By Cassell Ferere originally published on Forbes.com

Russell Westbrook is an NBA All-Star, style aficionado, the creative director and designer of Honor The Gift, a dedication to the kid he was and others like him in America's inner cities. There is special attention to detail that Westbrook caters to, refining the normative aesthetics in traditional streetwear, exploring silhouettes and finishes that elevate wardrobes with sensibly priced garments - far from basic[s]. In its sixth year of production, Honor The Gift is launching its 2022 Summer collection titled “The Coast.”

Honor The Gift is a brand that “honors the people,” affirms Westbrook of the Los Angeles-based and inspired label. It’s this sentiment that creates looks such as matching crewnecks and flare sweatpants with raw, exposed hems, western-style vests, and puffer hoodies. The prints are rustic, the colors are sun-washed. 

Honor The Gift has Westbrook in “overall bliss,” growing his brand and playing the sport he loves. Westbrook explains that “To be able to create a brand structured around the inner city and underserved communities” gives Westbrook satisfaction. He argues, “because that's where I grew up - where I’m from - [and] that’s what I relate to.”

He continues, “creating a design at the forefront of my inspiration is always amazing. To show it through the garments, the silhouettes, and materials, are something I truly embrace and love doing.” Westbrook grew up in inner-city Los Angeles, on Century Street, learning fashion from his mother, who he often followed to the fabric district in Downtown Los Angeles, seeding a premature idea. 

Westbrook credits his mother for his admiration of fashion. “My mom still, to this day, is my biggest inspiration [in fashion.] She got me into it [as] she’s always dressed to a “T” - from top to bottom. She, my brother, and my dad,” he describes how his mom kept his family well-dressed. “Based on what we could afford, my mom would do all the shopping for us, me, and my brother. She opened that up to me and [my] understanding of fashion.”

It’s a love that comes at an absolute cost for most fashion lovers, preventing them from reaching their most expressive style. “That’s why it’s so important to me to have a lower price point because you [can] see how you can still be creative and still fashionable based on what you can afford,” says Westbrook. 

He reminisces on his shopping experience exploring Los Angeles, “I can go to a [thrift shop] and learn to understand from going to Downtown Los Angeles, going with my mom, and looking at fabrics. Seeing these allowed me to [figure out that] this is what I really want to do [in fashion]. To be able to find a love for it and figure out what I wanted to do with it - I didn’t know then, but I have a better idea now.”

A combination of the streets he grew up on and the coastal beauty that nestles the city, Honor The Gift’s 2022 Summer collection reflects the nuances that make Los Angeles a place of dreams. “Each collection [I like to find] inspiration behind certain designs. I’m big into Mo-Town - that’s the music I listen to all the time. That particular collection was based around that because it flows well through the things these artists were talking about. Coming up now, our Summer collection is based around the coast and water [of] Los Angeles. [I] use that inspiration to now create garments, whether it's the colors I use, [and] the cut of the garments give you a bit of insight on the inspiration based on how we were able to create,” Westbrook states.

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