In a world full of uniforms and rules when it comes to expressing yourself through clothes, there was a man who came to put aside the idea that fashion was not for everyone, and that man was Dennis Rodman.
Nowadays, we are seeing a lot of NBA players showing off their sense of style, whether it’s by being bold and using something a little different than the usual or by adding some spice into their outfits, truth is, it was not always like that, and back in the ’90s, Dennis paved the way for athletes to do it today.
Dennis’ style
Known for his great rebound skills, the 63-year-old basketball player was the it-boy of the NBA, totally ahead of his time, Rodman used clothing, hairstyles and everything related to beauty and fashion to create statements and cause a commotion.
His hair back in the day used to tell stories. With eccentric dye-jobs, he explored his individuality through hairstyles full of personality and sense of design. In the playoffs of 95’, Dennis decided to bring attention to the AIDS issue, and what better way to do so than painting the red ribbon – symbol of the disease – on the back of his head?
Strong supporter of the LGBTQ community, Rodman certainly didn’t engage with the idea of gender in the fashion industry; his red carpet looks full of crop tops and gender-bending accessories can tell us how.
DENNIS’ legacy
A fan of drag and makeup, his androgynous style was truly ahead decades in advance, showing how fashion is cyclical and versatile. In 96’, after releasing his autobiography Bad as I wanna be, he declared to be a bisexual man and told the press that would soon be marrying a beautiful, intelligent woman. On the next day, he appeared on the streets of New York dressed as a bride, claiming he was marrying himself.
It is right to say that he changed the way sports and fashion are related now, but not only in real life, but in literature too! The 90s manga, Slam Dunk, has its plot centered on a team of young basketball players from Japan, who learn together how to be a team. The protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi, is heavily inspired by Dennis, both by amazing rebound skills and the iconic red hair, not to mention the attitude.
By creating these outfits and this whole persona, Rodman opened the doors of creativity and innovation, his twisted and weird way to change the pop culture is turning back more than ever and all we can say is that he is surely an inspiration.
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The article above was edited by Giulia Giampietro.
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