Elements of styl'e

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

Revenge of the Jocks Photo Shoot

A behind the scenes look at ESPN the Magazine's Revenge of the Jocks issue with Amar'e Stoudemire, Marshawn Lynch and Sarah Burke. Tags: ESPN, Magazine, Amar'e Stoudemire, Sarah Burke, Marshawn Lynch, Revenge of the Jocks

Revenge of the Jocks Photo Shoot

This story appears in the Aug. 8, 2011 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
It's a July afternoon, and Amar'e Stoudemire has just stepped into an LA photo studio. "I've been out of a job for a while," the locked-out NBA vet says to nobody in particular. "I'm ready to get to work!" But today's definition of work is dressing Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and freestyle skier Sarah Burke for the 2011 ESPY Awards. The fashion-forward forward, who's collaborating with designer Rachel Roy on her fall collection, isn't about to play it safe. His style mantra? "Dare to be different." Easier said than done.

Sheryl Nields for ESPN The Magazine"My style is simple -- very simple," says Lynch.

AN OAKLAND JAMES BOND
"My style is simple -- very simple," says Lynch, who grew up in Oakland. "I ain't no flashy dude." The Seahawk arrives in an oversize T-shirt and baggy jeans that in a pinch could serve as a parachute. Stoudemire's vision: an Oakland James Bond. "A ghetto 007?" Lynch asks. "Yeah, we can try that." Stoudemire selects a gray tailored-fit two-button suit, lavender shirt and silk tie. "Brah-brah, I'm not trying to be wearing nothing small," Lynch says while tugging at the collar. "Can't be lookin' like Urkel, not bein' able to breathe 'cause the clothes are too tight." Seeing his path blocked, Stoudemire calls timeout with Lynch and focuses on his other subject.

Sheryl Nields for ESPN The MagazineBurke says that skateboarders, like freestyle skiers, live life on the edge.

RUFFLES ARE OUT
Stoudemire sees Burke as a canvas. "Sarah's a very attractive girl," he says of the freestyle skier. "Pretty much anything she puts on she'll look great in." He plucks some sequined sweats and a white silk blouse off hangers -- and is promptly rejected. She thinks it whispers "job interview" more than it screams "I'm in Hollywood!" Skier and stylist then sit down at opposing makeup chairs, where Stoudemire works to get to know his 28-year-old subject. "So 'freestyle' means what, exactly?" he asks. "We do halfpipes," she says. "That sounds like a skateboarding term," he says. "I skateboarded growing up in New York." Translation: Skateboarders, like freestyle skiers, live life on the edge. "I'm not a pink ruffles kind of girl," Burke says.

Sheryl Nields for ESPN The MagazineStoudemire's goal with Lynch was to give him an Oakland James Bond look.

ONE DAY AT A TIME
Back with Lynch, Stoudemire pulls out a slightly roomier Dolce & Gabbana black suit with a black knit tie and a crisp white shirt. "This ain't street, this is Wall Street," Lynch says. Stoudemire can relate to his 25-year-old subject: When he was drafted out of high school in 2002, he didn't want to dress up either. "I wanted to be street, urban in fashion," he says. Just then, a blue plaid shirt catches Lynch's eye. "Oh, I like this right here," he says. Lynch then concedes by pairing it with a different three-piece suit sans the constricting coat. Says Stoudemire, "With Marshawn, it has to be one day at a time, one event at a time, but I think I succeeded with my Oakland James Bond."

Sheryl Nields for ESPN The MagazineBurke feels comfortable in short dresses, so she loved the edgy purple one Stoudemire chose.

TURNING HEADS
Stoudemire goes to the dressing room and grabs a short, skintight black-and-purple dress made of sheer fabric for Burke. "The dark colors make it edgy," she says. "I have big, muscular ski legs that I like to let breathe because they're always in baggy pants. I feel very comfortable in short dresses." Says Stoudemire: "Stunning. It's elegant and classy but also edgy. She's going to turn a lot of heads on the red carpet."

Sam Alipour is a contributing writer to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. You can reach him at sam.alipour@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter here.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe

Sam Alipour | email

• Archive

Sam Alipour writes for ESPN The Magazine and contributes to ESPN and ESPN.com. His work spans lifestyle/entertainment news coverage and features ranging from sports-diplomacy in Iran to sexual activity in the Olympic Village. Contact him at sam.alipour@gmail.com and on Twitter.