Kevin Love is a celebrity triple threat. He's an athlete (Cleveland Cavaliers). He's fashionable. And he has a jawline so obnoxiously chiseled (we say this with love) that he could skip over all of it and be a model instead. In his work with Banana Republic, he uses a bit of everything. He's been the spokesperson for three years, modeling in the brand's campaigns and using his athletic finesse to emphasize the comfort and performance aspects of the clothes. And this fall, that partnership is going to get even deeper. Love is launching his first capsule collection with the brand, BR/K.LOVE-18. We talked to the Cavs star to find out how it all came together.

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He created a style scrapbook to kick things off.

Creating a capsule collection was really organic and exciting. It was the next step in the evolution of our partnership. One of the things I did was put together an extensive book of magazine clippings, trends, editorial shots, and styles we liked. It got us all on the same page as to what we envisioned for the whole collection. It was something new and fresh and different.

He looked back for inspiration.

There was a time when I raided the BR vintage closet, which let me explore what I wanted to recreate. There were a bunch of products that stood out for me: different denims and leathers, specifically. There was a great dark, rich, brown leather with really beautiful buffalo plaid in there. That was one of the things that really stuck out to me, and I really wanted to include something like that in my collection.

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He loves layers.

I watched guys in different sports and different entertainers work with different brands that embodied what they were about. For me, [fashion] was something that I always wanted to do it, but I’m not sure I ever saw myself doing it with a brand that made so much sense. It was a hell of a challenge for me. The fact that it is fall it is really me, too. I've always loved the colors of fall, and the way that you dress—the leaves changing, the layering, it getting cooler out. It being fall was also a big thing for me.

He respects the power of the concrete runway.

In the past decade or so, basketball players and athletes have been able to express themselves in all new ways outside of sports, whether that's business, social media, fashion, etc. And for basketball, we come to games through the tunnel, which essentially functions as a runway. Whatever you're wearing might end up on social platforms, so you want to make sure it looks good. On the Cavaliers, we’re all pretty different in how we dress, but that’s part of what makes our team our team. We're not exactly shy, not afraid to express ourselves—it's what makes us the Cavs. That transcends the court.

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He'd take fashion advice from LeBron.

His style is so classic, and he’s been around the game for so long. He’s not afraid to make a statement. But he’s always—top to bottom—always dapper. He brings it on the court on a nightly basis, and he brings it in the way he dresses. He’s a pro on and off the court.



He wants to continue evolving in the fashion world.

I've learned so much, working with Banana Republic. Whether it’s been the capsule collection or collaborating on photoshoots, it’s always felt new and fresh. I think that’s what’s made it so fun. It's a true partnership at the end of the day. This capsule is just something different for me. It felt like the next step in the evolution. And I’m excited.



Christine Flammia Christine Flammia writes about style, grooming, and more; she is the former associate style editor of Esquire and is currently pursuing a PhD in communications at Columbia.

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