Being a father, Dwyane Wade believes, is learning about body odor the hard way. Never mind spending the bulk of your day in a gym with grown men, a cloud of sweat permanently suspended in the air, being in a house with teenage boys on the brink of puberty is the real nose-opener.
“When you got boys around the house, boys that don’t take care of themselves when they’re a certain age, you have to become the example,” the former NBA star and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, told WWD from inside Bloomingdale’s on 59th Street in Manhattan, celebrating the launch of men’s fragrance brand Aramis at the retailer. “When it came to all the body odor I was trying to help [my kids] with, I had to go and educate myself on it even more.”
Dwyane Wade at the Aramis x Bloomingdale’s pop-up in New York.
Wade already understood the power of fragrance, having learned from the men in his family, watching as they habitually spritzed themselves in cologne before leaving the house when he was a kid. “That was always the last little step, the last piece that just made them move a little differently and walk a little differently,” the 43-year-old athlete recalled, noting his grandfather, specifically, would always reach for Aramis.
In May, Wade was named as Aramis’ latest global ambassador and face of its new Intuition scent, a “woody and neo-fougère” blend, as described by parent company Estée Lauder. The aroma already evoked a sensorial childhood memory in Wade, riding in the backseat of his father’s car but the partnership also checked off a dream item from his bucket list.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of fragrance. I wanted to be the face of it,” Wade said. “So, when the opportunity came, they [Aramis] obviously sent me the fragrance. It was like, ‘Check these different fragrances out,’ and two years ago, I started wearing it. It was an organic relationship and one of those things that you see someone together and they just fit. It just felt like that immediately.”
Barber Donato Smith with Dwyane Wade at Bloomingdale’s.
That said, Wade’s relationship with beauty far surpasses that of his professional foray. Since his 2019 retirement from the NBA, the former Miami Heat star has found solace in keeping a strict grooming routine, working with barber Donato Smith for the last five years. “I wasn’t really on it like that before. I always washed up and did the basic thing, but now it goes way beyond,” he explained.
“I spend so much time getting ready for bed just to go to sleep, to wake up and do it all over again,” Wade said of his daily regimen, describing the process as a stress reliever. “I love getting prepared for my day now, and I love getting prepared for the night. That’s something that I’ve never had, being on a routine and just understanding the importance of it is probably my biggest change.”
When it comes to his hair, Wade admitted he’s always looking to change things up, and Smith is more than willing to help him do so. “What I love about Natto is that along our journey of our relationship, he’s educated me about grooming. He’s educated me about both my hair and my looks. We went over my looks, over my entire career, and why I liked or didn’t like this look. We really talk about the whole process,” he added.
Dwyane Wade smelling Intuition by Aramis.
Dylan Makar
The intersection of beauty and sports has recently been at the forefront of conversations, particularly the impact of personal care on performance. Wade acknowledged this, admitting that grooming wasn’t a priority when he was in the NBA.
“We only cared about grooming when we had big TV games or commercials. Now it’s getting to a different place where even when it comes to nail care, you see a lot of young athletes painting their nails, caring about their nails, and spending more time on these things that were so taboo for us as men,” he said.
Gabrielle Union, Zaya Wade and Dwyane Wade in 2024.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
This mindset shift, Wade noted, is thanks to women and the younger generation, led by individuals such as Zaya Wade, his daughter — whom he welcomed with his ex-partner Siohvaughn L. Funches — as well as his wife, actress Gabrielle Union.
“Women, y’all had the cheat code, and now we’re able to enter into some of these spaces,” he said. “I think the generation now also understands the importance of taking care of your skin. Think about how much we sweat. Think about how much dirt and how much goes on there. I think just the exposure has helped the new generation understand the importance of skin care and teach us.”