The Side Part: The Russell Wears Prada

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I listened to Starships the whole time I wrote this. That is because of this. That’s not a lie, either. Nor is it an over-exaggeration. I listened to that song twenty-two times. I write slow.

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Russell Westbrook likes clothes. This has been a talking point since that night he showed up wearing a pair of red lensless glasses and a Lacoste shirt. The shirt had fishing lures on it. A lot of them. Like Rashaun Woods designed it or something.

Ever since then, with an increasing number of eyes turning to look on Oklahoma City and Westbrook, he has made sure to bring that fashion fire each and every time he gets a chance.

That love for clothes came to a head during New York City’s Fashion Week. Russ sat next to royalty. The fashion icon. The lady that Merryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada was based on. The woman he dubbed #fashionqueen. Vogue’s Editor-In-Chief, Anna Wintour.

An aside: I’m not saying I’ve seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada, but if I had then I’d tell you it’s actually a pretty good time and the next time it’s on FX you should check it out if only to get an opportunity to see Vinnie Chase be really pissed at the Princess of Genovia.

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I’m a believer in Instagram. I think it’s incredible. It gives you a small chance to see athletes and celebrities in the midst of something that might resemble a candid moment. Russ is good at Instagram. Really good. Russ is better at Instagram than Kanye West is at making your Mom ask you to not use her iTunes account to purchase songs of his.

The images fluctuate. Sometimes it’s just the shoes. Sometimes it’s the whole look  (#donthateonthebrodieandwearitnextweek is far and away this decade’s greatest piece of writing).  Sometimes it’s a video of an all white party, because why not? Sometimes it’s a video of him with a towel on his head on a balcony in some unnamed tropic. And sometimes it’s just airport swag with the brodie.

His Instagram set the world on fire once more this week at NYFW. He posted this. The next day he posted this. Then this. He walked around New York looking like a ninja. Bee Shapiro with The New York Times wrote a great piece on Westbrook’s experience. Some of the highlights, though.

The guy’s front row at Rag & Bone shows. Donald Glover raps about cardigans from there so I’m assuming it’s at least halfway hip.

He’s at an Altuzzara show.

He’s talking to the editor of GQ.

He’s going to be in an ad for Levi’s.

He’s done an interview with L’Uomo Vogue.

LA based fashion mag Flaunt featured him on the cover. First time they’ve ever had an athlete do that.

Again, though, he’s sitting next to Anna Wintour at a fashion show. He was her guest. That’s like getting to stand on stage right next to Garth Brooks during a Garth Brooks concert.

Russ has looked ridiculous in the past, certainly. Like, very ridiculous. Undoubtedly, he’ll look ridiculous again. Several times, probably. But, at least he didn’t ever do anything like this. Never forget that. Never.

Keeping that Flaunt pic on the back burner so ten years from now I can use that as my profile pic on whatever replaces Twitter. Also going to incorporate the word “flaunt” into my vocabulary more because I find it a soothing word.

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The world of professional athletics is full of stock answers and pre-programmed responses. Talking about how defense wins championships and you have to play the whole game and it’s about the process and one game at a time and I’m just trying to get better every day and so on and so forth and on and on and on.

Any bit of surprise, a reprieve from the monotony, will be welcomed with wide open arms by an internet and a world that enjoys itself some personality. That’s why when Russell breaks out his amazing, technicolor short-sleeve button ups the whole of Twitter pops off for the rest of the night. It’s something different. It’s alien. Something you need a starship to get to.

Sometimes you need to scratch your cheek and hook the thumb. Sometimes you need to look how the white ranger from Power Rangers would look if he was off the clock and just working his day job as Creative Director for Givenchy.

Don’t hate on the brodie and wear it next week.