Ja’Marr Chase, Lucky Blue Smith, Julez Smith, and More Hit the Bode Rec. Runway in New Orleans
StyleFrom football stars to top models, the inaugural GQ Bowl fashion show featured an all-star lineup.By Eileen CartterFebruary 8, 2025Photographs: Getty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveLast night, in the high-ceilinged hall of a deconsecrated Catholic church fashioned to resemble an all-American high school gymnasium, designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla debuted her spring 2025 Bode Rec. collection at the Hotel Peter and Paul in New Orleans. Ahead of the city’s star-studded weekend, the room was abuzz with big names and team spirit of all stripes.The model Lucky Blue Smith—a GQ fixture since his Tumblr-viral days—opened the inaugural GQ Bowl show in a brass-embellished black coat that made him look like an old-school marching band’s drum leader. He accessorized with a pair of the label’s bow-dotted leather ballet flats and a bouquet of white roses. (Meanwhile, Lucky Blue’s wife, fellow model and TikTok-famous domestic goddess Nara Aziza Smith, hung back at New York Fashion Week proper, where she attended the Calvin Klein Collection runway show on Friday.) Bode Aujla envisioned Lucky Blue as “the reimagining of a homecoming king,” the designer told GQ.ArrowArrowBefitting the upcoming big game this Sunday, the runway also featured a host of NFL stars. Cincinnati Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, carrying a cheeky maché Bengal head, previewed a grassy new colorway of Bode’s blockbuster Nike Astro Grabber sneakers. Ray-Ray McCloud III, a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, wore the green Astro Grabbers as well, which matched the embroidered greenery on his zippered knit cardigan.Alvin Kamara, a running back for the New Orleans Saints, wore tuxedo pants and a T-shirt printed with the cover of William Faulkner’s classic novel The Sound and the Fury. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, both of whom modeled cream-toned jackets with ornate fringe and floral motifs, also walked in the show.Bode and Nike Just Previewed Their Next Smash-Hit SneakerBy Samuel Hine6 Best Moments from the GQ Bowl x Bode LivestreamBy Matthew Roberson“That was such an important part of this, to be able to have athletes embody the Bode universe, because athletes are a huge part of our brand,” said Bode Aujla, who later took her final bow on the arm of musician Leon Bridges, who provided the show’s live soundtrack.Elsewhere on the runway was Julez Smith, the son of musician Solange Knowles, in a cord-trimmed robe suit; the 20-year-old model previously made his runway debut last year at Luar’s show in Bushwick, Brooklyn while his aunt, Beyoncé, watched proudly from the front row. Actor Casey Affleck’s son Indiana Affleck, who recently posed for Bode’s fall 2024 campaign, also modeled two looks: a prom-king-ready white suit and a mustard-toned cape with embellished blue jeans.More familiar faces included fashion-industry stalwarts Taylor Hill—who succeeded Lucky Blue Smith in a black bodysuit and emerald-green “Bode” sash, before closing out the show in a feather-covered white cape—and Evan Mock, who, befitting his man-about-town persona, modeled a tiger-print T-shirt and matching tote bag featuring the phrase “BEER IS FOOD.” The perfect sentiment to kick off the rest of the weekend in the Big Easy.
Last night, in the high-ceilinged hall of a deconsecrated Catholic church fashioned to resemble an all-American high school gymnasium, designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla debuted her spring 2025 Bode Rec. collection at the Hotel Peter and Paul in New Orleans. Ahead of the city’s star-studded weekend, the room was abuzz with big names and team spirit of all stripes.
The model Lucky Blue Smith—a GQ fixture since his Tumblr-viral days—opened the inaugural GQ Bowl show in a brass-embellished black coat that made him look like an old-school marching band’s drum leader. He accessorized with a pair of the label’s bow-dotted leather ballet flats and a bouquet of white roses. (Meanwhile, Lucky Blue’s wife, fellow model and TikTok-famous domestic goddess Nara Aziza Smith, hung back at New York Fashion Week proper, where she attended the Calvin Klein Collection runway show on Friday.) Bode Aujla envisioned Lucky Blue as “the reimagining of a homecoming king,” the designer told GQ.
Befitting the upcoming big game this Sunday, the runway also featured a host of NFL stars. Cincinnati Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, carrying a cheeky maché Bengal head, previewed a grassy new colorway of Bode’s blockbuster Nike Astro Grabber sneakers. Ray-Ray McCloud III, a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, wore the green Astro Grabbers as well, which matched the embroidered greenery on his zippered knit cardigan.
Alvin Kamara, a running back for the New Orleans Saints, wore tuxedo pants and a T-shirt printed with the cover of William Faulkner’s classic novel The Sound and the Fury. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, both of whom modeled cream-toned jackets with ornate fringe and floral motifs, also walked in the show.
“That was such an important part of this, to be able to have athletes embody the Bode universe, because athletes are a huge part of our brand,” said Bode Aujla, who later took her final bow on the arm of musician Leon Bridges, who provided the show’s live soundtrack.
Elsewhere on the runway was Julez Smith, the son of musician Solange Knowles, in a cord-trimmed robe suit; the 20-year-old model previously made his runway debut last year at Luar’s show in Bushwick, Brooklyn while his aunt, Beyoncé, watched proudly from the front row. Actor Casey Affleck’s son Indiana Affleck, who recently posed for Bode’s fall 2024 campaign, also modeled two looks: a prom-king-ready white suit and a mustard-toned cape with embellished blue jeans.
More familiar faces included fashion-industry stalwarts Taylor Hill—who succeeded Lucky Blue Smith in a black bodysuit and emerald-green “Bode” sash, before closing out the show in a feather-covered white cape—and Evan Mock, who, befitting his man-about-town persona, modeled a tiger-print T-shirt and matching tote bag featuring the phrase “BEER IS FOOD.” The perfect sentiment to kick off the rest of the weekend in the Big Easy.
