Meet the Stylist Who Turned Knicks Guard Tyler Kolek Into a Tunnel-Fit Star

Yeah, I feel like you guys have really been showing up. And it’s clear people on social media are picking up on it.

I mean, I think you know it’s very easy to stand out when I feel like 90% or 80% of athletes do kind of the same thing, like they all got the same mood board. With Tyler and I, my whole thing about it is to just never follow a trend, just go with what you like, and stay true to yourself.

You mention you think most athletes aren’t really pushing the envelope, style-wise. Is there anyone other than Tyler who you feel is doing something interesting with their clothes?

I think Victor [Wembanyama] on the Spurs has one of the best styles in the NBA, in my opinion. His stylist is doing a great job. I would say Victor’s top five in the NBA. His style is very European, and I’m also French-Caribbean, so it’s very tasteful, it’s not doing too much, and it stayed true to his identity. That’s kind of what I was trying to tell Tyler: You just got to stay true to your identity and not try to follow trends.

I think with Tyler, he might not be a superstar yet, but when it comes to a style [that is] timeless, he has the best style on his team, in my opinion, because it’s something that won’t ever be played out. It’ll always be something that was original and simple. Of course, he’s not the superstar on the team, so when the Knicks are posting the tunnel walk photos on Instagram, he’s sometimes not in the dump. But I told him he doesn’t have to focus on that ever, because people like you, who work for GQ, understand taste versus status. You know what I mean—it’s not about status, because the guy that’s not a famous rapper, who’s an up-and-coming artist, can have better style than the biggest famous rapper in the world.

And often do.

They always say money cannot buy taste. I don’t care if you have $14 billion. Taste is something that’s in you, not on you.

I like that: “In you, not on you.”

Yeah. And once Tyler and I work more together, I think eyes will be on him. And to be honest with you, I was thinking of putting him—my collection doesn’t come out ’til September for Fashion Week‚ but I think Game 5 I might play him in a full Olivier Rogers look for my latest collection.

He’s like one of your muses.

Yeah, pretty much. And now, depending on the season, Tyler may go to Paris for men’s Fashion Week. I had plans of him going to the Comme des Garçons [and] Junya Watanabe shows with me this summer, and just have him out there for his first Fashion Week. I know he wanted to potentially walk for some shows like Louis Vuitton and Junya [Watanabe], but we’re just going with the flow and seeing what happens from here. But first, hopefully he can bring a trophy back to New York City.

Let’s hope so. Speaking of: Tyler seems to have developed a bit of a bond with Knicks superfan Timothée Chalamet at recent games. Does that feel like a natural pairing to you?

Yeah, I think it’s a good duo. Tyler has his own aura to him—he’s a very nice guy, and he’s funny. He’s like a troll in a way, and I think it gives him a bit of more character. Like when he did the People Gallery video, and he started rapping the lyrics, we kind of were looking at him like, “Oh, this guy’s crazy,” you know. But in a good way.