Who Decides War Sent Justin Jefferson to the Met Gala Looking Like No One Else
Justin Jefferson’s reputation precedes him. When I texted a few friends the news that I was interviewing him for this year’s Met Gala, the response was uniformly: “He’s so fucking good at football.” That’s true; the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver is a prolific yard gainer, one of the best in the NFL. But he’s also deep in the fashion world.
Jefferson has walked for Vogue World in Paris and in a Thom Browne runway show. And when we met up at The Mark Hotel on Monday afternoon, his Who Decides War look was front and center.
“I really feel like it’s on whoever’s looking at the piece,” Jefferson said of his longline suit by Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore. “For them to feel some type of way about it. For me, I was drawn to the uniqueness. I’m into stuff that’s different than what I’m accustomed to. And I’ve known the Who Decides War team for a while so it has been about building a relationship, too.” He started that relationship not as a celebrity giftee, but as a paying client.
Jefferson’s outfit consisted of a deconstructed suit featuring exposed layers at the shoulders that showcased appliquéd church window patterns up the sleeves and at the shoulder-blades (a signature of WDW’s). That same clerical structure appeared on his tie in black and white. He wore patent leather Louboutins and diamonds from Lakeside, a jeweler in Minneapolis.
When asked how he’d describe his way of dressing, Jefferson says, “Eye-opening. Part of it is sparkly, for the diamonds. But yeah, it’s always singular. Different than what everybody else is wearing.” Jefferson says he’s planning on bringing in a suiting element to his tunnel fits once the NFL season starts up again in September. For a while, the overarching look has been casual; he wants to strike a balance between formal and informal.
Who Decides War may be an ideal fit.
“I want to be a confidence booster, like how I feel right now,” he says. “I want to wear what everybody wants to wear, before they know it.”
