On and off the court, Kyle Kuzma is a man on the go. He is constantly evolving, whether it is his approach to fashion, his innovative philanthropic moves or his game. Just try to catch it; he’s darting away before you can blink. The Washington Wizards forward joins Alexa on Zoom after a long afternoon of practice — and some post-practice paint.
“I was finishing up a tattoo,” the 6-foot-9 athlete says to apologize for his slight tardiness. His newest body art joins a vast canvas of what Kuzma estimates to be over 80 tattoos, from the cherub on his neck to the word “Flint” on his wrist — a tribute to his beloved hometown. surrounded by Michigan – to “Space Jam”. Looney Tunes characters on his thigh. The new art is behind his foot, he divides; the man should run out of space at this point. “It’s a Great Depression quote from the ’30s,” he says. “It says ‘Do it, or do it without.'”
For such a kinetic guy, I suggest, the process of making paint should be a welcome opportunity to breathe, even if it comes with a pinch. “Yeah, sure, 100%,” he admits in his smooth baritone. “Just take it easy, work on your mental toughness.”
He’s bulking up from pre-season training in Montreal, his slim frame and blond hair wrapped in a chocolate brown hoodie, looking very suave. Kuzma has an eye for good fabric: During his seven years in the NBA, he’s found fame for his pregame looks and his Fashion Week appearances, surely accompanied by his supermodel girlfriend Winnie Harlow.
Kuzma grew up in Flint and played basketball at the University of Utah before being drafted by the NBA in 2017. He played with the Lakers from 2017 to 2021, including their 2020 championship year, before being traded to the Wizards, where this year he was renewed. -signed a four-year, $102 million contract. He was honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Sports list this year and named an ambassador for David Yurman.
What draws his interest in a particular look or design, he says, is how the clothing contributes to his narrative and how he is commenting on culture through it. “It’s when you’re painting a picture, making a picture — not just throwing clothes,” he says. “It’s clothing, but it’s not clothing.”
His shoot with Alexa was no exception. “I just loved the vibe we had,” he says. “It was very different from a regular photo shoot. He was telling a story. We were in a mid-century house, and I think that really set the tone, the aesthetic that we were going for. Fifties, but young at the same time.”
Then there was his most viral fashion moment of 2021, a giant pink Raf Simons sweater whose sleeves and hems hung far, far below his hands and waist. It was a candy-colored cartoon, a commentary on the experience of being an extremely gigantic person. “My wearing a big sweater, like, this is my painting of that. Sarcastically,” he says.
But just as he was becoming known as the king of the outré tunnel that matched his pregame fashion statements, Kuzma changed course, announcing to Vogue in late October that he was giving up the practice. And he did it in his own thoughtful way. “I can speak from experience that when you’re a younger player, you don’t want to wear the same thing twice. Many times we are tempted to think, Oh, we have to change it, we have to buy something new. And now we are buying clothes just to impress people or stand out. It’s funny,” he told the fashion magazine.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Kuzma won’t show up for designers who have a thing for him. He’s walked in numerous New York Fashion Week shows, most notably a tentacled Puma look in 2022 and a bold, black and red leather suit at the Sp5der show this fall. He attended the Rick Owens show in Paris this summer, of course: “My whole closet is Rick Owens, pretty much,” he told Nylon at the time.
“I do things now with people I call friends,” he says. “I think the world has just gotten a little too mixed up, like, a little lost in building relationships. So I’m very selective, very conscious.”
For now, he’s excited to nurture artistic relationships at Art Basel, whose Miami Beach fair, now in its 22nd year, runs Dec. 6-8. Kuzma, who has a place in Miami when he’s not in DC, has long been an art fan and collector; his tastes run toward bold modern art with something to say. “An artist I like is Derrick Adams,” shares Kuzma. (You may remember Adams from his portrayal of Lucious and Cookie Lyon on “Empire,” which became a season 5 plot point.) “I have a piece that he did for me that reflects my life, in a what sense,” says Kuzma. “He did a painting of me that was, like, biracial in America. It has the US flag and an African flag, and then it had, like, my vantage point of life.”
Kuzma is also a photographer and a painter himself. But the installation he’s most excited about at Art Basel this year is a sound experience. “It will be a music group called Keinemusik; they use electronic beats to create a journey within the music,” he says. “Walking through one of their sets is like producing a picture of your life with your voice. It’s very deep. Sound beats boost your mood. They make you think about certain things, because of the euphoric state it puts you in.”
He radiates a strong curiosity about a wide range of subjects and has used his NBA earnings to delve into his passions off the court – fashion, but also the art world, fine wines and philanthropy. For the latter, he teamed up with his mother, Karri Kuzma, to launch the Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation, which focuses on empowering single mothers and helping underprivileged children. It also focuses on the rehabilitation of incarcerated women, which Kuzma notes is an under-discussed topic with a huge stigma.
“Women in prison are extremely marginalized,” says Kuzma. “When a woman goes to prison, there’s a whole different stigma attached to her. You never know people’s backgrounds and the context of why they are in prison. Some may be forced into prostitution. Some may be in prison for trying to save their lives. And not to mention, you know, the trauma in the ecosystem they grew up in, the hard life.” At an event last fall at the Genesee County Jail, Kuzma made a surprise visit to women inmates who were visiting with their children, bringing Christmas gifts for the children and over $60,000 in donated clothing for the women to wear. after release.
His involvement in philanthropy, he says, was inspired by forming a friendship with Chris Swanson, the sheriff of Michigan’s Genesee County, who made a name for himself in 2020 during the George Floyd protests, when he famously put on the equipment of his for rebellion to fight. the protesters. “He is a great man. I love his ideologies”, says Kuzma.
Kuzma’s organization raised $825,000 at the organization’s inaugural golf tournament in Miami this year, where attendees included Cedric the Entertainer, Denver Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell and Phoenix Suns guard , Devin Booker. “All my partners, business partners, showed up and it was so much fun to watch,” says Kuzma. “Now we can really get down to business and do some impactful things.”
Supporting him in all his endeavors is Harlow, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2020. The two live together and love to travel together when they can. Fashion weeks are a no-brainer, and although Kuzma says Paris is his all-time favorite, it was Italy that made the biggest impression this year. “Milan really inspired me. Just the lifestyle there, how people wear clothes for every day. You know, dress like they’re important, like they’re going somewhere.” He and Harlow attended the Cannes Film Festival for the second year in a row, making two appearances on the red carpet in matching outfits.
Kuzma’s secret to keeping it cool in a romantic relationship (besides sartorial coordination)? Maintaining a sense of curiosity and openness. It’s all about “continuing to rediscover each other,” he says. “Being able to talk about interesting things. Watching a movie together and asking him what he saw. They really get into each other’s minds.” Last year, the couple took the GQ couples quiz, showing off their debating style.
From love to sports to life, says Kuzma, his secret to success is simple: “I am very curious. I think that’s the number one thing. I ask questions to learn,” he says. “I work really hard. I passed the classes so naturally, I am confident and prepared.” Now let’s see if the world is ready for it.
Photograph: Photo by Michael Schwartz; Editor: French Serena; Stylist: Jan-Michael Quammie at The Wall Group; shaver: Tune SaidBarber Padgett; Groomer: Daniela Gozlan at The Wall Group using MAC; Photo editor: Jessica Hober; Talent booking: Patty Adams Martinez; Fashion Assistant: Talia Restrepo; Fashion assistant on set: Michelle Ball, Tailor in the set: Danielle Emery
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Image Source : nypost.com