When Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his All-Star Game red carpet debut Tuesday, stylist Whitney Etoroma expects the Dodgers’ pitcher to shine just as much as he does on the mound.
“I think it will be a moment,” she told The Associated Press.
The pair are making a final decision on what he’ll wear, but Etoroma is pushing for a Thom Browne runway look that will “push the envelope.”
As part of a program created in 2019, MLB provided stylists for the red carpet to Yamamoto, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal and Cubs’ outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong as baseball aims to raise its fashion profile and highlight the style of some of its biggest stars.
Yamamoto won’t pitch in the All-Star Game after throwing seven scoreless innings for the Dodgers on Sunday but will participate in the festivities leading up to it. He’s in his second season in the majors after signing a 12-year, $325 million contract following a seven-year career with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.
Etoroma, who has styled scores of professional athletes, said designers have been particularly interested in Yamamoto, which she believes is because of his cool look and international appeal.
“I’m excited because fashion actually really cares about Yoshi, which is kind of a rarity,” she said. “I will say with other players in the past, they haven’t been as excited, but with Yoshi, it’s something special, something different.”
Though she has 15 different looks for Yamamoto to choose from, she’s hoping to steer him to the Thom Browne look because of the exclusivity of the brand.
“I’ve been like look, this is gonna be incredible,” she said she told him. “If you do Thom Browne, game over, that’s actually a huge level up in fashion. They don’t say yes to anybody. It has to be a very specific person and so hopefully we do that. But I’m not gonna push too much (and) if not I’m happy to go with the classic look.”
Whatever suit he chooses, it will be accessorized with David Yurman jewelry.
Wearing a visionary designer like Thom Browne might be a bit much for Yamamoto, who calls Nike his favorite designer.
“Being honest, I’m not that into fashion, but I appreciate (being called stylish),” he said in Japanese through a translator Monday.
He did say that he’s looking forward to the red carpet, but wouldn’t give any hints as to what he’s leaning toward wearing for the event.
“That’s a secret, I’m not telling,” he said.
Melanie Boppel, who recently styled Jalen Hurts and his wife Bryonna for the Met Gala, is dressing both Raleigh and Skubal for this year’s red carpet.
Skubal, a two-time All-Star who is starting for the American League on Tuesday night, has been working with Boppel to curate a look that will make him feel confident on the red carpet.
“What’s going to be really important are accessories,” she said. “He really wants to tie in Detroit, since that’s the team he plays for and he also wants to tie in the city of Atlanta since the All-Star game will be taking place in Atlanta. So, I hope to bring out those two ideas he has through accessories. We’ll see how that pans out. It might be through his wardrobe as well.”
Boppel hopes the momentum gained from Tuesday’s red carpet style will trickle down to create more interest among fans in what they’re wearing all season like there is for basketball and football.
“The day of the red carpet, there is a lot of focus on the athletes, but it’s just the longevity of style being at the forefront of the players throughout the rest of the season that’s the hard part,” she said. “There’s so many games, they’re traveling so it’s just hard to continue that. But they do get a lot of recognition for the red carpet and All-Star and that whole weekend and I hope at some point it does continue to stick and there is consistency there.”
Raleigh, who leads the majors with a career-high 38 home runs, describes his style as “very bland,” and added: “I’m not the style guy.”
But he is looking forward to sprucing up Tuesday night.
“I like looking good,” he said at All-Star media day. “I think everybody does, right? You want to look good. Especially on the red carpet. I like looking professional and putting together a good fit.”
The catcher said working with a stylist for the event has been great for him.
“I don’t love shopping too much, so it’s nice having somebody that can just throw something on, and I just can pick it and it’s easy,” he said.
And for someone who earned the nickname “Big Dumper” for his generous backside, there’s one must-have for him when it comes to clothes.
“As long as it stretches, I like it,” he said.
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