Noah Lyles is known for his blistering speed on the track, but off it, he’s making waves in a different arena: fashion. The Olympic gold medalist and world champion sprinter has become as recognizable for his bold style choices as for his athletic prowess.
In the recent Everybody Wants To Be Us Apple Podcast, Lyles delved into the roots of his passion for fashion. When Ben Gallaga asked “Where did your love for fashion come from?” the 100-meter Olympic champion admitted he was initially uninterested in it, focusing solely on his running career.
The athlete was focused on his running career, so whatever he found in his closet became his go-to outfit for the day. He recounted a turning point at 19 when he became professional and lived with his 18-year-old brother, Josephus.
To pass the time, they frequented the Florida Mall or the Millenia Mall, which exposed him to high-end fashion brands. He mentioned that malls used to have two sections: one for common stores like H&M and Music Express, and the other for high-end brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.
While Lyles was not a fashion fanatic at the time, he remembered being shocked by luxury brand prices:
“It was very intimidating, and then we walked into a store, and I remember going up and I’m like, ‘What is a casual black tee cost?’ …$200! Not touching that.”
Lyles vowed never to spend that much on clothing; however, eight years later, his closet is now filled with expensive and fashionable apparel.
Later, the athlete expressed that as an artist, he viewed clothes as a form of art itself. This perspective granted him more freedom to publicly express himself, ultimately shaping him into the fashion enthusiast that the world recognizes today.
The podcast’s host agreed with Lyles, describing the athlete as the “Lewis Hamilton of track and field,” referring to the F1 driver’s fashion-forward style.
He was also intrigued by a question about whether Lyles simply enjoyed fashion or did it for brand purposes, to which the athlete responded, by saying:
“It is a love for fashion, and then I turned it into a brand, and marketing thing. I would do this regardless.”
Lyles also saw his fashion choices as a way to engage fans and showcase his personality beyond his athletic abilities. He believes this approach increases interest in track and field, allowing supporters to know more about athletes as individuals.
