Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson has broken NFL records, thrown a slew of touchdown passes, and has one of the most illustrious careers in football history. Yet, he still remains as humble as an usher on a Sunday morning church service. Speaking of which, going to church is one of his favorite things to do!
We recently caught up with Russell, to talk to him about his new partnership with Braun (the state-of-the-art grooming and shaving company best known for its electric shaver), and we were in for a pleasant surprise after learning that he’s waaayyy more than just a handsome face — he’s a well-rounded arbiter of light, who constantly gives more than what he’s asked for.
But don’t just take my word for it, here’s what Russell has to say!
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ESSENCE: You’re an extremely busy person, how do you approach each day?
RUSSELL: One of the first things I do every morning… I give myself a fresh shave, a fresh grooming- making sure that I’m ready to roll. It makes you feel excited for the day [like] ‘Today’s gonna be a great day,’ and that’s the mentality!
ESSENCE: Tell us a little bit about the Braun collaboration.
RUSSELL: The cool thing about Braun and myself is we’re all in this thing together; it’s a collaborative effort! The title of the campaign, ‘Morning By Design’ hits home because it’s important that every detail is right and grooming plays a key role every morning. Last year we talked about ‘face greatness’ and this year is a new idea; in life, you need to have the right mindset -a championship approach- a winning approach and a winning mindset.
ESSENCE: How would you describe the ‘Russell Wilson’ style of getting dressed? Are you a T-shirt & jeans type of guy, or dressed to the nine’s?
RUSSELL: It’s actually a mixture… it all depends on the mood and where I’m going. I pride myself on clothes and fashion, and I like to go from super-dressy to more casual, everyday wear. On Sundays, I love being dressed-up in a suit-and-tie… that’s one of my favorite things to do as well. I wear a bunch of Good Man Brand, which is a company I started (GoodManBrand.com), it’s also sold in Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, and is doing extremely well. On the red carpet, I’ve worn Calvin Klein Collection and also Giorgio Armani (which I wore for the wedding). I also wear Good Man Brand on the red carpet!
Lester Cohen/BBMA2016
When your outfit is metallic, you want make sure your beauty look is less flashy. Take a cue from Ciara, who coupled glowing skin with face-framing fringe and wind-swept pieces for the ultimate cool girl vibe.
ESSENCE: Does Ciara prefer a clean-shaven Russell or a bearded Russell?
RUSSELL: She prefers me either way!
Ciara and Russell married in a surprise wedding at the Peckforton Castile in Liverpool, England on July 6th, and their fans went wild. Singer and best friend Jennifer Hudson was on hand to help Ciara make it to the altar.
ESSENCE: How do you feel about all of your accomplishments, thus far?
RUSSELL: I always had big dreams. One of the things I always say is ‘Dreams come true when you capitalize on opportunity.’ I’ve been a person that’s always visualized where I wanted to be, and what I wanted in my life. Hard work really pays off, and obviously no time to sleep. If you really want to be great at something, you have to put the work in and trust that it’s going to happen for you. I’m grateful for how my parents were- they always encouraged rather than discourage me. They always encouraged me to be at the highest level that I could possibly be at -in everything that I did- from education to sports, to the business side of the world.
ESSENCE: What bits of advice can you give to our readers?
RUSSELL: The thing that I can suggest is, ‘surrender and surround.’ My pastor always says surrender into what you believe in, and your causes; doing everything you can to help others. Surrounding yourself around the people that are going to make you challenge yourself and are going to make you a better person, and help change the world… and Braun’s a big part of that. That’s ultimately my mission and that’s Ciara’s mission too!
In addition to Russell’s words-of-wisdom, click the links below to shop our exclusive, Russell gallery (see photo below), where you can find great items to ‘Style Your Guy’ with!
SHOP THE LOOK: Russell Wilson’s airport style
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Couples that slay together, stay together! We love Ciara and Russell's coordinated blues.
1– Topman “Stone Wash” denim shirt, $50, topman.com
2– Abercrombie & Fitch “Dark Wash Slim Straight” jeans, $78, abercrombie.com
3– Clarks “Desert Boot,” $130, clarksusa.com
4– Cole Haan “Boiled Wool Toggle Duffle” coat, $550, colehaan.com
5– Braun “Series 9-9095cc” shaver, $389, us.braun.com
6– Abercrombie & Fitch “Navy Wool Shawl” cardigan, $98, abercrombie.com
7– boohooMAN “Check” blanket scarf, $16, us.boohoo.com/mens
8– Ray-Ban “Aviator Gradient” sunglasses, $165, ray-ban.com
