By Phoenix Guevara, Dec. 10, 2024
As a humid summer day settled over Paris during Vogue World this past June, Kyle Smith looked on with pride as his clients, NFL superstars Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson, strode the runway. The two transformed from pro athletes into runway models as they showed off the couture looks Smith had carefully selected. Their outfits weren’t just fashion statements — they embodied Smith’s mission of rewriting the narrative of how athletes can express themselves off the field.
Smith’s journey to becoming the NFL’s first fashion editor began long before the Parisian runway. Growing up in Claremont, California, he was captivated by fashion’s potential for storytelling from an early age. At 12 years old, he said he began collecting Vogue magazines and developed an understanding that clothing is more than fabric — it’s a language of identity and culture.
Smith’s academic and cultural background laid the groundwork for his unique perspective. With both of his parents working at Cal Poly Pomona — his mother in administration and his father as a professor — Smith was surrounded by an environment that valued intellectual curiosity and cultural nuance from a young age. His father, who passionately collected tailored garments, became one of his primary fashion influences.
“I always look at my dad,” Smith said while admiring his father’s sense of fashion he developed while growing up in Egypt. “He’s someone that really informs my taste and sense of style. His style is very British, which I think has very strong standards that we kind of lose a little bit in America.”
While studying at Bard College in New York the Los Angeles-based renowned celebrity stylist Karla Welch offered him an apprenticeship opportunity. Smith said he decided to return to the West Coast and found himself back on familiar ground for his senior year. He enrolled at CPP to complete his bachelor’s degree and pursue his dream of working in fashion.
Smith, however, wasn’t the typical CPP senior. By this point in his early 20s, with Welch’s mentorship under his belt, Smith had already begun building an impressive styling roster, including Grammy Award-winner Justin Bieber.
Smith graduated in 2018 from CPP with a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history. He highlighted a formative course taught by Anthony Acock, a graphic design professor at the university.
“The class focused on the quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail that I still use to this day,” Smith said.
After college, Smith explored varied fashion sectors through freelance roles, trying his hand at writing for Flaunt magazine and PR work for modern luxury brand Amiri. He eventually landed a position as a wardrobe assistant at the NFL Network, where he styled on-air personalities. In this role, he recognized that the pregame tunnel walk — those moments before games when players are photographed without helmets walking into the arena — was more than just a photo opportunity. It was a platform for personal storytelling.
However, the pandemic brought an unexpected turning point when Smith lost his NFL Network job amid COVID-19 cuts. While devastating personally, he said it opened his eyes to new possibilities. With athletes’ pregame outfits starting to garner more attention on social media, he saw even greater potential to shape their personal brands through style.
Eager to redirect, Smith started an Instagram account called @PlayTheLook that documented NFL players’ pregame outfits. It gained attention from athletes and the NFL alike. When league representatives reached out, unaware of his previous role, they quickly realized his innate talent for elevating athletes through fashion. He returned to the league in December 2021 as a fashion content strategist, ready to reinvent player styling globally.
“I’m giving my players the opportunity to express themselves through fashion,” Smith said. “It’s about giving our players a voice outside of statistics and numbers.”
His work quickly gained momentum as his roster became not just clients but collaborators in challenging traditional narratives about athletes and fashion. Smith worked tirelessly to demonstrate how style could expand the league’s reach, particularly among younger audiences. He didn’t simply select outfits but instead helped each player craft their personal story through clothing.
By September, the NFL appointed Smith as their first official fashion editor, a role that validated everything he had worked toward since his teenage years.
Today, Smith continues to break barriers between fashion and sports. As fashion editor, he oversees the NFL’s fashion content, partnerships and communications. Smith also continues to serve as a beacon of hope for students at his alma mater, proving dreams can become reality after graduation.
Two apparel, merchandising and management students from the Fashion Society Club find inspiration in Smith’s journey.
“It’s incredible to visually see the success achieved by someone who was once in the same classroom as me,” club president Bianca Mora said.
Her fellow club leader and vice president, Soleil Guzman, echoed a similar sentiment.
“It gives me hope that there’s a perfect job for everyone,” Guzman said. “Seeing this inspires me and makes me excited to see where life will take me after this.”
Smith’s path to success from a Vogue-collecting teenager to the NFL’s first fashion editor demonstrates that the most exciting careers are often those we create for ourselves through a blend of passion, creativity and opportunity. By helping athletes express themselves beyond their sport, Smith has reshaped assumptions of how athletes can present themselves outside the field. His years of work now stand as a cultural shift of what it means to be an athlete in the 21st century.
Feature image courtesy of Luca Gallo