You expect a basketball player to come with a white button-down, Balmain jeans, and Balenciagas. You expect that. But when I come with an extended button-down, camos, no socks, Louboutins that have spikes on them, and a bow tie with diamonds, you'll be like, "What? Who dressed him?"
Iman ShumpertI designed it, the tailors wanted the kilt as a high joint but I wanted mine low like a Jedi.
Iman ShumpertI respect them [Amar Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade], but would I dress like them? No.
Iman Shumpert[Tyson Chandler] doesn't listen to people either. He does whatever he feels like and people will be like, "Who dressed you?"
Iman ShumpertYou're not going to find me in something someone else is wearing. Unless, of course, he's a very swaggy individual.
Iman ShumpertIf you grew up watching 'Star Wars' you're like, wow, look at Darth Maul, he has that outfit. And that lightsaber. And he's jumping. When I see stuff, rarely do I forget. And that's what I always wanted to wear.
Iman ShumpertI always knew what I wanted to dress like but that's when I became really passionate about it. We'd be in class and Google outfits or I'd doodle what I wanted.
Iman ShumpertI remember watching Mike [Michael Jordan]. I remember him having a royal blue blazer and all black t-shirt and he came out of a blue Corvette. That was dope to us. We were like, 'Yo, Michael killed today.' He didn't even talk to the media and walked straight into the arena. Everyday's like Mike.
Iman ShumpertThere's a lot of guys in the NBA that would hire stylists because they know they don't have their own sense of style and they need a little guidance.
Iman ShumpertI'm not trying to plant the seed that I'm the most fashionable NBA guy - of course, I think that in my own mind.
Iman ShumpertI asked Tyson Chandler who has to customize everything because he's 7-foot-1. He's said, always call a designer. You want to wear certain stuff but people don't make it.
Iman ShumpertI started dressing and people used to ask, "Where do you get all that stuff?" I was going to thrift stores with my best friend Bianca Stewart.
Iman ShumpertI don't have a stylist. That, in a way, is cheating. Put five players in a thrift store and see who has the best style in the end, and then you'll see who has real style.
Iman ShumpertI was growing, so I had to scrunch my feet up. Now people are like: "Why do you have so many shoes." I jump at the fact that I can wear something new everyday.
Iman ShumpertI would have people send me shoes and I had 40 pairs and none would fit in the dorm room. People would come by and be like, "Yo, I've been looking for these shoes." I was like, "I'll sell them to you for $300 right now." I'd sell them, save up $4,000 to $5,000, go to the mall and just buy a bunch of new stuff.
Iman ShumpertI like when people do cool stuff that might be a little off-the-wall to anybody else, but they found a way to make it work for that day. I wouldn't recommend that people wear it every day like that, but if you every once in a while just spice it up, I like that. I dare to be different.
Iman ShumpertI would like to walk in a room and people know who I am and be like, "Oh, I respect his opinion."
Iman ShumpertThat's kind of the mystique If you [post your outfit] on Instagram all of the time, I'm going to see a bunch of people walking around looking like Shump.
Iman ShumpertBut the judge would have to be people in the fashion world and a bunch of random girls. Because guys in the league aren't trying to impress guys in the league. They're trying to impress people who have clout in the fashion world and women.
Iman ShumpertWhen we were growing up we only got two pairs of shoes every year. With me, I was lucky because I got three pairs of shoes, the third were basketball shoes: Black Air Force Ones, White Air Force Ones, and boots for the winter.
Iman ShumpertA lot of times I just feel like this is not a special day, these are just clothes that I bought.
Iman ShumpertSometimes you give a person everything. You give them all of you. You give them everything you got, and they just don't want it, or that ain't your match. So now the next person, maybe that's really something special, but you not even acting like yourself.
Iman ShumpertI'm super reserved in letting people in my house. A lot of guys don't trust anybody in their homes but they would trust somebody like me because I've been there.
Iman ShumpertI don't want to see anyone else looking like me.That'd be my nightmare. Though if I saw someone wearing what I did, I would know he was swaggy.
Iman Shumpert[ Stylists] are putting you in a style that most people are in because it's the trend. So you might have on the same outfit as everyone else.
Iman ShumpertI'll show up at Fashion Week with a mink on with a lion head biting my shoulder. I would love that. Oh my God, with a jaguar tail on my shoes. Something crazy.
Iman ShumpertIt doesn't matter because I want to be that guy who you never know what I'm going to wear.
Iman ShumpertWhen I started in the league, I went to a tailor and told him I wanted long t-shirts. But they were like, "You know, you don't know what the trend is." I was like, "Look dog, I don't care about trends or your fashion sense. If I'm going to pay you money, this is where the shirt is going to end."
Iman ShumpertThe difference between me and other athletes is that I'm speaking on things that I go through that I know other people go through. I think a lot of times the mistake in music if you're broke, rap about being broke, if you're sensitive, rap about being sensitive, 'cause there are other sensitive people. If you're sensitive but you talk about being a tough person that doesn't care about anything, people will call your bluff.
Iman ShumpertI mean, shout out to the people that get dressed everyday and want to take that picture everyday. I would much rather post pictures of [my girlfriend] than of myself.
Iman ShumpertTyson [Chandler] encouraged me and was like, if that's what you want to wear, wear that.
Iman ShumpertBy the time I got to the league I knew the cameras were going to be there and to turn it on.
Iman ShumpertEveryday has to be different for me. Even if people are like, "You dressed up like a character today, it's not Halloween."
Iman Shumpert