- 5 weeks ago
American Fashion was built and stitched together from the labor and brilliance of black creativity. At Diallo, we're not just inspired by that history — we're designing from it. Legacy is our blueprint! Join us for a fireside conversation with our founders Tyrod Taylor and Dex Robinson as they breakdown how Diallo is reclaiming Iconic American Garments like denim and workwear and reimagining them through the lens of black storytelling. We'll explore how we're honoring our roots, elevating craftmanship, and using fashion as a tool for cultural leadership.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hey. Oh, so to start it off, my name is Corey Jarvis. I am the head of social here at Essence
00:06Ventures. Oh, thank you, Kevin. I appreciate that. All right. It seems like a lot of people
00:11was out late last night. I know Lauryn Hill went on at two o'clock, so we appreciate y'all
00:15for vibing with us today. But we got a great conversation here, and I want to welcome to
00:20the stage Tyrod Taylor and Dex Robinson, the founders of Diallo. Give it up for them. Give
00:28it up for them, y'all. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. So how do two black boys
00:46raised in Virginia start a clothing line that is going literally viral? How does that happen,
00:55and how does that bring you to the conversation and to the stage today? Yeah, I mean, so we
01:01have, what, like an over 10-year? That's probably about 14, 14 years rocking together. So we
01:09had a lot of, like, mutual connections. And so once I left college, a girl that I actually
01:16went to school with hit me and she's like, I want you to meet this person. Long story short,
01:21she ended up putting us in an email. And we connected. And then we just realized we had
01:26a lot of mutual people. His pop and my uncle used to run together back in the day. So we
01:31were already connected before we were connected and just kind of took that and built the stylish,
01:35stylist athlete component of our relationship. And Diallo just kind of naturally came about through
01:42years of just creating off-the-field looks. And we realized that, like, people really took to
01:53the things that how we showed up on Sunday. Like, they used it as a point of reference. You know,
01:58it was times where, like, yo, you don't miss. Like, you put so much into it. And then we had
02:03conversations and we just kind of felt like, you know what, yes, we're putting together these,
02:07uh, our point of view, but through other people's fashion. How about create our own? You know what
02:13I mean? Where it's like, we are speaking through not only the way we put it together, but the
02:18craftsmanship and just it in an organic way, but from in this, from its inception. So yeah,
02:25now, like you said, just us showing us or telling our story through different pieces. Um,
02:31like I said, obviously us having a Virginia background, but it's eventually figuring out how we
02:37could show up in a space that we both were passionate about. Um, Indiallo took a leg of his
02:43own, um, started off as a store, ended up centralizing around a clothing line, uh, speaking to lifestyle,
02:52but just showing up in different spaces and it reflected who we are as people.
02:57It's, it's been an amazing journey. And also, like, y'all, y'all really are a duo. Like,
03:03I know like Law has his Zendaya and like Dex has his Tyrod. Like y'all really are like Sunday,
03:09I appreciate that. I feel like tunnel looks, you know what I'm saying? Especially on Sundays,
03:14like I really do show up. So congrats to that for sure. So Tyrod, you've always been known for your
03:21off field style. How has your experience as an athlete shaped the way that you think about confidence,
03:26your fit and the functionality of men's fashion? Yeah, I think confidence, um, it's really what
03:32it's about as an athlete. First and foremost, um, you, you learn early that confidence is everything.
03:38Uh, and that's down to what you wear, um, how you feel, how you show up for yourself,
03:43your teammates. But I try to also translate that into my fashion as well too. Um, at the end of the day,
03:49I think you're going to feel comfortable, uh, with what you're confident with wearing. And I think
03:55for me, style is just another way to express myself. Um, people that know me know that I'm not very
04:02outspoken, but it's still ways to command the room and command, uh, and show your presence without
04:08being loud. You can do that through what you wear. And we try to do that as well with Diallo, um,
04:14giving a platform and a line that allows other men to also, um, speak for themselves and express
04:21themselves in different ways. Now, Dix, on to you. So your career as a stylist, like how did you get
04:29into this space? If you were to offer any advice for anybody to get into this styling space, because
04:34I know it's a unique and, uh, sometimes it feels like a difficult space to get into. So what tidbits
04:40would you give to folks that are out there looking to, you know, be where you are today?
04:45I would say be dream big. I think for me, uh, when I came in, people weren't, weren't as accessible
04:53as they are now. So you had to do a lot, go through a lot more channels and avenues to even
04:58get in contact with athletes. So are you telling people to DM you? No, don't do that. Not me.
05:05Don't DM me because you probably, I mean, yeah, don't DM me. But, um, I would say just reach big. I,
05:12it was times when I first started where I was sending like 50 to 60 DMs and maybe getting two
05:18responses. You keep on putting it out there. You keep on putting it out there. It's times where
05:23I put out those 50 and like five years later, when they actually see me, they're like, we connect.
05:30And then, you know, when you follow someone, now you see the messages. You're like, yo, bro,
05:33you hit me five years ago. I'm like, yeah, you know what I mean? It ended up paying off later
05:39because even like with a Jalen Hurts, I had messaged him when he first got in. He never said anything.
05:46Years later, him being a quarterback and Tyrod being a quarterback, he started to recognize Tyrod's style.
05:52He ended up going to message me, his own self. And he saw my message to him years before.
05:58And that is how we even connected through social media. But like him seeing a message that I sent
06:04way back was like, wow, that's crazy. Like, you know what I mean? So dream big, I would say be
06:10resilient and persistent and kind of be forward thinking. I think one thing that kind of helps me
06:15help you to have a client that you have over a decade is to be forward thinking. So thinking of
06:23stuff before they think of it. You know what I mean? If he, if he has to go somewhere, I'm trying to
06:28pack. I'm like, we need t-shirts. Like you're getting all the extra stuff because a lot of times,
06:34um, I feel like people just do the minimum. You know, nowadays is like, uh, styling has become so
06:40glamorized where people don't understand. There's a lot more work that goes into it. There's a lot
06:45of late conversations between us. Um, so yeah, I would just say be forward thinking and daring.
06:51Yeah. And also put your work out there, right? I think you just gave an example.
06:55Yeah. I mean, just keep putting up reps. It's like, you're not, not every time you're going to
07:01have a situation where you have like this top tier athlete, whatever it can be. But when you get an
07:05opportunity, go crazy. You know what I mean? Like, just keep putting it out. The better you get,
07:10get better at dressing, the more fits you get off. You realize this don't go with this or that.
07:15If you only putting together outfits once a week or to go out, you got play clothes and go out clothes,
07:21that ain't going to work. You need to get dressed every day.
07:23Yeah. Get dressed every day.
07:25Facts. Get dressed every day.
07:26Get dressed every day. We'll take that from there for sure. All right. So outside of that,
07:31uh, workwear and denim have deep roots in black labor and legacy. How did you approach reimagining these
07:37garments? Yeah, I would say as far as workwear and denim, um, for us is about the respect and the
07:45intention. Um, obviously honoring, uh, our black legacy, uh, the resilience of black labor, um,
07:54the creativity within it, but just showing up in a way that's, that's not only rooted, but also
08:00forward. Um, like you said, you try to be ahead of the game. Um, not necessarily reimagining,
08:05but showing up how we would show up and honoring our culture in a way to do so.
08:11Yeah, I agree with that for sure. Um, like you said, not necessarily reimagining, but it's like
08:18in a way it is reimagining because sometimes I feel like from a luxury standpoint, these brands aren't
08:24really looking to our DNA to push any narrative that unless it's like from a public standpoint and
08:31they're using it for a fashion show or something like that, they're not, it's not rooted when it
08:36comes to like the design intention, they're really just using it to, you know, uh, milk what we,
08:44what we built, you know what I'm saying? And it's honoring where we came from. Like I said,
08:48both of us raised in Virginia. Um, I mean, my granddaddy owned car shop. I'm pretty sure your family
08:53like come from humble beginnings, blue collar jobs. So it's like, we seen that. How can we repurpose
09:02it and make it more, uh, us show up as us within our luxury, uh, in a luxury field?
09:12Yeah. Well, I mean, I think we were at the basketball game on Thursday and I don't think
09:17I saw so many crop top jerseys, uh, going out from there. I own some myself as well too. So from that,
09:24where do you guys draw inspiration from and how do you translate that into design?
09:29I mean, I draw inspiration literally from anything. I could be at a dinner table and the way a chef
09:35plated the food, you know, when you see the greens and you see the browns and you know, if you have your
09:41food medium rare, it may be red coming from it. That could be that. That could literally be that
09:47shirt. Um, that's how I even think about like color combinations. I don't really take it from
09:52actual humans. I take it from just things, if that makes sense. I may drop something to some dirt
09:59and something in dirt. You know what I mean? At least when it comes to like color combinations.
10:03Um, the other things we do to draw inspiration from our true life. So like, like you mentioned,
10:08his grandfather, um, my grandma opened one of the first, uh, beauty schools in Virginia, um, at a time
10:15where you probably, that is unheard of, especially for a black woman. Um, so like even her graduating
10:23students is things that I've seen when I looked at old photos of the graduating classes. Um, so we really
10:28take stuff from like our legacy and like, um, our family, uh, therefore we're paying homage to them. I would
10:35never want to join the air force like my great grandfather, but if I could, I like the way their
10:41outfits look. So I thought it was dope. The crop jerseys, all of our team, all of us have played
10:48sports our whole lives. And those were just jerseys that we just naturally had in our closet.
10:55In the summertime, it's so hot. You want to wear as less clothes as possible. And we felt like
10:59like that particular Jersey, you can still say something without doing too much. Um,
11:04it's easy throw on. Um, and that was the first branded experience we had. I'm not super branded
11:10person. As you can see, I just like, it don't matter if it's Louie Bottega. I really like playing
11:15stuff. And we realized I didn't know nobody. I hate when brands first come out and they got their name
11:20splattered. It was like, no one even knows your name yet. So why? And so we put on our Jersey and I'm
11:25like, y'all really want to wear that across your chest. We love it. That's so dope. I appreciate
11:31it. Appreciate it. And outside of that. Okay. So you said that y'all both come from sports and
11:36backgrounds, right? So with that being said, with sports and design, how did you guys and your
11:41individual strengths like show up in the creative process for like Diallo? So like with you guys coming
11:46from sports and you coming from design, like how does that show up and what you guys create?
11:49I definitely, I am scatterbrained. Like I'm a true creative. I just float and just, just do.
11:58I feel like him being a field general, like being a quarterback, he's very,
12:03he approaches a lot of stuff like from a structural lens. And it was interesting as we grew
12:11as like friends and part like business partners, being able to see him express himself in a creative
12:17way when I've always felt like he's so, he's disciplined. Like he stayed to see Lauren Hill
12:22last night and was up this morning. Like, where are you at? And I'm dragging and I left early,
12:27you know what I'm saying? So like he, he just does that. Like he can put a play together and execute
12:32it flawlessly. I'm gonna put a play together and then I'm gonna see something else. I'm like,
12:36well, let's do that too and try to take on a bunch of stuff. And he rolls me back in.
12:40Yeah, I think ultimately it complements, um, like I said, we're different in a sense, but
12:46we're rooted in a lot of tradition that, that, that brings synergy across the, across the board. So
12:53it complements each other from a workspace and also from a creativity, um, level. It's things that
12:59I might send him throughout the day of me just being at the facility from a football stance. And
13:04it's like nodding, cut certain things and dudes in the locker. I'm like, bro, what makes you do that?
13:08And it's like, I don't know. It just feels right. But next thing you know, it's a silhouette that we
13:13didn't create it. Um, or I didn't hit him and he's like, oh yeah, I already started working on that.
13:17And it's like, I didn't even know that, that we were doing that. Locked in. So even with that,
13:22I think you talked about like discipline, especially with being an entrepreneur. So how does that play in
13:26like your day to day? Discipline? Yeah. Yeah. I think discipline in life, I mean,
13:30it's going to get you the furthest, uh, once you're committed to a goal, uh, being disciplined enough to
13:35understand that you can't in a world that likes to compare and likes to rush you, you have to stay
13:40on your own timeline. And, uh, I think truly that's, what's going to get your story across
13:45the best because it's organic to you. You're staying disciplined to what you, uh, align with
13:51as a brand and what you're, what you're trying to tell, um, your story. Um, as far as from a work
13:56spot, it also keeps us on track and on, uh, on schedule to get the certain releases and the
14:02things that we're trying to accomplish off. So with this new season of Diallo,
14:07what can we look forward to? Like, how is Diallo like shifting? You know what I'm saying? Like,
14:11I think the luxury kind of like space, the street design kind of like space. So like,
14:15what is the new season for Diallo look like for you guys? Um, so with Diallo, just in general,
14:21I approached it strategically and intentionally from like a stylist POV because I feel like a lot of
14:29designers, like even when you think about brands right now, or, or them putting out a campaign,
14:34most of the times the designer is not necessarily a person that's styling the, um, campaigns or things.
14:39They outsource that, right? And so for me, even with styling, when I, uh, meet these players,
14:45um, I'm really trying to focus on like wardrobe building, not an outfit for Sunday. It's more like,
14:51how can I integrate these wardrobe, these pieces into your wardrobe so that when it's time to go out or
14:57you get invited somewhere, you're not trying to go shop every time. So we're looking at the base
15:01pieces, right? So we're going to have a chino, we're going to have your, your best denim, um, that
15:07Oxford shirt, you know, things like that, that like are timeless, um, and, uh, evergreen, like you can wear
15:14them across seasons. And I think that is the pieces that we're looking to like really push is for you to
15:19be able to outfit yourself in Diallo from head to toe, essentially. Um, and I think, uh, one of the
15:26things like brands that, you know, I think no matter really where you come from, and I feel like
15:31it's intergenerational is Ralph Lauren. And, you know, um, for us, I've been wearing Ralph my whole
15:37entire life. Um, some of my most expensive stuff, even in college was Ralph purple label, right? And so,
15:44um, I think from like a black POV, I would like y'all to think of us as the black Ralph Lauren,
15:53but meets Bottega. And so that's what you can kind of, you know, expect with the future collections
16:00and collection of Diallo. So I think you just hit on something. So like for anybody that's like
16:06just looking to build their wardrobe, like what are some staples that they should start with?
16:09Oh, well, you absolutely need a good blue jean, um, or two, right? Diallo. Okay.
16:18Oh, plug the brand, plug the brand. Oh, for sure. Um, yeah. A chino, a black pant, um, a good gray
16:26sweat pant. Like all of these things are like what we, so we break our collection down in three parts. So
16:32then we have core classics and concepts. Oh, and so the core, uh, and the classics are things
16:43that you're going to see all the time. And then concepts are product that you may see next season.
16:49It may come out just in a different color. Um, but those are the, uh, needle pushers. You know what
16:56I mean? Like those are more, um, imaginative pieces. Um, and then the core and the, uh,
17:01classics are pieces again, that would be your wardrobe building pieces. Um, that again, you can
17:07wear for the next five years and no one would really know, like can't, they can't really clock it.
17:13And I think now with fashion has got so gimmicky, a lot of people want to get whatever's the most
17:18gaudy pieces or whatever's the most in your face. Um, but when they need to go somewhere the next week,
17:25then they got nothing to wear because they feel like they done posted it already. Um, and also
17:30like for us, we're really big into, um, upcycling and you know what I mean? So if you get a good blue
17:35jean, you can cut that jean and turn it into shorts two years later and no one would know that was the
17:41jeans that you had two years ago. Functionality. Absolutely. It's key. It's really key. And so
17:47we're approaching it from that POV. Like if you ain't got it like that, you can invest in this. And yes,
17:52it feels like a big investment right now, but I promise you we're going to also not only put out
17:58the, uh, garments that we're trying to looking to get you, uh, get to you, but like we're going to
18:03show you how to make it live longer. Um, and I think that's where brands aren't really, they ain't
18:09doing that. So they see me outside and they're seeing me in something. They're like, yo, I didn't
18:13see that on the website. Yeah, it is on the website. I just cut it. Then I washed it and I dyed it in my
18:19bathtub and now it's this color. You know what I'm saying? So it's like also letting them know how we
18:25got from this to that, um, are some of the stories that you're going to see moving forward.
18:31A real creative. All right. Um, outside of that, what advice do you guys and Tyrod, I'll start with
18:37you. What advice do you have for young creatives, especially black men who want to launch something
18:43of their own in fashion? Uh, I would say take your time first and foremost. Um, I spoke to earlier
18:49when I was talking about discipline. Um, social media society likes to rush you and put you on a,
18:56on a schedule. Um, but I would say stay organic to yourself. Um, understand that fashion is a,
19:03is a very competitive space. Um, but that doesn't need to scare you away.
19:07You can take your time and create something organic to you and you can always have an audience if you
19:15stay organic and tell your story the right way. I think people gravitate to storytelling. Um, and
19:20that looks different for everyone. So, um, like I said, ultimately don't be rushed. Stay on your own
19:25timeline and stay organic to yourself. Don't chase trends. Dick, same question.
19:30I think nowadays, like when I first started, it was really no reference of a black guy, like really
19:40leaning into fashion and being like forward facing, um, that maybe plays sports or things like that.
19:46It's like, those things didn't really exist. Now it's so many versions of what a fashion guy looks
19:51like that I feel like it connects with a lot of people. You know what I mean? And it's in this
19:57intergenerational. I know it's guys that probably wanted to lean into fashion 10 years ago, but it
20:02wasn't until now their sons are like, yo dad, I want this or that. And so I think that's beautiful
20:07and like kind of seeing like the culture shift where guys are feeling more comfortable with expressing
20:12themselves through, um, a creative space in general. Um, so I would say again, like if you have an idea
20:21or if you have a thought or a dream or you and your friends like are just thinking, you know,
20:26try to execute it. You know what I mean? Like work it through, talk it out, build your community.
20:33I think that's key because like for me, I like to do stuff my way and I didn't realize how important
20:41it is to have a team and to have a community where you can lean on, ask questions, um, and they offer
20:47support when you're not able to, um, show up. Right. And so they help you show up in a authentic way
20:55and they help you show up in a way where you can feel good about, you know, what comes out. And I
21:00think that's the biggest thing, create a community and be, uh, be open with sharing information.
21:06I think you just brought up an important part, especially about community. So like,
21:10how did you build it? How did Diallo start to build that community around them for the support
21:14to even make it to the stage today? I come from the HBCU space and that's all about community.
21:19What HBCU? I went to the Virginia Union University. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I, I,
21:26that's all I really know, um, is community even before that, like, you know what I mean? Just being
21:32raised, um, by a single parent of six kids, all boys, one girl. And so I think that was like
21:40beautiful to kind of even see how me doing these things kind of affected my brothers and, you know,
21:49what they wanted to do moving forward. Um, yeah, it, it's, it's been amazing just kind of seeing how
21:55people just through naturally through life have showed up for me. I literally seen someone that
22:00lived across the street from me, like when I was in high school, that was in here and I didn't even know
22:05that they were coming here. And so it was like, just to even see that, like people authentically
22:10want to help, like how, what can I do? How can I, like, is it anything that, you know,
22:15I can post or whatever, just ingenually don't want nothing back from it. Um, that's the thing.
22:21And I think even when it comes to like us shooting, we're using people from the crib,
22:25like we're using people, you know, I'm in a fraternity, I'm using people in my organization.
22:30What fraternity? The greatest fraternity in the world, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
22:34I thought it was, I thought it was Alpha Phi.
22:39Yeah. So yeah, we're like using people that, you know, we know and like connect with everyone.
22:44We want you, we want everyone to kind of see themselves in Diallo where for so long,
22:49when you think about these brands, you literally seeing models on the runway and you're like,
22:53I don't look like that. I can't, that don't speak to me. You know what I mean? So then they want
22:57to joke on it because it, it didn't resonate with them. But now from our lens, it's like,
23:03all right, let's put his teammate in it. Let's put, you know, people that design with me in these
23:07pictures or on our social where people can go to it and be like, man, that's stupid.
23:11He dumb. I can wear that too. It's like guys are natural born competitors. So when you start to
23:16see people that you run with have it, it's like, yeah, if Corey got or mentioned me got it,
23:21I got to have it. Yeah. They're like, no, I'm gonna get the red one. Cause he got to,
23:25you know what I mean? So it's like, I think it's that when you're literally seeing people that are
23:29tangible. Um, and, and I think that's kind of like our exercise of kind of building that community
23:35for sure. No, I love that. So question to you, especially about community, um, especially in
23:39the NFL. So like, how do you break free from, I think even tradition sometimes of like what natural,
23:46like masculinity is, especially in looks. Cause I feel like for you, when you started popping off,
23:52um, of course, you know, with your help, when you started popping off, I feel like it opened the
23:56lane for a lot of different athletes as well too. So like, how did that community and how did you
24:00build from that and separate yourself from that? I think starting from the beginning.
24:04Um, yeah, I mean, I've obviously seen it grow or fashion change over the last,
24:10man, I'm going into year 15 now, but, uh, first it was tailored suits. Now it's street wear.
24:17Um, it's a little, a little, a little bit of everything. Um, but I would say over the time,
24:21throughout the 15 years of my time being professional, um, I've showed up as me. Um,
24:27this is who I am day in and day out, whether I'm going to an NFL game or if I'm going to the mall with
24:33the homies, um, I showed up as me and not necessarily chasing trends. Um, as far as separating
24:39myself, I don't look to do that. Um, I truly show up as me and it's going to separate itself naturally.
24:47I think you just underlined and bolded something. You keep, you kept saying like showing up as you,
24:51especially, I feel like as black men. So like, how do you wake up every day and make sure that
24:56you're showing up for yourself? That's a good question. Um, I think it's, it's really what's
25:01your why? Um, everyone in here has a why that they're attached to, and that looks different for
25:05every person. Um, for me, I'm big on family, um, and giving back to the family. You speak on community.
25:13I'm the only child, uh, but I was raised by a community. So a lot of these things,
25:17a lot of my thoughts are community driven and how can I give back? And also how can I show,
25:21um, a younger version of me that there's still a dream that's out there attainable? Um,
25:28small kid or small town Hampton, Virginia, being able to show up on a stage like this and speak
25:33on a platform, uh, about something that me and my business partner Dex has, has created. Um,
25:38um, that's something that I try to be intentional about when I, when I, when I wake up in the,
25:44in the morning and put on clothes showing up. Yeah. And I think we'll end it with this,
25:49because I think you just said a very important thing. Uh, what is Dex? What is your why?
25:56Like, why do you get up? Why do you do this? What is your why?
25:59Uh, so I would probably say my why is again, really building on my legacy. Um, legacy shows up
26:07so many different ways. I think a lot of times when you hear the word legacy, you, you naturally
26:12think of it like from a, uh, uh, uh, your family standpoint. Um, I think for me, it could be anything.
26:21It could be my HBCU experience, how I show up for, um, my fellow Panthers, how I show up for
26:27the, uh, the younger brothers in my fraternity. Um, I have a legacy in different spaces that looks
26:34different. I'm a, the oldest sibling of a bunch of, you know what I mean, of a bunch of brothers.
26:39How I show up for them, what does that look like? How do I show up for my mom? Um, and so it's, so
26:44it's really centered around like if it ended today, what would people say about me? I think that is kind
26:51of like when I wake up, I want to be intentional about that, like, like for real. And so, um,
26:58you know, we all know that like time you can't get back, life is not promised. And so I really
27:04just been more recently, I just really been leaning into that. Like if this was just the end of the
27:09day, would I be good with what my obituary and what people would say about me? You know what I
27:15mean? That's very good. Very good. Same question. What is your why? Family, uh, giving back,
27:21community. Um, like I said earlier, I'm my only child, but a community raised me and
27:29I just want to be a beacon of light, uh, to another young black kid that's trying to chase
27:35their dream. Um, I try to interact and be, uh, engaged as much as possible because I know
27:41the people that came before me, um, I can go back and, and look at times where me just
27:46asking them a question and them being responsive kept the dream alive. So, uh, I try to be as
27:51approachable, um, as I can be, um, intentional in everything that I do. Uh, and, and like I said,
28:00give, give motivation to young black kids, uh, that look like me to, to be able to continue to keep
28:06chasing their dream and, uh, ultimately leaving a legacy for themselves. I love that. I love that.
28:12So where can we find Diallo? Where should we follow Diallo? Give us some of those to close this out
28:18today. Uh, so you can find Diallo on Instagram at welcome to Diallo. Um, the website is Diallo,
28:27D-I dash A-L-L-O. Um, we also, you also can find us at complexshop.com and, uh, Essex, uh, in New York.
28:37We're in that store as well. All right, y'all, make sure y'all go out, make sure y'all support Diallo
28:43as well too. Give a big round of applause for Tyrod Taylor and Dex Robinson. We appreciate y'all.
28:48Thank y'all. God bless.
28:57God bless.
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