Steelers' Antonio Brown has a style all his own

Antonio Brown certainly turns heads with some acrobatic catches on the football field, and the Steelers star wide receiver has people doing a double-take off the gridiron, too.

Brown's fashion style ­— like his ability to wow fans with unbelievable grabs of a football ­— has been called distinctive, flashy, unique, one-of-a-kind, out-of-this world.

Well, you get it.

Brown doesn't hold back when it comes to fashion, mixing and match wild-colored patterns, adding a fluffy fur coat to his look, as well as accessorizing with flashy footwear, bold duffle bags and brightly printed rolling suitcases.

You think you have seen it all, and then he appears in another eye-catching look.

Just look at these shoes, says Steelers linebacker Vince Williams, whose locker is next to Brown's, referring to a pair of Christian Louboutin bedazzled high-top tennis shoes. Look at the bottom — Louboutin's icon red sole.

"He doesn't wear them," Williams says. "He just keeps them in his locker. He bought a pair for me one time."

Hitting the runway

Brown will showcase his taste in clothing and accessories on the runway when he joins teammates for the annual Rock Steelers Style fashion show on Oct. 20 at Stage AE on Pittsburgh's North Side.

"Antonio always shows up to the fashion show in something unexpected. He's really cutting edge, with a style all his own," says East Liberty-based fashion designer, Kiya Tomlin, owner of Uptown by Kiya Tomlin. She and husband Mike Tomlin, Steelers coach, are co-chairs for the event with Greta and Art Rooney II, Steelers president.

"I love being in the Steelers fashion show," Brown says. "It's a chance for our team and our families to get together and support two great causes."

This year's theme is Football, Family and Fun. Honorary co-captains are linemen Marcus Gilbert and Stephon Tuitt. Players will be modeling the latest fashions and showing off their personal style, while their wives will be sporting designs by Kiya Tomlin. The event is the team's largest fundraiser and benefits the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program and the Cancer Caring Center. The show, along with the Taste of the Steelers event, has raised more than $5 million.

'B.A. in swagology'

Don't look for Brown to wear anything plain. When he's not in uniform this guy is all about pushing the envelope. And his teammates take notice:

Vince Williams, linebacker: "You can sum up AB's fashion in one word — swag. He graduated from the (former Steeler) Ike Taylor University. He graduated summa cum laude, at the head of the class with a B.A. in swagology."

Arthur Moats, linebacker: "Mixing and matching prints and patterns like he does takes confidence, man. You either have it or you don't, and he has it. Fashion is in his heart. He screams confidence. Clothes don't make the man, the man makes the clothes."

Ryan Shazier, linebacker: "When I see him wearing some of the outfits he wears, it makes me become more confident in my fashion and what I am wearing. People say he wears tennis shoes with a suit, but they aren't just any pair of tennis shoes. He shows us another side of him than on the football field. We are more than football players. We have other interests just like everyone else."

AB's rules of fashion

Brown puts some thought into his style. He has a walk-in closet and owns a lot of suits, at least 50 he says, many are custom-made by Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, along with several pairs of Louboutin shoes and 100 bow ties. The bow tie is one of his favorite accessories.

"I love bow ties ­— they make you feel clean," he says.

Some other AB rules:

• Wear what's comfortable for you.

• It's important to have a stylist to offer tips. His is girlfriend Chelsie Kyriss. "My girl helps me so much with finding the best clothes," Brown says.

• "When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good you play good," says Brown, who is often spotted pre- and post-game sporting his latest fashion offering.

• "I like to dress up on game day, because it's a special occasion. It's what we practice for all week."

Funky and fun

His style is definitely different, says Kevin Miscik, owner of Lapels, A Fine Mens Clothier in Greensburg.

"Antonio can pull off those outfits," Miscik says. "I have customers who come in and want to look like a certain celebrity and I tell them that a celebrity can pull off that look because of who they are. The average person can't do that."

Brown's look is funky and fun, and he takes fashion to a place that the average person can't take it, Miscik says.

So when it comes to wearing a two-piece printed or patterned suit, Miscik tells his patrons, "go with a printed or patterned or velvet jacket and let that piece be the star of the show. Keep the pieces you wear with the jacket basic. That jacket is the showpiece."

The wide receiver's look isn't something most people couple pull of in Greensburg or Pittsburgh, Miscik says. Brown's clothing and accessories are more geared toward what you will see on a New York or Paris runway, he says.

"For Antonio, when he wears a patterned suit that is a good look for him," Miscik says. "He also appreciates fine tailoring. His clothes fit properly. You see that immediately."

Building a brand

"I consider Antonio Brown an entrepreneur who is building his own brand," says David Alan of Mt. Washington, who is founder and president of David Alan Clothing. "When I work with a client, we talk about their personality because that comes through in the clothes they will wear. Some clients want to dress conservatively but AB, he is aggressive in his style because it fits his personality."

Alan, whose company designs and creates custom suits for men as well as overcoats, dress shirts and duffle bags, has outfitted athletes in World Wrestling Entertainment, the National Hockey League and Steelers linebackers Moats and Anthony Chickillo, fullback Roosevelt Nix and safety Jordan Dangerfield, who used to play for the team.

Alan says professional athletes are at the forefront of men's fashion, which is really starting to take off. And it gives them more exposure. Someone may not be a fan of the sport but the player might capture a new audience that has an interest in fashion.

"Athletes are a fun group to work with because they have outgoing personalities and their profession does not limit them," says Alan. "AB does a nice job blending everything together."

And just like Brown likes to vary his on-field celebration dances, his off-field outfits have to change too.

"You can't repeat an outfit," Brown says. "You got to be new and fresh. If you've seen it, then I can't wear it again."

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review and Valley News Dispatch staff writer. Reach her at 724-853-5062 or jharrop@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Jharrop_Trib.