Whatever Happened to Ryan Lochte’s Clothing Line?

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As any card-carrying Lochtenator also knows, however, the athlete’s professional dreams extend far beyond the pool … to the runway. Yes, as Ryan Lochte has repeatedly reminded the press throughout the course of his Olympic career thus far, he eventually wants to become a fashion designer.

Of course, a lot has happened since the swimmer first announced his intentions to build a clothing brand eight years ago. He’s sat front row at New York Fashion Week, hobnobbed with editors and noted designers alike, slapped his name on some truly unforgettable sunglasses, and changed his style inspiration from "a mix of dressy, punk, rapper, surfer, and skateboarder" to "Ralph Lauren, but with a little edge to it."

Now, he’s about to head into his fourth Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — and while his athletic career appears to still be going strong, the same cannot be said of his seemingly stalled fashion endeavors.

Below, we’ve charted the progress — or lack thereof? — of Ryan Lochte’s elusive clothing line, from first mention to, well, the last time he brought it up. Truly, it's a saga.

So, could a Lochte fashion label finally materialize post-Rio? Or post-Tokyo, perhaps, after the 2020 Olympics? It's completely possible, folks. After all, to quote the athlete himself, "If u choose one path to get to where u wanna be in life, doesn’t mean u have to abandon all the other paths [sic]."