Sunday night, director Spike Lee took his affinity for a good statement-making suit and paired it with a love for the late Kobe Bryant to craft his outfit at the 2020 Oscar awards. He opted to pay tribute to Bryant with a purple and gold Gucci suit with Bryant "24" embroidered on the back and along the suit jacket's lapel. He accessorized the piece with a pair of Nike Kobe 9 Elite "Strategy" sneakers.
Lee's relationship with Bryant spanned well over a decade with Lee notably directing the 2009 Kobe Doin' Work documentary. Following news of the legend's passing in a helicopter crash alongside 13-year-old Gianna Bryant and seven others, Lee inundated his Instagram feed with tributes to his late friend.
"Every day is a struggle," he admitted about coping with Bryant's death in a recent interview. "You just gotta keep at it, and I’m honored to be representing, to present an Oscar."
It isn't the first time that Lee has opted to pay tribute in such a manner. Last year, he decided o another purple suit. That time, it was in honor of Prince as he paired it with a diamond necklace with Prince's symbol along with commissioned gold Jordan sneakers.
“I win the Oscar on the red carpet," lee previously told New York Times of his bold choice. "Men, women, I don’t care if they’re wearing 15-inch heels. They can’t be messing with the Jordans I’m going to be wearing. I’m going to be as clean as the board of health. I’m going to be sharp as a razor,"