On the surface, Jonathan Lewis seems like your prototypical American footballer. Grew up in the United States, played collegiate soccer at the University of Akron before being drafted by New York City FC in Major League Soccer propelling his professional career.

However, Lewis’s roots go beyond the States, stretching to the Caribbean and Europe. Born to a Jamaican father and an English mother, the 25-year-old experienced a unique upbringing in South Florida.

Currently living in Colorado, Lewis had a chance to return home to his home state last December for Art Basel, an annual international art show hosted in Switzerland, Miami, Hong Kong, and Paris.

”I’m just taking in all the scenes,” reflected Lewis. “Art Basel weekend. All the beautiful art, all the beautiful creativity, all of these events are unbelievable and the World Cup is going on. It just reminds me of home.”

Home can be a complicated subject for Lewis. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia but raised in South Florida and his Jamaican ties played just as integral a role in his upbringing as where he lived in.

“I think my Jamaican culture just shows up on the field – the fighting spirit.”

An island with a little less than three million people and 12 times smaller geographically than the country of England has against all odds made their stamp on the beautiful game. Through fearlessness and a never-say-die mentality, Jamaica has continued to supersede expectations.

“One of the movies that comes to mind that has symbolism in Jamaica is Cool Runnings. The bobsledding team, they've never sled in their life and they ended up making the winter Olympics, going there and competing.”

“That type of spirit shows up in my game. I have that fight that not only can I be the best player on the field, but that never give up and never say die mentality.”

Off the pitch, Lewis’s fashion choices reflect that same bold fearlessness. There is nothing neutral about Jamaican culture, it is unapologetically vibrant.

When I was younger and lived in Jamaica, I just realized so many people are out there, they're just out there. So I like vibrant colors. I like big, big colors, big things that make a lot of noise… I like to wear greens, bright blues, yellows, pinks, all these different colors.”

“It really stems from just my origins, you know, just being in a vibrant country.”

Like many other footballers, Lewis is an avid admirer of fashion in the NBA and NFL. It’s not so much the fashion that he appreciates the most but rather the platforms they have provided for athletes to express their style.

Something that has been limited in the footballing world but that MLS is trailblazing and allowing players like Lewis to exhibit their style to a greater audience.

“I feel like in soccer, we don't really have those types of runways and platforms that other sports have such as the NFL and NBA. So, I love that the MLS is starting to do these MLS league fits on these pages. It's almost like every week it's a competition between teams.”

Lewis is the perfect example of an athlete using fashion as a medium to pay homage to his roots and express his cultural identity.

Expressing Cultural Identity through Fashion

“I think my Jamaican culture just shows up on the field – the fighting spirit.”

“That type of spirit shows up in my game. I have that fight that not only can I be the best player on the field, but that never give up and never say die mentality.”

“It really stems from just my origins, you know, just being in a vibrant country.”

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