Undoubtedly one of the NBA's reigning champions of style today, Russell Westbrook sits down with the originator of the streetwear-meets-luxury fashion trend, Dapper Dan, for an interview that's a slam dunk. 

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Fashion&rsquo;s flirtation with &ldquo;street style&rdquo; has been a long courtship, but in the last several seasons that romance has become something more &ldquo;official.&rdquo; With Off-White designer Virgil Abloh&rsquo;s ascension to the top of Louis Vuitton Men&#39;s, the inclusion of publications such as Hypebeast into the rarefied air of fashion publishing, not to mention the ubiquity of &ldquo;it&rdquo; sneakers every season, street style seems to have moved decidedly uptown.

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That movement, in part, has been propelled by the fusion of popular culture, from the likes of hip-hop and sports, especially. For many, the legendary Harlem tailor Dapper Dan, was one of the first to combine the haute with the street, utilizing brand iconography from the likes of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi, to create custom-made pieces in the &rsquo;80s for the likes of LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, and Rakim and Eric B. After closing shop in 1992, Dap is having something of his own Harlem Renaissance, partnering last September with Gucci&rsquo;s creative director, Alessandro Michele, on an official joint-venture.

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Sports too, and particularly its high-profile athletes, have been at the vanguard of street style&rsquo;s now well-established place in the upper echelons of fashion (one need look no further than LeBron James&rsquo; recent &ldquo;runway&rdquo; show featuring full-looks by Thom Browne).

Few athletes, however, compare to NBA player Russell Westbrook when it comes to both a passion for and an impact upon, men&rsquo;s fashion today. Whether appearing in the pages of GQ and Vogue, helming his own line of clothing, Honor The Gift, or collaborating with glitzy publisher Rizzoli on Russell Westbrook: Style Drivers&nbsp;Westbrook&rsquo;s keen eye for style&mdash;not to mention his sheer output&mdash;points to the role he, and other athletes like him, play in setting the pace of fashion today.

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It made sense then that the father of street style would sit down with one of his inheritors, to discuss everything from personal tastes to how best stay in the zone when it comes to both work, and play.

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DAN: When did you first fall in love with fashion?

WESTBROOK:&nbsp;I would say probably early on back in middle school, around that time. The way you can express yourself through fashion excited me and made me more and more interested in getting involved in it. My mom used to put outfits together for me, but at a certain age, I wanted to be creative and put my own looks together.

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DAN: How old were you?

WESTBROOK: Probably about 13 was when I was really trying to figure out what it meant to have your own style, your own swag.

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DAN: Define your style. Who was your influence? 

WESTBROOK: My mom is my main influence. She was always the one that got me involved in whatever was going on in fashion

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&quot;Some people may think it&#39;s taking risks, honestly for me it&#39;s ... just being natural, being yourself.&quot;&nbsp;

DAN: But how did your own style develop, like you said, as you got older? Did you see yourself leaning away from what your mother defined as fashion? You got more liberal with yourself because, for sure, you&rsquo;re cutting edge. 

WESTBROOK: I think playing basketball has allowed me more access to things I didn&#39;t have access to when I was younger. I think the progression of my own style is about having access to the right people. I can go to the different fashion houses, go to the shows, and learn more about what fashion is.

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DAN: When did you feel like taking risks with fashion?

WESTBROOK: Honestly man, some people may think it&#39;s taking risks, honestly for me it&#39;s really just like you said, just being natural, being yourself&hellip;expressing who I am and what it is I have an interest in.

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DAN: Tell me about your design process, especially when it comes to your shoes. I want to hear about the third sneaker design that will be unveiled in Paris.

WESTBROOK: I&rsquo;ve been with Nike collaborating on their Jordan collection. It&rsquo;s a great process. I get to pick the materials, pick the style, pick the colors. For the Paris launch, it will be my third off-the-court shoe. I wanted something very comfortable, easy flowing and simple that you can wear pretty much with anything and I&#39;m excited to get it unveiled there.

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Photography Randall Mesdon&nbsp;

Fashion Jason Rembert

Jacket Louis Vuitton

Coat Gucci, T-Shirt Gucci  x Dapper Dan

Sweater Calvin Klein 205W39NYC

Jacket Gucci x Dapper Dan

Coat and leggings Givenchy, Sneakers and wristband Nike, Ring Russell's own

Jacket and vest Prada, Turtleneck Dior Homme, Pants Filling Pieces, Socks Honor the Gift, Sneakers Jordan x Russell Westbrook, Wristbands Nike

Jacket Rochambeau, T-shirt Honor the Gift 

Grooming Hee Soo Kwon for MALIN + GOETZ Stylist Assistant Daniel Lee Retouching Dcoy Studios

Russell Westbrook by Dapper Dan

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