From the Ring to the Runway: How Imtayaz Qassim’s Designs for Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford, and Jake Paul are Transforming Boxing Fashion 2024
Introduction of Boxing Fashion:
From his fashion studio nestled along the Welsh coast, Imtayaz Qassim crafts some of the most distinctive outfits adorning the world’s top boxers. Among his clientele are icons like WBC World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who is set to clash with undefeated Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia this Saturday night. This bout is hailed as a historic event, where both fighters, at the pinnacle of their physical prowess, are not just athletes but also ambassadors of style. What they wear transcends mere fashion—it’s a manifestation of their mindset entering the ring.
From his fashion studio on the Welsh coast, Imtayaz Qassim creates some of the most distinctive outfits worn by the world’s top boxers, including WBC World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who will face undefeated Oleksandr Usyk this Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
This bout is being touted as the biggest fight in history, and with both fighters in peak physical condition, their attire can significantly influence their mindsets going into the match.
“I like to tell people’s stories through the garments,” Qassim said. His business, Bespoke Boxing, starts each outfit with a client consultation. “We discuss why we would use certain colors. Do they mean something to you? Do you feel better in them? Do you prefer to fight from the hip, requiring a lot of movement? Tyson Fury, for example, has issues with shorts rising and falling,” Qassim explained. “For the Usyk fight, we’ve addressed that by designing a skort style instead of shorts.”
The scene a boxer creates during their entrance, known as the “ring walk,” can affect their mental state before a match. Former cruiserweight world champion and sports commentator Johnny Nelson emphasizes the importance of the ring walk for a confident fighter. “When you’re a fully accomplished fighter and you believe in yourself, the ring walk is everything,” Nelson said. “This is your peacock moment. This is what you’ve trained so many weeks and months for. This attack.”
Ring walks range from intimidating simplicity, like Muhammad Ali’s white robe, to the deliberately flamboyant. British boxer Prince Naseem Hamed created a global spectacle in 2000 by flying into one of his fights on a magic carpet of Boxing Fashion.
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“Everyone’s looking at you. Everyone’s judging you. They either love you or hate you… The outfit is just as important as the walk,” Nelson said. “I want them to judge me and think, ‘Oh my god, what’s he got on? Who does he think he is?’ You want it to be all about you. If you truly believe you’re dressed like a gladiator, it puts you in that gladiatorial mentality.”
Qassim, who is also a boxer, understands this gladiatorial mentality. He started training multiple times a week when he was 8 years old.
His unique designs in Boxing Fashion include a fisherman outfit for boxing superstar Terence Crawford when he faced Errol Spence, nicknamed the “Big Fish,” last year. He has made a fully functional bulletproof vest for boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul and a manga-inspired outfit for British fighter and anime enthusiast Ben Whittaker.
“I’m proud to see my work on the biggest stages in the world,” Qassim said, adding that it inspires him “to do more and to do better.”
“Boxing fans are a small part of the bigger picture,” Nelson said. “If you can capture the imagination of people who aren’t typically boxing fans, that’s when you become a global superstar.”
Quotes and Testimonials:
“I like to tell people’s stories through the garments,” Qassim shared. “We discuss why we would use certain colors. Do they mean something to you? Do you feel better in them?”
- Imtayaz Qassim
“The outfit is just as important as the walk,” noted former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson. “It’s your peacock moment, your gladiatorial mentality.”
- Johnny Nelson
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