.jpg)
Let’s get one thing straight: Cordell Broadus is a businessman. With all the attractive, famous children currently making their way into campaigns and onto runways, it would be easy to assume that Snoop Dogg’s son would be eager to join the ranks of celeb models. But Broadus’s entry into the fashion world has been a unique one, taking the reins as creative director of Joyrich. With fans that include Kim Kardashian West, Japanese pop sensation Rola, and of course, Snoop, Joyrich does athleisure with retro references that tap into the current obsession with ’90s icons and sporty luxury. Serving as his own best spokesperson, Broadus often works the statement pieces into his personal wardrobe, updating his Instagram with dapper selfies.
Though he occasionally enjoys the perks of Insta-fame—a one-off strut for Dolce & Gabbana’s latest menswear show provided a thrilling fashion month experience—Broadus’s focus remains on Joyrich and his studies. He is currently working toward a film degree at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television and plans to pursue a career as a director, following in the footsteps of personal heroes like Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino. If running a fashion brand weren’t enough of an extracurricular for a college sophomore, Broadus is expanding by directing music videos and starting a production company. Here, the rising star shares how he went from playing football to writing scripts, and why he wants kids to know they can dream big.
On enjoying the moment.
“Everything is just a new experience for me. Meeting new people, learning all these facts about different industries, it’s all fun for me because I’m open-minded. I try to challenge myself and do things that I wouldn’t normally do. I enjoy the modeling side, but it’s never been my focus. Still, it’s very helpful to be able to use that as a vehicle to open even more doors within film and entrepreneurship.”
On learning from his peers.
“Recently I was at A$AP Rocky’s house and just having a conversation with him and walking through with him was interesting. He created all of his furniture, designed everything in his house. It was inspiring to me because he’s a young African-American male who’s thinking so differently. He’s not limiting himself and that’s a message I want to promote to youth—there are no limitations, you should dream big.”
On his vintage-inspired design philosophy.
“When it comes to style I like the ’70s vibe, the ’80s, ’90s. To create something meaningful, you should take from the old and put in what’s new, then put it together. When Tom [Hirota] and I are coming up with a design, we call it gumbo because he’s the old school and I’m the new school—we mix both together and just let it marinate!”
On rejecting stereotypes and being true to himself.
“Growing up as a football player and the son of Snoop Dogg, everything around me was very masculine, so I had to play that role. I had interests in fashion and film all of these type of different things, but I never could be vocal about it because it wasn’t deemed masculine. I’ve been wanting to do this since I was like 10. I used to draw outfits in my notebook, but I never showed them to anybody which felt terrible because expressing myself creatively is what I’m into.
The older I get, the more I’m comfortable with being vocal about my likes and interests. Right now it feels great to be able to just organically be myself instead of trying to fit into, ‘How does a football player think? How does a football player dress?’ Just by being myself, I’m getting a lot of good feedback within the fashion community and just personally I feel great.”
On why he wants to stand behind the camera.
“It’s another outlet for creativity. When I was younger, my dad would always take us to the movies and when I’d watch, I’d just think to myself, What would happen if you changed this scene, or I would have the actors do this? Then when I got to high school, I took film classes, started writing scripts, and getting into editing. Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino are a couple of the creators who I look up to. When it was time to go to college, I chose schools based on what the film programs were like.”
On working with his famous dad.
“He’s kind of chic now because we put him up to what’s cool and what's not! Just helping him get a sense of everything. The first collection I did from Joyrich was inspired by the way my dad dressed in the ’90s. You have brands like Vetements putting his image on clothing without his input—everyone wearing shirts with his face but he’s not involved in the project. So we wanted to create something authentic. Of course we had to book him for the collection—he charged us a lot!”