Paul Nosworthy may be the only student on campus whose backpack costs more than the textbooks it carries.
His MCM backpack is made entirely of leather, has a light blue exterior and handcrafted zipper work.
It cost him $1,200.
While expensive, that is a price Nosworthy is used to. Nosworthy, a sophomore offensive lineman, has a wardrobe that perfectly matches his fashion taste.
“I never take anything out I just keep adding to it, I have over 70 pairs of shoes,” Nosworthy said. “It’s got brands from Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Yeezys, Jordans, Adidas, like it is just an enormous amount of clothes.”
The shoes are just the start of Nosworthy’s closet – something even he has trouble grasping the size of.
Nosworthy’s constant buying comes from his desire to be different.
“I like different stuff that people don’t wear, different shoes, different jeans,” Nosworthy said. “If I see someone else wearing it, then I am probably going to get something different. I want to do things my way so people might feed off of me. I like to be a leader. You’ll see a bunch of people wearing BAIT, nah not me, I don’t own BAIT.”
Nosworthy’s style doesn’t go over his teammates head’s either. Freshman running back Theo Anderson considers his teammate’s style to be authentic.
“His style is like no other. I seen him wear Gucci, Balenciaga, True Religion, the best of the best designer clothing,” Anderson said.
Nosworthy, a native of Jamaica, Queens, has strived to be different since a young age. He can remember trying on his father's own Gucci shoes when he was in middle school.
Nosworthy’s father is a music producer in New York City, so he has been around high-end clothing for much of his life, while also having the means to buy them.
“He put the idea to be different in my head and just seeing the way he dressed really made me want to be different with my style,” Nosworthy said.
Growing up in New York helped shape Nosworthy’s style and he admits the city has been a major influence.
Through his father, he has had the opportunity to meet stylish New York rappers including Jadakiss of The Lox.
“That New York style is so broad, it is so many tastes and styles in it but it perfectly reflects what the city is,” Nosworthy said. “Over the summer, I like to wear jerseys, hockey, basketball, any New York team gear is a personal favorite. Islanders jerseys, Rangers jerseys, Mets jerseys, Knicks jerseys, I like that blue orange scheme, makes it feel like New York stuff.”
Nosworthy doesn’t settle for knock offs either – he only buys high-quality clothing.
“I was told at a young age that if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it,” Nosworthy said. “So if I can’t afford the real thing I don’t get the fake one.”
Nosworthy looks at both the world of sports and hip-hop for his fashion idols. He considers Fabolous and Drake to be the best-dressed rappers in the game and appreciates Russell Westbrook and Cam Newton’s personal styles.
Nosworthy tries to enjoy his own fashion, but knows the expectations that come with it.
“It’s like showing up and saying ‘I am the man’ with the way you dress, but if you dress that way, you best make sure you back it up,” Nosworthy said.
Thomas Zafonte is the assistant sports editor and can be reached at Thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com
Thomas Zafonte is a senior English major. He is a UB sports fan and enjoys traveling around Buffalo.
