The runway is set for Saturday as Phoenix Suns Charties will host their inaugural fashion show, Rise in Style: Fashion for the Future, brought to you by Annexus. Who better to lead the way than the man with arguably the most drip in the NBA, Kelly Oubre Jr.
“I'm very excited,” Oubre said. “It's a big time for the organization. It's going to be amazing just to put the creativity together. The love from everybody who purchased tickets and who are donating. It's just going to be an all-around great night.”
Off the court, Oubre is known for his love of fashion and art and will be teaming up with a young fan that shares his passions.
Fourteen-year-old Tysean Bailey is part of Free Arts AZ, a local non-profit that uses the healing powers of the arts to help abused and homeless children build resiliency and learn to trust and heal. Through music, painting and other forms of art, Bailey and other children are given the chance to explore new ways of expression and the freedom to create in a judgement-free environment.
And on Saturday at Talking Stick Resort Arena, Bailey will take his passion for fashion to another level with Oubre by his side.
The founding members of the “Valley Boyz," Oubre and teammate Deandre Ayton, headline Rise in Style as the co-chairs of the event, with all proceeds benefiting Phoenix Suns Charities. The Suns' philantrhopic arm works to improve the lives of youth and families throughout Arizona by actively creating and supporting programs which focus on education, recreation, and health and human services.
With the proceeds already benefiting the Phoenix community, the Suns also teamed up with local non-profits in search of youth representatives to accompany each player under the bright lights.
But before anyone can step on the runway, the outfit has to be on point. This past Saturday, Oubre and the rest of his teammates met their respective kids for the first time and worked together to find the perfect look for the occasion.
Oubre assisted Bailey in picking out a base that consisted of a black to tee to go along with leather pants. The next step was adding on the accessories which included a yellow puff jacket, topped-off with a fedora.
Lastly, no outfit can be complete without the shoes and with Oubre involved, it, of course, came down to two pairs of converse. Ultimately, Bailey settled on a pair of red converse with flames gleaming on the sides to finalize the look for Saturday.
“Those shoes look really amazing,” Bailey said. “I was kind of nervous, but it was cool. I agreed to everything because he's like the best player.”
While Bailey had a blast picking out his outfit and spending time with Oubre, his adopted mother Charline Jones, was on hand to witness the deeper impact that Oubre was making in Bailey’s life, as well as that of their entire entire family.
“This organization has given us an opportunity and it has been a blessing,” Jones said. “I'm thankful because a lot of the kids coming from where we are don't get to have this kind of interaction a lot, but for him to actually get it after going through what we've gone through it's been an awesome experience.”
It has been a heartwarming experience for Jones who said that not only is this an everlasting memory for Bailey, but it adds another memorable experience for them to share together.
“For the people that have donated, I want to say thank you,” Jones said. “I thank the organization for reaching out to Free Arts and giving them experiences that they would never have without them.”
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is clearly one that Bailey and Jones will always cherish and, on the flipside, is one that means everything to Oubre as well.
“All I can do is just hope to inspire,” Oubre said. “They'll help me more than they'll know. I'm just super excited to put smiles on faces, just to make this a genuine outing.”
Oubre and Bailey will share the spotlight together on Saturday as they join the rest of the Suns organization in a night of fashion, fun and, most importantly, charitable giving.
“Fashion is a huge part of my life and I'm honored to help bring this event to life,” said Oubre. “It’s going to be a good vibe, for a good cause and we’re ready to bring that Valley Boyz energy to the runway.”
Rise in Style: Fashion for the Future, presented by Annexus will be co-hosted by media personality Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) and digital creator and sneaker aficionado Jacques Slade (@Kustoo). In addition to Suns players will flaunting their style alongside youth representatives from local Valley nonprofits, the special evening will include a cocktail reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction and much more.
Since its inception in 1988, Phoenix Suns Charities has distributed more than $32 million to local nonprofits and organizations in need and the entire Suns organization has embedded itself locally by supporting community efforts through hundreds of player appearances and thousands of volunteer hours annually by Suns players and staff.
Tickets are still available for this exclusive night and can be purchased HERE!