Fashion and sports have been intertwined for decades now. Athletes have become the new fashion models and even designers, and stadiums and arena tunnels have become the new walkways.
Sporting figures often have great connections to the entertainment industry. Mainly musicians, however, as time has gone on you see a lot of athletes developing relationships with fashion designers and brands. The impact one has on the other is evident
Tomas Alvarez is a semi professional soccer player and a former Fashion Design Student. He thinks that the impact between fashion and sport is clear.
“Fashion and sports have huge impacts on each other. It allows the athlete’s toe express themselves in a creative manner. Being able to express yourself through your choice of outfit gives athletes confidence to perform. Look good, play good.”
With the entertainment industry comes massive opportunity. Athletes all over the world have used their talent and marketability to become moguls in the fashion industry. Athletes like Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar have all put out personal lines of clothes, and shoes. Were also starting to see a lot more athletes come out with their own clothing and apparel lines. Lonzo Ball and his brother Lamelo are both young NBA talents who have come out with their own clothing lines to go along with their basketball lifestyle.
While fashion has become a huge talking point in sports, it seems like some athletes can get caught up in the fabric of the wrong business. When athletes focus on their outfits and appearance and fail to perform well, fans and media can quickly turn on them. There has been plenty of instances where athletes have been called out in the media for their expressive and eye catching outfits when their performances in their sport are below par.
Montana Gemmel is a fashion design graduate who thinks that athletes are a little more focused on what they look like compared to back in the day.
“I do think athletes are more focused on how they look now. There are way more cameras all the time, and way more eyes on them at all times. And now with social media athletes have almost become influencers, so they always want to look the part as well!”
Like art, fashion is subjective. However, the importance and connection between fashion and sports is not. As long as sports are seen as high entertainment value, there will always be a strong relationship with fashion. Designers and brands will continue to build partnerships with athletes, while athletes will look to continue to build their own brand. In the end, it leads to a world of endless possibilities for everyone involved.
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