By the start of the 2015 NFL season, Russell Wilson had it all: a Super Bowl championship, an $87.6 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, and a new relationship with Ciara. One thing he didn’t have: a smart wardrobe worthy for a woman he says was “out of my league.”
But Ciara is a woman of many talents—an astute stylist among them—and quickly took the star quarterback’s outfits to the next level.
“She threw out my cargo shorts,” Wilson tells Men’s Health with a hearty laugh. “Ciara has a great eye. She’ll give me the wink like, ‘That’s the one,’ or she’ll tell me, ‘Uhhh … I’m not sure about that one.’ She’s a fashion queen.”
That’s when Wilson’s style went from beach boy to businessman. Out went the Hawaiian T-shirts, and in came sharp tailored suits, clean sneakers, and slim-fit dress shirts. His greatest fashion choice? Co-founding the Good Man Brand, a collection of sensible, sustainable menswear basics that are easy to mix and match.
Since launching in 2015, his style upstart has amassed a steady following of millennial professionals who want to look good without much fuss. And now the label is expanding into swimwear with the release of its Havana Swim Trunk, which was inspired by a vacation with (who else?) Ciara.
The Denver Broncos’ new quarterback talked with Men’s Health about his latest fashion collection, and how he and his wife work together to make the Good Man Brand what it is today.
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What inspired you to create the Good Man Brand?
I love hoops and think about men’s fashion in basketball terms. We have the three-point range where we could dress up in a suit and tie. Then there’s the layup line where we can wear the Nike shorts, Nike T-shirt, and Nike shoes. But every great shooter has a midrange game. That was the philosophy behind Good Man Brand’s style. I was thinking a European feel and look—clean and easy to move in.
We just built an amazing line of comfort style—modern, sexy, and chic—but also for that everyday man who wants to be movable. The thought process was to be an aspirational brand for the guy who’s been super successful, the guy who is going to his first interview, or a guy like myself, who was trying to date a girl out way out of my league. I had to level up a little bit (laughs).
Talk to us about your new swimwear collection. What was the inspiration behind it?
We were doing so well with everyday clothes. We found part of the everyday space now is for a guy who goes to Vegas and wants to hop in the pool, then go to a good lunch at a nice restaurant. Ciara and I went to Italy last year and were inspired by the European feel I mentioned earlier. There you’ll see people go hopping in Lake Como, and next thing you know, they’re sitting in an Italian restaurant an hour later wearing buttoned-down shirts with swim trunks. So that was the thought: be able to be versatile.
How hands-on were you with this new swimwear line? What about this is uniquely Russell Wilson?
The unique part of it is the authenticity of how Ciara and I are on a daily basis. It’s what we actually do and wear daily. Second, from the design perspective, I let the team do the initial part of it say, ‘Hey, I want you guys to research what’s been successful.’ You give that empowerment to the team to really create. Once they have all those looks together, Ciara and I dive into what we like, love, and feel about it. I’m excited about the swim trunks too. Ciara and I are heavily involved in all of it. Once we get the materials, that’s when C and I get our hands on them and explain what we love and think of it all.
Good Man Brand donates 3% of sales to your charitable foundation, Why Not You Foundation. So what does Good Man Brand say about what it means to be a man in 2022?
A good man, number one, he loves; number two, he respects; number three, he cares. And that’s where the love, respect, and care really come from in The House of LR&C [which owns Goodman Brand]. It also stands for ‘Love, Russell, and Ciara,’ but it really stands for ‘love, respect, and care.’ When a man loves, respects, and cares, he serves. How we do that consistently is by donating and making a difference. I run a youth foundation. We donate 3% of the net revenue of every item that’s purchased to the Why Not You Foundation. Our mission is to empower today’s youth. We want them to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Have you ever gifted any of your Good Man Brand clothes to your former teammates? Have they given you any reviews?
Oh, man. They love them. They rock ’em all the time. The coaches love them, too. Coach Matt LaFleur got to see my Good Man Brand shoes at the Pro Bowl and was like, ‘Man, I need some of those,’ so I sent him some shoes and some gear. He hit me up the other day saying how much he loves it all.
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