Dwyane Wade has once again left the world speechless. The former Miami Heat star is starting to make a name for himself as a model, working with known brands. Although it may come off as a shocking move to many, mainly because of how we don’t see many NBA icons as models, Wade didn’t back down from the opportunity.

He collaborated with the world-known luxury brand Versace for an underwear campaign. Wade has been working with the Italian brand for a while now, previously posing for them in January 2024. He has always been a personality to voice his opinions and views without fear of the backlash he may receive. Interestingly, he recently mentioned that working with a brand for an underwear campaign was his longtime dream.

“A little Photoshop always helps (*laughs*) You know, I’m in a certain place in my life. I’m 42 years old, and anybody who knows me knows that this has been one of those bucket list [accomplishments.] I’ve always wanted to do an underwear campaign,” Wade said, via V Magazine. When asked about his appearance, he admitted that the craft of editing certainly enhanced the final output, leaving no secrets.

“It goes back to one of my first [few shoots]—[my team and I] did this underwear shoot because we were trying to go out to different [brands], like Calvin Klein or others, trying to show them how I look in underwear,” Wade added.

The 3x NBA champion also mentioned that he and his team have been trying to get him into the underwear modeling world for a while now. That also includes trying to collaborate with esteemed brands and convincing them that he has what it takes. However, it looks like Versace was the only one to agree to it, and recently launched the campaign in mid-June. Now that Wade has worked with the brand, let’s look at his terms with the Italian fashion designer.

Dwyane Wade’s relationship with Donatella Versace

During the latest interview, ‘D-Wade’ also spoke about his friendship with the brand’s creative designer Donatella Versace while reflecting on the first time he met her. “Actually, the first time I met her was in 2011. It was after [Miami Heat] lost in the NBA finals to Dallas. I’m sorry I had to bring that up (*laughs*) but that’s just a reference point. And a week later, I had this big plan to go over to Italy for fashion week. I wanted to be one of the first athletes to go over to attend the runway shows,” he said.

The 42-year-old also mentioned that his stylist was forced to write letters to the brands justifying his identity so that he could attend the fashion shows. It is a huge accomplishment for the former player to have become one of the first athletes to attend the runway shows. Despite the finals loss to the Mavericks, Wade found some positive in working with Donatella Versace, and a friendship that has lasted until now.

Wade has worked with Versace in the past, for its eyewear line. It started in 2023, and the most recent launch came in early 2024. In addition to that, he has also attended several Versace shows. It is interesting to see that Dwyane Wade has built a platform for himself off the court after his retirement, and his fans are here to witness where it takes him in the future.

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