Each year,
Vogue hosts The Met Gala, where a conglomerate of the hottest actors, models, and athletes flood the red stairs attempting to make the biggest fashion statement of their lives. Fashion houses like Chanel and Prada will donate egregiously priced gowns and suits to the year’s Hottest Stars.
And, in these high fashion settings, I like to pay attention to the athletes. Professional athletes like Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and David Beckham have been photographed strutting the Met steps, paving the way for athletes to take more risks in the name of fashion recently.
Pregame outfits have become a fashion event themselves, where athletes like Travis Kelce and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander debut runway-worthy fits in the tunnel before giving an MVP-level performance.
If you’re especially talented, the people look to you for more than just putting up points. So it’s no surprise that Victor Wembanyama has been such a wonder to watch this year.
Who Is Victor Wembanyama?
At 20 years old, Victor Wembanyama has been in the spotlight for over a year now as the coveted rookie from France. At 7’4, he’s hailed as one of the greatest draft picks of the generation (and he was only drafted in 2023), Wembanyama is a marvel.
The San Antonio Spurs center is often likened to basketball greats like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. With an eight-foot wingspan, Wembanyama stands out from the crowd and has quickly become one of sports media’s muses.
Aside from his on-court successes, Victor has also become a face of the NBA. Alongside NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, Wembanyama helped introduce NB-AI at the All-Star Tech Summit. He already has a deal with Nike, who have a history of landing lucrative shoe deals like with Michael Jordan. And then there’s his Fanatics deal, his 2k venture, and more.
What Brands Does Victor Wembanyama Wear?
February marks Wembanyama’s first foray into the fashion industry. Of course, since he’s prone to going big, it’s with none other than French fashion house, Louis Vuitton. Wembanyama takes fashion seriously, which is why he enlisted LV to create a suit for the NBA Draft.
The NBA Draft is notorious for its fashion. He joked to GQ that he wasn’t a fan of LeBron James’ baggy suit…even though he wasn’t alive when LeBron was drafted. But the green suit that Victor debuts as the number one overall pick is what sold him with the brand.
He tells GQ that he thinks it’s the best suit from any NBA Draft ever, and to be fair, the suit is admittedly great. But what it really meant was that Victor Wembanyama had chosen: Louis Vuitton was always going to be the brand for him.
And while you may not think of him as the epitome of a style icon- he’s often pictured in a sweat set – it’s actually due to his size and stature. Not many brands make clothes that fit a 7’4 20-year-old…but Wembanyama has taken up the challenge so he’s been debuting a few new LV fits before his games.
How Can I Dress Like Victor Wembanyama?
Victor Wembanyama heads to dinner after leaving the NBA office in Midtown Manhattan
T.JACKSON / BACKGRID
Victor Wembanyama knows more than anyone that dressing for your body type is the most important overall. With a stature like his, Wembanyama is often shown in a cropped pant — but that might not be intentional given that he’s 7’4.
If you want to dress like Wemby, then invest in a solid monochrome sweat set. Take it a step further and roll up the calves and you have a full Spurs’ star-approved outfit.
As for menswear, Wembanyama balances the classic while still taking risks. He plays with colors and textures, which is how he blends this black shirt and suit pants combo with an iridescent navy blazer. It’s how he ends up wearing a green Louis Vuitton suit to the Draft.
Now that he’s the new face of LV, we can expect to see an elevation in his style. His clothes will fit him better, the prints will feel more intentional, and the lengths will make sense for his proportions.
The classic Wembanyama look consists of a matching set. It could be a suit or a sweat set, the only requirement is consistency throughout. Having a set makes it easy to let your accessories do the talking: a good pair of shoes, a nice watch, a fun bucket hat.
