SportsCentre’s Cabbie Richards gives us the low-down on Erik Karlsson, RW&CO.’s new suiting ambassador, and all things personal style.
There’s a new fashion partnership in town, and this one has a particularly Canadian bent. Following the success of their collaboration with hockey star P.K. Subban, RW&CO. has found a stylish new NHL face for their Fall 2018 suiting campaign in Erik Karlsson, captain of the Ottawa Senators. To celebrate the sleek collection, which includes three new performance-driven styles named the 40hr Suit, Traveler Suit and Essential Suit respectively, Karlsson sat down with television personality and host of Cabbie Presents on SportsCentre, Cabral “Cabbie” Richards, to talk all things sports and style. After Cabbie charmed the crowd and interviewed the new RW&CO. ambassador, we got to chat with him about the rise of personal style in sports and why Karlsson is the perfect fit for RW&CO.’s new collection.
Tell us about your on-screen style.
Shirts are the first thing I buy because I wear a lot of them for my job — my style is really casual; I roll up my sleeves, I wear a tie. I work at TSN and all of the other men on TSN are in suits, and the women wear business attire, but my material is a lot different. It’s heavily based on personality and it’s light-hearted, so I like my prints a little bolder and my colours really bright.
What makes Erik Karlsson the perfect fit for brand ambassador of RW&CO.?
He’s so stylish, it’s a no-brainer. He embraces bow ties, ties, different blazer-and-pant combos. He doesn’t dress like the typical hockey player in bland suits and no accessories. He’s obviously very handsome, but he’s got a very sharp sense of style. It probably helps that he’s European and has those sensibilities for the cuts of clothes and the outfits that he puts together. And I love the bow ties — that’s making a statement.
Anyone in particular you follow on Instagram who you find inspiring?
I follow the @theposhman, @ejsamson and @upscalehype. I might not be able to afford all those pieces, but it’s all about the inspiration, and if I can find something similar somewhere else, then that’s great. @thedressedchest is also great — I’ll screenshot looks from that account for inspiration on what type of shirts and ties work together.
Do you have any tips for guys who are looking to up their style game?
I would say, shop with a woman; they have a great eye and the ability to pick out things that will look great on you. I like watches and feel like they’re the perfect men’s accessory. And don’t be afraid to mix up your wardrobe a little bit. If you’re always wearing plain, solid-coloured shirts, mix in something with a pattern. Step out of your comfort zone with one shirt and see how you feel and what kind of response you get — and then try it again a few times. You never know when you’ll randomly get a compliment, and when your fashion choices get validated, it makes you feel good.
The RW&CO. Fall 2018 Suiting collection starts at $348 and is available now at RW&CO. stores and rw-co.com.
