This article is part of the Vogue Business 100 Innovators: Class of 2025, an annual list of individuals Vogue Business editors believe have the potential to change the luxury industry for the better.
At Vogue World Paris, two sports stars caused a stir: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The man behind their appearances was Kyle Smith, then an NFL employee working on marketing, social media and experiential projects. Very soon after, Smith helped carve the role that would be his promotion — to the NFL’s first-ever fashion editor. In the role, Smith helps push forward the NFL’s “helmets-off” strategy, a bid to better connect players to fans when the former is off the field. Smith does this by harnessing — and honing — players’ fashion.
Smith runs the official NFL and NFL Style Instagram accounts, styles players for tunnel walks and photo shoots, and works with agents to establish relationships between athletes and fashion houses. From decking Burrow out in Bottega Veneta to having him carry the new (much buzzed about) Alo leather handbag for his tunnel walk, Smith knows how to get audiences talking about players in the context of fashion. He’s also helped steer major fashion deals for the sport, with Abercrombie recently announced as the NFL’s first official fashion partner. It’s a demonstration of the value Smith has proved fashion can hold for the NFL. As the fashion-sports conversation continues to heat up, Smith is ensuring the NFL very much stays in the conversation.
What’s the best career risk you’ve taken?
Stepping into the NFL and becoming its first-ever fashion editor. There wasn’t a blueprint for this role — it was a leap into the unknown. NFL players have certainly shown their passion for the space, but this was the first time that the league has made real investments into personnel, which are dedicated to the NFLs approach to fashion. With the inception of this role, part of me thought, is this even possible? But I knew that athletes were already culture movers, and fashion was the next natural language. Taking a first-of-its-kind role like this has forced me to invent as I go, and that inventive nature is helping shape innovation at the NFL.
What’s the biggest obstacle to pushing your vision forward?
Tradition. The NFL is steeped in heritage and history. The game and its players come first. The opportunity is to show that fashion is a natural extension here and deepens the connection between our players and fans. Fans love when they see players for who they are off the field with their helmets off. What are players wearing? What designers do they like? People have come to embrace this approach, and doors have opened in the fashion world.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to the next wave of innovators in your field?
Don’t wait for permission. When you’re working at the intersection of industries, no one will hand you a playbook. Build your own, trust your taste and surround yourself with people who see what you see before the world does.
What’s been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?
Seeing NFL tunnel walks turn into our own version of runways and red carpet moments. Watching players I’ve worked with, like Joe Burrow, be embraced by the fashion world as true style figures has been surreal. It’s not just about the clothes, it’s about athletes being respected as cultural leaders. That shift has been the most rewarding.
Being liked, being respected, or being effective? Pick one.
Respected. Being liked is fleeting, being effective can happen quietly, but respect is lasting. If people respect you, it means you’ve left an imprint on the culture.
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