Nigel Xavier has brought creative brilliance and boundless innovation to fashion since winning Next in Fashion Season 2 on Netflix in 2023. Known as the “patchwork king” and the “wizard of denim,” Xavier has captured the imagination of the fashion world through his upcycled, avant-garde streetwear designs.

Bringing a keen sense of luxe to upcycled garments, the “patchwork king” transforms second-hand materials into bold runway statements as his rise has been meteoric since his reality design series appearance. Xavier explains, “When I was younger, I didn’t have money to buy unique clothes, so I’d go into my closet and rework everything. There wasn’t anything in my closet that I hadn’t touched or altered. That’s when I realized I needed to take it to the next level and learn everything about it.”

His journey is far from conventional, and as he takes on new challenges, he’s now teaming up with Meta AI for something unexpected—redefining game-day fashion for the University of Texas and football fans everywhere. “It was more of a life decision that brought me into fashion,” describes Xavier.

“I’d been playing football since I was around 10 years old, through pee wee football, and I even had scholarships. But I realized I didn’t want to be a football player anymore. I wasn’t into working out or the lifestyle. Plus, I was injured a couple of times.”

“That’s when I realized football wasn’t for me. I started feeling more fashion – dressing differently, and that’s when I knew I needed to find something else I was passionate about. As soon as the football season ended, there was an after-school program that introduced me to styling, modeling, and designing. I dove deep into it, and that’s when I decided to go to school for this.”

Today, Xavier is coming of age in fashion, using Meta AI and how it enhances his approach to football and college pride and his fashion design. This collaboration with Meta comes through their “Super Fan” campaign, a movement aimed at tapping into the passions of sports enthusiasts while integrating Meta AI’s capabilities to enhance their experiences.

Xavier states, “I’m super excited to be part of this. You know, continuing to work with Meta, especially on this project, feels like it speaks to my story — how I started in football and then transitioned into fashion. And now we’re bringing this AI tech approach to it, and it’s super helpful to the process and everything.”

“It cuts out so much of the time you’d usually spend searching for things. I can ask what colorways work together, and AI will give me color theory. For this project, I could ask, ‘What are the key things that make you a Super Fan of UT Austin?’ It will give me answers like the longhorns and the “hook-’em-horns” signal. It even gave me textures to play with for the sweatsuit. When my friend is busy, I can go to Meta AI, and it’ll give me those second ideas instantly.”

In Xavier’s case, the fusion of technology and fashion uniquely manifests itself. For Nigel, this partnership is personal. A football superfan, he’s leveraging Meta AI to create a fashion-forward patchwork sweatsuit for the University of Texas at Austin. This isn’t just any outfit—it’s a reimagining of game-day style, infused with the cultural pride and tradition that college football brings.

“I think this is going to be key for people keeping up in such a fast-paced industry,” Xavier predicts. “It cuts time on finding inspiration – and helps with sustainability because you can work through ideas without wasting materials. I haven’t felt like AI is overstepping my natural creativity. It’s just making it easier [for us] to expand on ideas we might not think of naturally. It’s like a superpower, and everyone will have access to it, so it’s all about what you do with that power.”

“I’m naturally intuitive, so, it aligns perfectly with what I do – make me stronger in what I have to do.” Xavier’s role in Meta’s “Super Fan” campaign is part of a larger initiative to showcase how AI can deepen the fan experience. From connecting superfans to their favorite athletes to offering creative ways to express team loyalty, Meta AI is empowering users across the spectrum.

“Growing up, I’ve experienced all those college football moments, but for this project, I haven’t been able to experience the energy of UT Austin firsthand. AI helped me capture that. It was like a cheat code, helping me become a super fan and understand their culture.” Whether through customized recipes for a football watch party courtesy of rapper Action Bronson, or AI-driven sports trivia with Texas football stars, the campaign is opening up new ways for fans to engage with their passions and creatives to engage with their fans.