The athlete tunnel walk has undoubtedly become the new catwalk. With football royalty, sports fashion icon, and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs as its top model, watching from the sidelines has never felt so chic.

VMAN: What was your relationship with style growing up? 

Stefon Diggs: I’m from the DMV, where we’re known for having unique style, being a little different, and dressing how we want. That kind of shaped me. My mom has a picture of me wearing cowboy boots in the summertime, just because I loved cowboy boots at that time. And it’s not that my parents let me wear whatever I wanted, but they were able to balance out being yourself with being presentable. 

VMAN: Any athletes you idolized when you were younger?

SD: I’m a lover of all sports, it’s something I attached to early. One of my big influences growing up was [basketball player] Allen Iverson. He was one of the few who spearheaded just being yourself. They even made rules in the NBA because of him, they made guys wear suits and be more presentable because he was always wearing baggy clothes and dressing more comfortably. From a young age, you learn that being yourself will get you the furthest, so some of the guys I idolized weren’t just because of their profession or on-field performance, but their influences off the field, too.

VMAN: Is there a certain sport you find particularly stylish?

SD: The most stylish sports, in my opinion, are soccer—the real fútbol—and the WNBA. In the WNBA, there’s great range. You can wear anything from dresses to letterman jackets, it’s very versatile. And soccer, you’re kind of born into it over there. The countries where soccer is most popular, they have great jackets, great coats, great shoes… It’s a little bit like cheating because if you’re already in Paris and Milan, you’re where the best clothing is, so you already have a leg up. I joke that I chose the wrong football sometimes.

VMAN: Does style play a role on the field? How?

SD: Not so much when you’re in the action. I try not to get blinded by style when I’m dealing with the things that matter most to me. When it’s all ball, I’m all ball. But I am damn sure paying attention to what I’m wearing walking into the game. Whether I have a sleeve or armbands, or how I wear my socks that day—oh, I’m all over it prior to the whistle, but when that whistle blows, I’m all ball. I have to look the part, if I don’t wear what I like, I’m gonna be a little off. I think style is just like the weather. You know if you’re going out on a sunny day, you’re guaranteed a good day. With my style, if I have on the right gear, I can guarantee myself a good day. I can’t lose.

VMAN: What’s your go-to piece?

SD: I’m a big jacket guy. I love layering, I love jackets, if I have the right jacket on, I’m going to win the day. I’ve never been a big shoe guy—even though I have a lot of shoes—I like to mute them, so I can pay more attention to what I’m wearing. Jackets are about craftsmanship for me. How much time and effort was put into the jacket really matters to me. I’m also a texture guy, I like to feel something that goes with my mood and my approach to the day. If I can wake up and something feels good to put on and it puts me in a good space energy-wise, I’m gonna wear it. It could be raining or hot outside, and I’ll still have on leather. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about how I feel that day. I can recognize clothes that were poorly made real fast. When I’m into something, I’m like, “Okay, they took their time on this. This is something that shall be appreciated.”

VMAN: Basic question but what’s in your bag? (And what’s your bag of choice?)

SD: Definitely, the Birkin. I’m a huge Hermes fan. I have multiple Birkins, I even have women’s Birkins that I have just because I think they should be appreciated. Since I’m a huge Birkin guy, I call myself a B-boy. It’s the most useful bag for me, too, because I actually use it all the time. In my bag, I usually have some headphones in case I don’t want to be talked to, snacks in case anyone gets hungry, and hand sanitizer because cleanliness is close to godliness. And if I’m traveling, I have a blanket in my bag. Can’t forget the blanket. 

VMAN: What’s your beauty routine? 

SD: I get facials, but not so much in the season because I have my head in a helmet and am sweating a lot. But, I try to keep it real simple. I use face pads to scrub my face, a black mask to pull out the dead skin, and a light wash and moisturizer. Being a man, we’re a little bit fortunate in this area. Women take such good care of their faces, and we can get away with doing not much. But I can, at least, claim the foundational pieces.

This story appears in the pages of VMAN 52: now available for purchase!

Photography Jonas Unger

Fashion Michael Philouze

Interview/Editor Savannah Sobrevilla 

Grooming Muhammad Muid

Executive producer Dana Brockman (viewFinders)

Producer Frank DeCaro (viewFinders)

Digital technician Alastai Casey

Photo assistants Shadi Best, Milos Janjusevic

Stylist assistants Peter Hallberg, Louis Guillemain

Production assistant Kelsey Healey

Location Pier59 Studios