When Daniel Solomon was a student at Indiana University in 2014, he started a side business in his dorm room selling fashion to his friends who played on the men’s basketball team and had trouble finding the newest clothes and shoes in their size. His customers were friends on the team who had trouble finding the hottest clothes and shoes in their size. One of them was O.G. Anunoby, who is currently a standout player for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Anunoby reached out to Solomon in 2017 for assistance in developing his off-court style after being picked by the Toronto Raptors, a team that competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
At that point in time, a new generation of basketball players had already begun the process of developing their own personal brands, with off-court flair being perhaps as significant as performance on the court. The passageways that connect locker rooms to arena entrances are called “tunnel walks,” and NBA legends such as LeBron James were responsible for turning gameday arrivals into something resembling Hollywood’s red carpet.
However, young players like Anunoby and his contemporaries have since improved their fashion game by crafting their looks at the speed of social media and exchanging the essentials of streetwear for items from high fashion. This has resulted in an increased demand for specialized stylists and “plugs” who can give basketball players unique styles while also opening up new marketing options for luxury companies. The origins of the K-pop group NewJeans
