Fashion and fitting in: How Lhexen Rabit balances design and sport

Now finishing his third year of Fashion Design, Lhexen Rabit wasn't always sure about his place with the men's volleyball team.

Despite playing for five years with Mountain Athletic Club and St. Jean de Brebeuf High School in his hometown of Hamilton, Rabit didn't think his days on the court would continue.

"Honestly I didn't think I'd be able to make it. I was so undersized," said Rabit, who's staying in Toronto to keep practicing with the team. "I'm the only guy under six feet."

Rabit credits his coaches for getting him this far in volleyball. "My high school coach, ever since Grade 9, was named (Jeff) Hargot. He'd been coaching me for five years, I give him a lot of credit because he gave me the freedom to play whatever I wanted."

He also mentioned Ryerson head coach Matthew Harris and former women's volleyball assistant coach Carol Onate for believing in him and bridging the gap into the OUA.

However, Rabit felt a new kind of anxiety once he reached the Rams locker room. "In first year, I had a hard time. I wasn't really out of place on the team, I just had an assumption. I'm the only player right now that's part of the LGBTQ community."

Rabit's 12 sets in his 2018-19 rookie season and "accepting and loving" teammates helped him to adjust.

"It doesn't really matter who you are, the only thing that matters is volleyball. I've always felt welcomed, I didn't feel out of place. And that's when I blossomed with the way I played, I felt like I started playing really well."

Newfound confidence led to Rabit playing in an OUA career-high 47 sets last season in 2019-20.

Underlying Rabit's athletic career is his longtime interest in fashion, something he always wanted to pursue. "Fashion was obviously my first option coming into university. It was number one, (even) when I was in Grade 10."

As the only current Ram to be studying Fashion Design, Rabit's worries about playing in the OUA carried over into the classroom.

"Sometimes I felt alone (since) a lot of my teammates are in the same programs, like Business Management. I was the only one who's in Fashion. Some guys are in Arts and Contemporary Studies, but it still doesn't relate to my program. Trying to find ways to relate to some of my teammates - I kind of lacked that."

Meanwhile, Rabit was able to form connections with his peers through late nights in fashion class, despite the program's gender disparity.

"There's a lot of girls. But I do feel really comfortable and welcome. We all kind of struggle within our program. Most of the time, we stay late in our lab, so we have that bond.

"Usually I don't get that much sleep," added Rabit, who still attends up to four practices a week with the Rams. "I'd say the drive in volleyball and in fashion is the same, although the workload is different. I really do cherish my practice time."

Rabit mentioned former roommate and women's volleyball player Samantha Cyrille as one of the fellow Rams he's closest with. "Lhexen is one of my best friends and I love him dearly," said Cyrille.

"Lhexen is a very dedicated student-athlete. (He) will pull all-nighters, miss practice, or skip out on events and hanging out with friends to get his work done.

"He is truly an amazing fashion student and I think he can inspire a lot of incoming fashion students."

Meanwhile, with no signs of fatigue, Rabit described his optimism about working in fashion.

"I feel like my undergraduate here at Ryerson is for figuring out your aesthetic with your designs. I'm kind of going back and forth with luxury fashion and streetwear."

Although he mentioned having more free time with online classes, Rabit still has plenty of design ideas.

"The fashion industry is such a big and versatile industry, you can pretty much do anything you want. I'm planning to focus on one to three sides of fashion. There's streetwear, red carpet, tailoring - there's a lot."

However, continuing with Fashion Design was at one point daunting for Rabit.

"I was actually going to switch into Fashion Communication after first year, I was scared with the workload. I just kind of gave (Design) a chance and ended up not switching.

"With Design, you're sewing the whole thing. Designing, sketching, making patterns, and then sewing your design," added Rabit, who worked on women's wear last year, and is currently sketching a men's coat this semester.

Lhexen Rabit - Menswear fashion

^{Original illustrations from Rabit's menswear designs this semester.}

Lhexen Rabit womenswear - white

^{Rabit's womenswear designs from previous semesters.}

"I do a lot of illustrations. I was really into drawing in my high school years."

Rabit is keeping his options open for future opportunities within fashion, while looking to start his own label one day. "I think the biggest goal for me is to start my own clothing line."

Currently, Rabit has been working hard towards a potential master's degree application and other brand work, even throughout COVID-19.

"I'd say my work ethic is consistent, but also going up. I never plan to stop working hard."

For more academic profiles on our student-athletes, stay tuned to ryersonrams.ca

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#16 Lhexen Rabit: S/LIB; 5' 11"; 2

Players Mentioned

#16 Lhexen Rabit
: 5' 11"; 2
: S/LIB

Players Mentioned

#16 Lhexen Rabit

Players Mentioned

#16 Lhexen Rabit