Robin Williams had the most hypey fits in Hollywood ever
The late actor Robin Williams had a style that worked as well in the Eighties and Nineties as it would today
Back in early 2020, Robin Williams’ daughter reflected on the late actor’s style following a sudden bump in interest over on TikTok in the fit he wore to the Flubber premiere in 1997. “Weirdly refound these exact glasses two days ago,” Zelda Williams tweeted. “Also, Dad casually, daily wore things I have never seen another person dare wear, and I have always respected that flex,” she continued.
We couldn’t agree more. While today you’ve got Harry Styles flexing jumpsuits and sequins on stage, and Dwayne Johnson is pretty playful with his style, Robin Williams really had fun with the way he dressed. Mrs Doubtfire garb aside, Williams pushed the boat out in a nonchalant way that is rarely seen today (most celebrities these days have stylists who carefully create looks that will get the wearer some social media buzz), and he wore things that most people around him weren’t repping, schooling men everywhere on how to look cool. Take for instance that Flubber fit – he rocked up to the New York City premiere in a pocket-heavy Issey Miyake bomber jacket that later got the attention of Playboi Carti who rocked the same one in his “Magnolia” music video.
With a penchant for über-cool brands such as Visvim, Bape, Acronym, Mishka and the aforementioned Issey, as well as a keen eye for a solid pair of sneakers (Nike Viotech Dunks and Royal Elasrics – IYKYK), Williams’ wardrobe has an enduring appeal and you’d easily mistake an image of him for one of the hypebeasts stretching their legs in the queue outside Soho’s Supreme outpost.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled our favourite fits from the late Good Will Hunting actor, to give you some wardrobe inspo.
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Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images1/9SALOMONS FTW
Before they became the hyped sneaks of the 2020s Robin Williams was out there treading steps in Salomon’s hiking kicks. Paired with a camo jacket and straight-cut jeans, the red lace-ups were designed to be seen.
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Ray Tamarra/Getty Images2/9ACRONYM WAS HIS GO-TO BRAND
Robin Williams had an unrivalled eye for excellent outerwear (Visvim coats and Issey Miyake bombers). One of his go-to brands was Munich-based Acryonym. Known for its highly-innovative, yet super stylish design, Williams favoured the label’s figure-hugging, soft shell J16 jacket that released in the early 2000s.
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Fotos International/Getty Images3/9ENFANT TERRIBLE!
While he had a thing for streetwear brands, Williams was also an out and proud catwalk buff. Here he rocked a now-extremely-rare shirt was from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 1996 ‘Pin Up Boys’ collection, which any social media fanatic will know has come full circle – the body print was reintroduced this year by the label and is currently getting the thumbs up from the Gen Z fash pack.
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Ron Galella/Getty Images4/9WHEN IN DOUBT, ISSEY MIYAKE
Attending the premiere of his 1997 Disney smash hit, Flubber, Williams didn’t rock lime green as some might’ve expected and instead delved into his Issey Miyake collection. Pleats aside, this jacket, which was pegged the Parachute Cargo Bomber and was from the Japanese label’s Autumn/Winter 1996 collection, earned some serious style points. Recognise it? Playboi Carti rocked the same one in the music video for “Magnolia” in 2017. Williams did it first though.
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Ron Galella/Getty Images5/9MONSTER DAD GARB
The oversized blazer (likely vintage), baggy slacks, chunky sneaks and dad cap make for a fit that easily could sit in 2022 – take a look at the sort of gear the Aimé Leon Dore staff are wearing. Copy immediately.
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NBC/Getty Images6/9FREAKY SUITING
For a late night appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in May 1997, Williams rocked up in an abstract print Issey Miyake suit, which remains one of his most eye-catching outfits on record, and firmly outshone Billy Crystal’s own suit.
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7/9THAT FIT’S SO FIRE!
Serving a mash-up of Guy Fieri and Tony Hawk, Williams served one of his most iconic fits to date in 1999. Not only was the garb packing fuego fierceness, but the shoes are an extremely rare pair of sneakers from Royal Elastic, an Australian sneaker brand that had its fleeting moment in the 2000s. As Bella Hadid infamously said, if someone’s rocking these “homeboy’s gonna get it.”
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9/9VISVIM KING
Before Kanye West and John Mayer declared their undying love for Visvim, Robin Williams was repping the Japanese menswear brand founded by Hiroki Nakamura in 2001. Proper hypebeast stuff.
