Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins stepped off the football field and into the fashion arena with Monday’s launch of his NUK Designs & Apparel.
Fans flocked to NRG Stadium for the unveiling of the new clothing line, designed by the 23-year-old pro athlete with a penchant for manbags and little Yorkies.
Hopkins began work on the project in April, teaming up with New Era and Majestic Threads on the lineup of shirts and caps for men and women, available at the Go Texan Store at NRG Stadium only. He named the brand NUK because it's his nickname, derived from his preferred brand of pacifiers as a baby.
The collection includes T-shirts geared towards the team’s Hispanic fan base and emblazoned with the term, Somos Texans (Spanish for "We Are Texans"), and tees adorned with the term “H-Tine” (slang for H-Town).
One of the dressier items is a long-sleeved denim button-down shirt with the Houston Texans logo on the front pocket that retails for $54. “I wanted something you can wear every day, not just to a Houston Texans game. You can wear this to church," Hopkins told the crowd.
A limited edition dark blue baseball cap with a textured gold Texans logo, retailing for just under $45, was the big hit of the night. “It stands out. You can see it from miles away,” Hopkins said.
But it's a turquoise-hued T-shirt ($45) that's Hopkins' personal favorite. “People don’t always want to wear red, blue and white (the Texans' team colors)," he explained. "I like it because it’s different.”
This is the second player-inspired apparel line from the Houston Texans. The first was by cornerback Kareem Jackson last year.
Taking it all in, Hopkins told CultureMap, “I’m a kid from South Carolina – seeing all my stuff up here is a good feeling. The Texans gave me the opportunity... I think it turned it out well.”
As for his future in the fashion world, Hopkins noted, “Who knows? Maybe one day when I’m done playing football."
One of the dressier items is a long-sleeved denim button-down shirt with a Texans logo on the front pocket.
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