“Last season, the Cleveland Browns were in town, so I basically shut down Rodeo Drive [for] private shopping experiences with the team, going from store to store,” Smith offers as an example of his previous work with the NFL. Another? His assistance in coordinating running back Saquon Barkley’s runway debut at the fall 2024 Hermès show in New York. Last month, Smith joined the NFL full-time as fashion editor.
“Kyle has been a big part of our team, and we’re thrilled to appoint him as the NFL’s fashion editor, a first-of-its-kind role for us at the league,” Ian Trombetta, NFL senior vice president of social, influencer, and content marketing shared with Vogue in an email. “Kyle’s appointment underscores our larger marketing focus to modernize and lean into passion points of youth audiences, with fashion playing a huge role in this effort and how we stay at the forefront of culture.” The appointment, Trombetta says, adds to the league’s “helmets off strategy,” which aims to highlight causes players care about and their hobbies, as well as what they like to wear. “We provide a platform for them and help to build their respective brand identities.”
In his new role, and based in L.A., Smith helps run the official NFL Instagram, NFL Style, captures and coordinates getting ready content in players’ homes, and works with agents to help forge and manage relationships between athletes and various fashion houses. “Some days I’m in the office, some days it’s me just meeting with a player individually, talking to them about their personal life experiences and how they can tell that story through their clothing,” Smith says. “Something I always ask them is what was the first concert they attended, and do they have a T-shirt of that band or singer. Your favorite band on your T-shirt is such a digestible way [for] a fan to connect to you.”
