out of all the athletes that left a significant influence on bridging sports and fashion, Kyle Kuzma comes to mind amid his recent accomplishments and conversations involving the Washington Wizard small forward. However, before jumping into Kuzma’s personal brand and contribution to the NBA tunnel walk-of-fame, it’s necessary to first recognize his passion for fashion.

Having had enough of Ralph Lauren polos and khaki cargo pants, Kuzma started his fashion transformation at the University of Utah in 2014. Being drafted and moving to Los Angeles gave him the funds he needed to materialize his visions. Besides finding his role on the basketball court, Kuzma was equally determined to pinpoint his identity off the court, which he commented on in a 2022 interview with The Washington Post. 

“The fashion scene in LA just spoke to me. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what I like. I enjoy putting on clothes. I enjoy looking at fabrics, touching different fabrics, knowing the difference between them,’” Kuzma said.

While posting best career stats in Washington, the former 27th overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft also launched his own personal fashion brand, “Childhood Dreams,” with PUMA in 2020. Much like its name, the brand takes inspiration from Kuzma’s youth basketball aspirations and emphasizes sustainability by using recycled and plastic-free fabrics in its clothing line.

The underlining of sustainability is further established through the apparel’s designs. The three arched arrows of recycling encircle the PUMA Cat logo with the inscription “A/W 2022 rooted in excellence sustained in hope” sitting just above, making this logo unique from all other PUMA products. The brand’s hoodie has tattoo-like lettering of “Dreams” screening over silhouettes of children who, according to Kuzma’s brand, are the future of a sustainable world. Twelve different products are currently retailing on PUMA’s website, ranging in price from $40 to $250.

By now, Kuzma’s contribution to the NBA’s walk-of-fame has gained quite a reputation. From his #Leatherman Rick Owens full-black jacket to his flurry Mr. Saturday full-body fit, Kuzma left some of the most memorable outfits on the league’s pregame “red carpet.”

But the pink sweater was just different.

In November 2021, soon after Kuzma arrived at Capital One Arena in front of flashing cameras and rolling tapes, social media did what it does. Twitter user @nba_paint photoshopped Kuzma’s oversized Raf Simons sweater to be even more oversized for every 25 likes received. Not long after, the piece was staring into D.C.’s skyline like a kaiju from Japanese sci-fi. Some media users even compared Kuzma to the inflatable tube people dancing outside gas stations.

The oversized Raf Simons reverse sweater was made from mohair, one of the most esteemed fibers. The silky texture extracted from the coats of Angora goats is involved in manufacturing carpets, upholstery and high-end garments. The piece itself is designed as a drop-shoulder crewneck with sleeves long enough to cover Kuzma’s mid-calves. Raf Simons’ label patch is located right above the chest instead of in the typical interior neck seam to give a little extra spunk.

Since entering the industry in 1995, Raf Simons has embraced the vision of being youth-centric in polishing the mixture between art, pop culture and fashion. Simons’ pieces are loved and worn by many other athletes, including NFL linebacker Isiah Simmons, NBA point guard Tyler Herro and retired NBA forward Dennis Rodman. In my opinion, though, Kuzma is the one that really kindled the piece’s iconicity.

“I’m never wearing that again. It’s not really a thing you’re going to wear out,” Kuzma said in a September 2022 interview with Complex. “It’s an art piece.”

The good news is that the pink sweater is here to stay! Just about a month ago, the Washington Wizards gave away 10,000 Kyle Kuzma pink sweater bobbleheads at a game against the New York Knicks. Working with the merchandise agency BDA, Kuzma injected his personality into the creative process. Not only do the bobbleheads have swingable arms to mimic the exaggerated sleeves, but the figures also carry Kuzma’s lower left cheek mole and textures of the sweater and beanie.

If you want one of the 10,000 Kyle Kuzma bobbleheads, your best bet will be to scour eBay.

All that being said, Kuzma is not one to back down from styles he appreciates because of controversy. Former NBA teammate LeBron James refused to like his Instagram post calling the outfit “outrageous,” while NBA guards Isaiah Thomas and J.R. Smith also articulated their opinions by commenting, “that one ain’t it” and “Man hellll nawwwwwww.” The Raf Simons sweater, Rick Owens trousers, and Amiri sneakers were a collaborative blueprint designed by Kuzma and his stylist Toreno Winn Jr. 

Despite waves of mixed opinions about his fashion sense, Winn said in an interview with The Washington Post that “it was satirical, but we opened up the minds of people. There doesn’t have to be this cookie-cutter way of dressing. The first rule of fashion is there are no rules,” — to which Kuzma replied, “Good job, this is what we do.”

Undoubtedly, Kuzma greatly influences younger generations and is representative of self-confidence in both sports and fashion. Personally, I grew to recognize Kuzma’s fashion images more and more as he continues to be unafraid of approaching style risks when not wearing #33.

James Bao is a freshman writing about the interrelations between sports and fashion, as well as athletes’ identities in his column, “Fashion Focus.”