Liivik is a Finnish-Estonian ice hockey legend, entertainer, rapper and self-professed supermodel. His flair as an athlete and media personality also translates into his bold fashion choices. Welcome to Liivik’s closet and admire his well-curated style: you will find plenty of nods to the 90s, some great sunglasses, and a lot of swag. To quote Vogue Scandinavia: “Siim Liivik has never shied away from ruffling feathers with his personal style – whether it was sporting an azure mohawk and a moto leather jacket to elementary school at seven years old or showing up to work in the national television with a fire-engine red buzzcut.”
“One of my first clothes-related memories is about my grandma always wearing this super-nice headscarf. She had a special way of styling it, and I remember taking great care of it. It's interesting that, at some point, Kanye and other rappers began to replicate this baboushka style!
And I remember those rather fancy sandals that I had as a kid, that my mom still says cost her a fortune. I think they had wooden soles.”
“My style has not really evolved following other people, it’s rooted in books that I read, films that I watch, sports, music, and architecture. It has been this way since I was little. It’s all about the energy, really.
I’ve lived in Helsinki since I was 4 years old. And when spending summers in Post-Soviet Estonia, I saw and felt the difference.
As a teenager, snowboarders and skaters' style seemed super-cool. There was a Finnish brand, MicMac, that I was really into, and of course, Fubu! And I remember those times, when Vans were a rare sight - now everyone and their mom have them. But with shoes, there was nothing better than Osiris sneakers! I worked through my entire school summer vacation to get myself a pair. I had to get 600 markka, which felt like a million in that moment. I wore these into pieces.’”
“It is so different when you only have like 10 things in your closet. You really do care about and take care of your clothes when resources are scarce, and my mom didn't have a lot of money. So everything I had was very valuable to me. This is something that I try to do to this day, to take care of my things and to appreciate them. I actually wish I had less stuff these days, but as I do a lot of TV and on TV you are expected to look a certain way and provide some variability, that’s not really an option yet.”
“There is no style without charisma. And it’s impossible to pretend to have it, if you don’t - at least for me. If you have charisma, charm, then you can wear absolutely anything and look good anyway.
There are some basics to remember: like if a guy has a potbelly, it’s better to stay away from white t-shirts two sizes too small. Just wear black, dude!
I´m not obsessed with mirrors but I do enjoy looking good. I work out every day, but now I do it for fun and to feel good. Before, when I was a professional athlete, it was different because it was mandatory. One of the reasons I have to move is because you get so many traumas as a pro and you need to maintain good physical health, so they won't start reminding you of themselves. I walk or run with my dog at least 10 kilometers per day. I also do Thai boxing and play tennis - I prefer it to padel. Tennis is a tough game; you need a proper partner who is at least as good as you are to progress and have fun!”
“I used to shop at places like Zara, but at some point I got really into second-hand. This Paramount green leather jacket, I got it from Pärnu’s vintage store Zigrimigriz. Another one of my favourite things is a suede jacket that I got from Lasnamäe Humana. It used to be a great store to find cool stuff. I overall really like leather jackets, hard to say no when I find a cool one! And let’s be honest, it’s rarely warm enough for shorts in Finland, it’s mostly jacket weather, be it winter or summer.”
“I’m a bit jealous of women, because they have so many more different choices. I would totally wear a skirt, but I think I would not look good in it though, with my body type.”
“I think that street style in Helsinki is relatively cool. People are up to trying different stuff, are not affraid of making mistakes and that’s nice. There are a lot of interesting, bold, unapologetic looks. Tallinn is also becoming better and better in that way.
I really love seeing someone wearing something absolutely bat-shit crazy and owning it!”