MADE Man Profile: Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes is no stranger to hard work. On a Friday afternoon in Toronto, he’s squeezing his final MADE fitting in between phone calls with NHL players for his upcoming segment on the NHL Network’s NHL On the Fly. On Saturday nights he appears on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, a post he’s held since retiring from the NHL after 12 seasons as a goalie.
Though he considers his career in broadcasting to be a huge honour and a privilege, he’s also recently ventured into the world of clothing with his apparel company called No5Hole. “I always wanted to do some kind of clothing or apparel line; it was just a matter of timing.” No5Hole launched in 2012 with just two sample t-shirts but has already achieved international exposure with orders shipping everywhere from Alberta to Russia.
While the company has grown global fairly quickly, Kevin admits there’s still a lot to learn about the apparel business. “We’ve learned a lot. It’s crawl, walk, run. We still see ourselves as being in the crawl phase, to be honest with you. There’s a lot to be learned.”
We sat down with Kevin to talk about designing clothes, the importance of dressing well and why he’s constantly working to accomplish more.
Hometown:Â Toronto, CanadaÂ
Occupation:Â Broadcaster on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada; Analyst on NHL Network's NHL on the Fly; Founder, No5Hole; former NHL goalieÂ
Twitter: @KevinWeekes
Website:Â http://www.weekesmedia.com
Wearing:Â Navy chalkstripe suit with peak lapels; MADE silk tie; and a pocket square by DION.Â
What’s one item in your closet that you never let go of?
“I would probably say it’s a pair of Kenzo sneakers I bought in Paris about four years ago. It actually looks like a modern take on a classic cricket boot that my dad wore playing cricket back in Barbados. It’s so universal; you can rock them with jeans, with khakis, with shorts."
What is your favourite part about designing a custom suit?
“I look at it the same way as doing a t-shirt or something for my No5Hole apparel line. It’s starting with a blank canvas, really. So it’s really what inspires you, what are you inspired by, what colour palette are you looking at, what textures are you looking at, what type of emotions are you experiencing at that time?
Going through the fabrics [with MADE], this [Navy Chalkstripe] struck a chord with me. It’s very versatile, it’s classic. You can jazz it up with a little more colour, you can tone it down with just a plain white dress shirt and a simple tie,  or no tie and just a pocket square.
I just like the whole creative aspect. I’m big on creativity. Even when I played [hockey], I was very particular about my equipment. Obviously function and protection first, but cosmetically I was always very particular about my gear. I had a pebble grey leather, other times I had a little patent in a place where it wouldn’t compromise my performance. I had another one that looked like a honeycomb-type leather. It’s just a natural extension for me.”
Do you think that dressing well gives you an edge over peers?
“I think so. For me a lot of things go back to how you were raised. I was fortunate to have great parents and my parents are very old school. They’re from Barbados, and your kids always have to be well-kept. My sister and I were always that way as kids and it became natural as I grew up to make sure I was on point. I was always at the barber shop. Those little details, for me, they became a way of life.
Our parents were always big on self-respect and respect for your last name. And now that I’ve been playing and now transitioning to TV, I’ve become quite public. And this [my suit] is my uniform. I don’t wear a mask and pads anymore and a jersey of the team I’m playing for. When I’m coming on the TV, I gotta make sure that I’m sharp. I have to make sure that I’m on point, and that everything is clean.
As long as you’re sharp and as long as you’re well put together, I do think it gives you an advantage, and I certainly think so in my case.”
When you’re not wearing a suit, what’s your go-to outfit?
“It depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing. Today I’m just wearing jeans and one of my No5Hole t-shirts. Sometimes it’s jeans and boots, sometimes it’s khakis with a boot and a leather jacket. As I say, my parents always told us, whenever you leave the house, make sure you look clean, you make sure you look presentable, cause you never know who you’re going to see.”
What’s the one trend you wish would go away?
“I would say oversized baggy suits. And no matter what frame you have, baggy, sloppy suits are not very becoming. If you’re wearing a suit and your suit’s on point and it fits you well and you look sharp, you’re going to be respected. People are going to look at you with a measure of respect.
Another one that’s not as much fashion related but just more on the grooming side: hygiene is so important. I hate when guys say, “You put on more stuff than my wife.” [Hygiene] is an extension of you; it’s a sign of respect for yourself and also the people that are around you. So don’t just be that guy who’s like, “I’ve got nobody to impress so who cares?” That’s fine if you live in a cave.”
What’s on your playlist right now?
“It’s very diverse. Right now, I’m all Earth, Wind and Fire. I’m an old school man. I love old school. I actually like the new Justin Timberlake album. I think it’s great and he’s very talented and it has kind of an old-school sound to it.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I have to go with two. One, from Michael Jordan who said, “It’s always hard to stay hungry when you’re full.” There’s somebody that had everything early. He had everything, he accomplished everything, he could fly wherever he wanted, he could wear whatever he wanted, he could eat wherever he wanted, he could date whoever he wanted. But it’s finding little tricks to show up the next day, [to] be as motivated as he was before he reached that level.
The other one is from my dad: “Hard work is the name of the game.” Because no matter how talented I was growing up, I always had an unbelievable work ethic. Always. And still do. I’m always on the move, I’m always grinding, I’m always trying to accomplish more and not be complacent with what I’ve done or what I’m doing.”
What do you think it takes to be a MADE man?
“There are so many people who are so consumed with hating on someone else, or trying to put glass ceilings on someone else. If you aspire to be different, or if you aspire to be better, you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Because you’re going to be made to feel uncomfortable. And you need to have that resolve within yourself to where you’re comfortable enough to say, “I believe in what I believe in. I stand by what I believe in.” You have to stick to your vision and have the work ethic to be able to back that up. And if you do hit that, you have to act as though you haven’t in a sense because you need to stay hungry. You can’t get complacent.”
