The ethos behind Stefon Diggs’ new fashion label is simple: to live in every moment, a mantra that when acronymized also forms the brand's official name Liem.
Diggs, a NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, has become just as synonymous for leaving defenders for dead as he has for his off-pitch style in recent years, with a string of well-dressed, high-profile appearances to his name.
Last year he was spotted attending a number of major fashion week shows clad in high-end looks from brands like Rick Owens, Givenchy, and Balenciaga.
Then there was 2023’s Met Gala, where Diggs donned a classic tweed suit by Tommy Hilfiger to great effect.
So the fact that Diggs is now taking the NFL off-season to turn his stylistic energy into his own brand — a label the 30-year-old describes as his “place for creative freedom” — shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“I want to share my everyday wears and staple pieces in my wardrobe with the world,” he tells Highsnobiety. “I feel like being fashionable is a way of life for me, but it’s also important to feel comfortable.”
Though the reveal of Diggs’ Liem brand might feel like it’s come out of nowhere, it’s actually been a longtime coming. But after “a lot of research and development” (three-years to be precise), Diggs feels now is the right moment to share Liem with the world.
“I wanted to dive head first into launching my brand during my off season so I could apply a different level of focus and attention,” he says. “I’ve been working with one person very closely on everything front to back. It just felt right to share everything we’ve been working on with the world.”
Despite Diggs’ background as an athlete, sport plays little-to-no part in the inspiration behind Liem.
Instead Diggs draws creativity from the shapes, colors, and environments that surround him on a daily basis. And while this could well read as a stock answer from the 30-year-old athlete-cum-designer, when Diggs elaborates, its sentiment certainly rings true.
“My design process is pretty spontaneous but also never really stops, I’m constantly writing things down and talking through new ideas,” he says. “The long term vision is to keep creating things that are authentic to myself and Liem as we grow into something that will live beyond me. Create, create, create!”
One thing you can always guarantee of Diggs is passion. Whether that’s on pitch for the Bills or designing for Liem, everything Diggs turns his hands to has a purpose and a goal.
“I want to see everyone wearing my clothes, people who have an appreciation for detail, who like to take risks, big or small,” he says.
“With this first collection specifically, I’d like to see people who like to travel, and let travel inspire the way they dress, that could be to another neighborhood in your city or a country on the other side of the world.”
Though the collection itself won't be fully unveiled until its release on March 5, Diggs cites the “Running Errands Jacket” as the capsule’s stand-out garment, a piece similar to the unreleased Kirby set Diggs was spotted wearing earlier this year.
“It's the same construction [as the Kirby set], just a different fabric, that one’s definitely going to be a staple,” he says. “It has a lot of detail and is very uniquely constructed so I think it offers a good representation of Liem garments.”
Of course, Diggs isn’t the first major sports star to have started his own fashion line, and he certainly won’t be the last.
Yet, when the creative brains behind any new brand holds as much stylish clout as Diggs does, the result itself just hits different. Which is certainly the case with Liem.
