Kobe Bryant is only six wins away from reaching the NBA Finals again, but his domination on the basketball court has taken a backseat to his risqué fashion spread in the L.A. Times Magazine.
Stylist James Valeri recently explained his vision for the photo shoot and suggested that he was inspired by Tupac Shakur.
“I didn’t want to use accessories that would look too retro,” Valeri says. “[I thought] let’s do it in a cool, young way because that’s what Kobe is. He’s a cool, young and successful athlete. I wanted to give a modern approach. I was thinking of [rapper] Tupac [Shakur] [when] I put a band underneath … the hat to make it look hip-hop [to create] a surreal [and] strong image. It was something that hasn’t been done before. It’s mixing the inspiration of Tupac and a gentleman with a white hat … a mix of a hip-hop and a conservative look.”
Did Valeri achieve his desired look, or is he out of touch with hip-hop culture? –a.r.