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Over the past few years, jerseys have made a big resurgence in fashion. It isn’t just Mitchell & Ness throwbacks or the current jerseys for your favorite teams. It seems like every brand is finding ways to put their spin on the classic sportswear item. The brand doing it best is Diallo.
It makes sense considering the two men who started the brand together. Tyrod Taylor is a 15-year NFL veteran who is widely considered to be one of the best-dressed athletes today. Dex Robinson has been styling athletes like Taylor, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown, and more for over a decade.
Shop Diallo on Complex.
Diallo only launched in 2021, but it has already made waves. Its cropped practice jerseys have been spotted on some of the biggest superstars across hip-hop and sports, from Future to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Ahead of the release of Diallo’s latest collection, “Act III: Echoes of Legacy” on Complex on Aug. 8, we sat down with Taylor and Robinson to learn a bit more about the brand, what’s to come, and more.
Before Taylor and Robinson were business partners, Robinson was Taylor’s stylist. They’ve worked together ever since Taylor entered the NFL in 2011. Initially, the vision for Diallo was to just be a clothing store in the DMV area. The store still has yet to come to fruition, but Diallo has evolved into a full-fledged brand dropping multiple collection per year.
“We had built a friendship and a working relationship and it just kind of felt natural,” Robinson tells Complex. “We didn’t have these aspirations of creating a brand. It took on a life of its own.”
Diallo is Taylor’s middle name. Beyond that, the brand name also has roots in West Africa. It roughly translates “bold” or “exuding confidence.”
“Sometimes when people hear the word bold, they think of being in your face,” says Taylor. “It can be the confidence that you enter a room with. You don’t have to be the loudest in the room. I think confidence is also a reflection of how comfortable you are. Every silhouette we make is about comfort.”
Diallo offers an elevated take on wardrobe basis from denim shorts to Oxford shirts. Its most popular offerings are twists on classic sportswear like mesh jerseys or track shorts. They offer a perfect balance between streetwear and luxury.
Its latest collection, Act III: Echoes of Legacy, will be available to shop on Complex on Aug. 8. In addition to new takes on its jerseys with three-quarter length sleeves in colors like espresso brown, there are also items like layered polos, raglan shirts, and track jackets. Everything is meant to be approachable with a premium feel.
“The design approach for a lot of luxury fashion houses are focused on the European perspective. I don’t think they truly cater to people from a sports lens that look like us,” says Robinson. “For me, it was important to redefine what that looked like. We are making sure that we are accommodating to all. A lot of the silhouettes that we have, we try to make sure that they are transitional pieces that you’re able to customize and can carry over for years.”
Taylor and Robinson were both born and raised in Virginia. Their upbringing plays a pivotal role in their products. Their self-described “bold” approach to the brand channels some of the state’s style icons like Allen Iverson, Pharrell, and Missy Elliott.
“Diallo is about expressing yourself in different ways,” says Taylor. “There’s nothing forced about what we do. It’s just natural and it feels organic to us.”
Many pieces are a direct reference to Taylor and Robinson’s lives, whether its shorts that nod to Robinson’s time as a track and field athlete, cargo pants pieces that nod to Virginia’s blue collar sensibilities, or items inspired by something they may have uncovered in their grandparents’ attics.
“We’re leaning into our own history and traditions, seeing how we could elevate that and bring a different feel,” says Taylor. “It’s seeing how we can show up in an elevated space in today’s fashion, but still be organic to ourselves and share the history of Virginia and our families.”
By far, Diallo’s most popular offerings have been its mesh practice jerseys. The brand has turned something traditionally seen as casual and sporty into a coveted luxury item. The idea for Diallo to create its own jerseys came about partially out of necessity. It was a hot summer day and it inspired them to create something that you could wear to keep cool while still feeling dressed up. Its also one of the few products from Diallo’s assortment that features outward branding. While they were hesitant to slap their logos on a lot of pieces right out of the gate, their customer base was immediately receptive to it.
“I honestly felt like we needed to build an audience before we slapped our name on stuff. We did it and that’s the stuff that people wanted,” says Robinson. “That’s crazy because I’ve seen brands have to work for years for people to understand the value of their name.”
With connections to top athletes around the world, you may assume that Taylor and Robinson are putting Diallo on all of their peers. That’s not the case. A lot of the support has come about organically. A lot of customers do not even realize that the duo is behind the brand.
“Especially for an emerging brand, getting your clothes on a celebrity seems like a checkpoint,” says Robinson. “What’s been great for us is that this stuff has truly just happened organically. It’s been great to see people truly want to wear the stuff because they want to support you. Even people that do not know Diallo is by us, they’ve supported.”
While celebrity co-signs are certainly not the only important element of a successful clothing brand, Taylor acknowledges the importance that his brand being worn by a big name can have.
“In a social media driven world, being able to have that type of brand recognition goes a long way,” says Taylor. “What stands out the most is people spending their hard earned money on pieces that we’ve created and not even knowing that it’s attached to either one of us.”
In just four years, Diallo has already found success with a signature product and loyal following. As Taylor and Robinson continue to hone their craft, this is just the beginning.
“It’s just about building our community,” says Taylor. “We’re big on that and just want to keep showing up in different ways. We continue to keep growing in different markets domestically and internationally. We continue to keep growing the brand and sharing our story with the world. Diallo is not just apparel. Diallo is a lifestyle.”
Shop Diallo’s new collection on Complex on Aug. 8.
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