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New York City is electric as the NBA Finals unfold, with the New York Knicks holding a 3–1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs. While much of the attention has focused on the action on the court, point guard Tyler Kolek has emerged as a style star in his own right. His wardrobe—steeped in archival fashion and mood board–inspired references—stands apart in the NBA, where fashion is often associated with athletic sets and loud logo branding.
Instead, Kolek draws on the sensibilities of the 1990s and early 2000s. Taking inspiration from Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, and Robin Williams, his aesthetic feels closer to that of an off-duty leading man than a professional athlete. The vision has been refined in collaboration with Olivier Rogers, the designer and stylist behind his standout looks. Whether it’s a tunnel ‘fit built on vintage pieces from Issey Miyake and Chanel boots or a suede bomber jacket and jeans paired with newer accessories such as a Margaux bag from The Row, Kolek is redefining NBA fashion. To learn more about their creative partnership, I spoke with Rogers by phone, and he weighed in about the evolution of Kolek’s personal style, the role of archival fashion in shaping his wardrobe, and how they are pushing against conventional NBA fashion norms.
Tyler Kolek with his stylist, designer Olivier Rogers
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
Tell me about your first meeting with Tyler Kolek.
I started my brand, Olivier Rogers, in 2018. A lot of athletes and rappers have all worn the brand, and it has been very famously known as a brand that a lot of basketball players wear. I also went to school in Rhode Island, where Tyler Kolek is from, and when he was in college, he purchased one of my sweaters. I feel like our collaboration was meant to happen once he got drafted to the New York Knicks.
When he got picked up by the Knicks, I told him, “Whenever you’re ready to really elevate your style, let’s figure something out,” and then it just happened naturally. I was sending him a bunch of things through text messaging, and then I told him to buy this, buy that, and then after a while, we met up on the Lower East Side for the first time.
I have so many derbies and loafers and things like that, so it was easy for me to give him some of the things that I’ve never worn. I was able to pass it on to him and have him see the vision of what I’m trying to build for him. It’s mainly a uniform type of thing. I always say, “You can wear the same thing twice in different ways if you have taste.” I know some of these guys have a lot of money, and they feel like they can’t wear the same jeans twice. But if those jeans fit well, what do we do? We can go wear those jeans 10 different times, 10 different ways.
Kolek and Rogers in a fitting.
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
Vintage stores on Lower East Side are such an interesting starting point. What inspired you to begin with archival fashion?
The reason why I went the vintage route more than going into the retail stores is also because I like to mix the new with the old. You can be an NBA player and buy a high-fashion brand, and you might see another athlete on another team wearing the same jacket because it’s mass-produced versus going to a thrift store and buying something that was made in 2002. You know you’re not going to see another person in that same garment ever. It’s very rare that you’re going to find somebody wearing the same garment that you’re wearing. I like to match vintage with new. You want to be different; you want to stand out.
Kolek at Game three in a vintage Issey Miyake bomber jacket, from Rogers’ wardrobe.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Details of the vintage Chanel boots.
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
What references consistently show up when you’re building Tyler’s looks? If we could see your mood board, what images would be pinned to it?
I think a lot of these guys have the same mood board, and they all wear the same things. So when working with Tyler, I told him, “You want to be different in your own way.” I want him to understand the mood board, so I’m sending him pictures of Robin Williams. He had amazing taste and amazing style. He was wearing Raf Simons, and he was wearing Issey Miyake from the ’90s. Also, I sent him early Brad Pitt, early 2000s David Beckham, guys like Denzel Washington, Martin Lawrence, Will Smith. I just think the 2000s and ’90s [were] the best time in fashion for my liking and my taste. It’s giving him an actor vibe—maybe an early old-school actor, ’90s type of thing.
It’s very different nowadays in fashion, where I don’t think a lot of people are doing enough research to want to be different. I personally try not to follow trends, especially when I’m working with somebody like Tyler Kolek.
A photo on the mood board, Brad Pitt from 1988.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
A Finals reference: 2003 David Beckham.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tyler Kolek’s style is distinctive in the NBA. When you started working together, did he have a specific vision for his style?
I think what works for Tyler Kolek is the simpler, the better. He’s not trying to go super-duper fashion guy. I think some solid denim, a button-up shirt, white T-shirts, some derbies are his signatures right now. I definitely think quiet luxury was the route he was trying to go, but he needed a bit of guidance. I always tell guys that just because you have a stylist doesn’t mean you don’t know fashion or you can’t dress. Sometimes, it’s good to hire somebody you know that can help you bring your vision to life. I love working with Tyler. I pretty much 360-ed his whole wardrobe. I love helping and building people’s fashion taste and teaching them a bit.
As a designer, I think having a vision of wearable clothes is important too. I like to have a uniform. I’m very versatile, but I love to always have a pair of dress shoes. I love Doc Martens. I love my Prada derbys, so I gave him that. It’s a very European aesthetic for an American. When me and Tyler started working together, I had a vision for him, and I was just sending him raw images from a lot of actors and just people from the ’90s and the early 2000s so he can understand what I’m trying to build for him.
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
I feel like The Row Margaux bag has become one of his staples.
Yeah, the new Birkin.
When I think of fashion, I just think of timeless pieces. I think of things that will forever be a thing. I told him, “You want to look back in 20 years, look at your Finals images, and know that what you were wearing 20 years ago is still in style.” For a 25-year-old, you want to dress a little grown. I think his style is just very mature, and he looks like a grown man.
Kolek arriving to Madison Square Garden with a Margaux bag from The Row.
(Image credit: Alamy)
The NBA tunnel walks have emerged as a new kind of red carpet. How has that evolved athlete style?
When I started my brand in 2018, people weren’t looking at athletes as much. When you think of NBA tunnel ‘fits, you have no choice but to pay attention whether the outfits are good or bad. Athletes play 82 games in a regular season, so they’re constantly having to get dressed every game. Most of the time, they wear Nike Tech suits or Adidas track suits, but I think some of these guys have made a name for themselves in the NBA tunnel.
A look planned for Game two.
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
(Image credit: Alamy)
Do you approach the Finals very differently than regular season?
I think it’s 100% a different vibe because sometimes you only make it to the NBA Finals once in your career. The NBA Finals is the biggest moment, especially being a New York Knicks player. It doesn’t get any bigger than that moment and being on that stage to broadcast your taste. When I talked to Tyler about the NBA Finals, I told him, “This is your Met Gala moment and for you to show everybody that you are the best dressed guy in the NBA Finals.” Obviously, his main focus is playing in the NBA and winning the NBA championship. My job is to make sure he looks the best off the court.
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
I’m curious about the process of finding the NBA Finals looks.
A few weeks ago, Tyler called me. He usually gets out of practice a bit after 3, and most of the stores on the Lower East Side close at 8. He’d come down from practice, and we would park our cars and just take strolls down the Lower East Side, and we would go to SoHo, and it wasn’t always a hit. Sometimes, it was a miss. That’s the only downside about vintage. Sometimes when you shop vintage, it’s either you find something, or you find nothing at all.
The best part about vintage is just buying something that almost feels like a one-of-one garment versus going into a retail store and buying something that day and possibly seeing it on somebody else that’s either famous or somebody that has money. I think vintage is a little more tasteful because you have to dig deep. You’ve got to go through the racks and try everything on and see if it fits rather than walking into a high-end boutique, and they have it all on the mannequin. So it’s kind of the cheat code in a way. Vintage, to me, shows that you’re more knowledgeable when it comes to fashion and taste.
Kolek arriving from Game four.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tyler Kolek’s looks are resonating in the world of sports, but fashion fans and people outside of sports are also taking notice.
I think he has that look to him, where if you didn’t recognize him or know who he was, you wouldn’t think he was an NBA player. You would think he’s either an actor… He could be a model. He could be just a guy working as a lawyer. So when people go to his page and they’re like, “Oh, this guy plays in the NBA,” it’s even cooler.
He’s definitely got eyes on him since we’ve worked together. When I started working with him, I saw a vision. I saw he had a cool look to him, and I was like, “Let me elevate this guy’s style and show the world that he could possibly be one of those guys.”
(Image credit: Olivier Rogers)
I’m excited to see what’s coming up for Game Five.
We’ve only been working with each other for a few months and I’m excited for what the future holds for the both of us. I’m working on dropping my Olivier Rogers collection in September for fashion week. I think [for] Game 5 in San Antonio, he will be wearing full Olivier Rogers, kind of like a Canadian tuxedo look. He’s wearing an Olivier denim jacket and Olivier jeans with The Row loafers and the Margaux bag. And glasses are going to be Jacques Marie Mage.
