From concerts to parties to casual looks, Taylor Swift has aced them with her dressing sense. Her look on January 9 that went viral was nothing new that happened to Taylor but the gratitude and appreciation she received from Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe Bryant, as the songstress was wearing a necklace that had a quote of the late Kobe Bryant in it.
This gesture done by Taylor in regard to her late husband was appreciated by Vanessa; she even shared a picture of the necklace on her Instagram story while thanking Taylor. Other than the necklace, Swift’s overlook was subtle but elevating.
Taylor Swift wore a necklace with Kobe Bryant’s quote on it
Taylor Swift was captured in a not-so-dressy vibe look but in a chill vibe outfit in New York City on January 11. Swift was wearing a fuzzy jacket with cream as its base and light brown zebra prints on it over an olive-green top that she had paired with black leggings.
The accessories she was wearing with the outfit were more of a sweet bond she holds with the Bryant family than a casual accessory. Swift had paired her outfit with a delicate silver necklace, and what makes it special is the quote written on it, which was by the late NBA player Kobe Bryant (41) who had died in a flight crash in January 2020 along with his daughter Gianna (13).
The necklace that Swift was wearing is from a limited edition that was designed for Mamacita Foundation’s capsule collection in collaboration with jewelry designer Zoë Chicco. This is a non-profit foundation founded by the late football player’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, in memory of her husband and daughter.
From the limited-edition collection, Swift opted for a round pendant piece surrounded by cluster diamonds on its circle with Kobe’s quote ‘Bet on yourself’ in the middle of the pendant’s black space with gold color. The quote is very special and close to Bryant’s because it was something he usually used to say.
After seeing the picture of the pendent, Kobe’s widow, Vanessa went emotional about how Taylor’s love for the Bryant family has not been outdated yet. Seeing her embracing her late husband’s quote, Vanessa posted the picture of the pendant on her Instagram story on January 12 and wrote ‘Love’ along with a ‘Swifties’ sticker, as per US Weekly.
This wasn’t the first time that Taylor has embraced Kobe’s quote. Earlier, during her interview with TIME, Person of the Year, she had used his mantra of ‘Bet on Yourself’. While she was sharing that they’d met all the studios, all the streamers, and then they’d sized up the way it was perceived and valued,
Further, Swift told the outlet, “Ultimately, I did what I tend to do more and more often these days, which is to bet on myself,” in a December 2023 profile.
Her statement, ‘bet on myself’ was where she used Kobe’s ‘Bet on Yourself’ mantra. Noticing this, Vanessa posted a screenshot of this article from TIME on her story, with ‘Love You’ alongside it.
Kobe and Swift have been sharing a bond since 2015, when he surprised her during her 1989 tour stop in Los Angeles. The surprise was to celebrate Swift’s record 16 sold-out concerts at the Lakers’ Arena. At that time, Kobe was playing with the L.A. team, and he represented her with a championship banner that would hang from the rafters.
While posting the moment on Instagram, Kobe wrote, “Friends hang from time to time, but banners hang forever, @taylorswift” at the time. Kobe and Vanessa shared four daughters: Gianna, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. After the tragic deaths of Kobe and Gianna, Taylor sent her condolences to his wife and the other three daughters.
To date, she has kept her bond with her dead friend’s wife and daughters. Recently, Vanessa and her youngest children attended the Swifts Eras Tour Concert in August 2023. When they stopped in Los Angeles, she gifted Bianka, 6, her ‘22’ hat in the middle of the show. The moment was featured in the Grammy’s Winner’s October 2023 concert film as well.
When Kobe Bryant and his daughter died in that tragic accident, she shared her condolences with his family by saying, “My heart is in pieces, hearing the news of this imaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all.”
Further, Swift wrote on her X account (formerly Twitter), “sending my prayers of love and endless condolence to Venusa, the family, and anyone who lost someone on that flight” in January 2020.
