Athletes are models, too.
The weekly SheGotGame sports + style round-up featuring Wemby x LV, PWHL style and more.
Hi friends and strangers,
It’s time to get into the big sports, fashion and sneaker stories of the past week. As a programming note, this weekly recap will always be free every Monday. In addition, at least one extra article will drop weekly for paying subscribers covering shopping advice, product reviews and likely, lots of rants on brand missteps, athlete fashion foibles, and more. Have any requests? Leave a comment if you’re a subscriber or message me on social media. I’ll be doing my best to bring sustainability storylines and context whenever possible. I wish all my content could be specifically bringing eco issues into the world of sports and fashion but often, it’s still treated like an afterthought.
Also, I’ve relaunched my website - MeganAnnWilson.com - where you can find my portfolios, ways to hire me (panels, podcasts, styling, creative direct, etc.!) and more. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Now, let’s dive into all things aesthetic and athletic.
The Style Set Gets Sporty and Vogue is Going for Olympic Gold
Something I noticed post-Super Bowl and NBA All-Star weekend was the drop-off between online fashion commentators and writers covering the NFL vs. the NBA. I’ve always lived in a bit of a bubble that the NBA - along with international soccer - hold the top podium as the most fashionable - or at least style-conscious - athletes in the world. However, I forget the sheer numbers that the Super Bowl and the NFL in general bring in, especially with certain Swiftie. For example, the NBA All-Star Saturday night and Sunday night games took in 5.4 million viewers for the former and 5.5 million viewers for the latter, respectively. Meanwhile, the NFL broke records with the most-watched telecast in history, bringing in 123.4 million viewers across all platforms. Forbes even called the Super Bowl in Las Vegas “NFL Fashion Week”.
Now granted, we are comparing the All-Star Game to the Super Bowl, when the more apt comparison is the Pro Bowl (I opted to watch the Puppy Bowl instead, thanks). However, as someone who watches for athlete style and brand storylines and has covered six NBA All-Star games in the flesh, I can tell you that ASW generally has way more style interest than the NBA Finals. It also tends to happen during or right after New York Fashion Week which allows for some cross-platform content and in general - remember when LeBron James hosted the NBA Fashion Show at All-Star in New York? But I found it fascinating to see fashion writers jumping into the area, like one of my favorites Amy Odell, who wrote about how the NFL “gave the Best PR for It Bags” in her excellent Substack newsletter. Meanwhile, fashion accounts shared tunnel fits with a fever normally reserved for runway photos.
This leads me to wonder - how will fashion fit into the 2024 Olympics in Paris this July and August? Well, I got my answer as I was writing this newsletter. Today, Vogue announced that they will host a joint, one-off fashion show in collaboration with French fashion brands at the iconic Place Vendome on International Olympic Day, June 23rd. Branded as Vogue World: Paris, it also happens to take place at the start of the haute couture week and the tail end of men’s fashion week, a popular destination for off-season professional athletes looking to be seen and the NBA Finals should be wrapping up around the same time. As of now, Jacquemus, Balmain and Louis Vuitton will all be collaborating with Vogue for the event that’s been heralded as a combination fashion show, performances and a celebration as it will be the first time that City of Lights has hosted the Olympics in 100 years. J'attends avec impatience!
Louis Vuitton’s Lone Star Statement
There is a Louis Vuitton billboard in San Antonio, Texas - that is not a sentence I ever imagined I would have typed in previous NBA seasons. It’s no shade to Texas, but before the Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama - there wasn’t a lot of commotion on the high fashion front in San Antonio. On the heels of All-Star weekend, it was announced that Wembanyama (aka Wemby) had signed as the newest brand ambassador. Discussions have been in the works since 2023 when Wemby was still playing in France, but it should come as no surprise as he wore the brand for the NBA Draft and throughout his appearances in Indiana. LV is no stranger to sport, having worked with athletes as both models and ambassadors well before Pharrell Williams took over at the helm of the men’s side of the brand in February 2023. In the past, there have been plenty of tennis, soccer and even sailing athletes working with the heritage brand and Louis Vuitton created trunks for multiple sports’ hardware including the FIFA World Cup Trophy and NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy. But there seems to be a larger push for more North American athletes since Williams took over as in the past there have been plenty of tennis, soccer and even sailing athletes working with the heritage brand. Case in point, LeBron James - a long-time LV fan - modelling the most recent collection.
However, one part of the deal I’m not seeing discussed is the fact that this can be seen as Louis Vuitton’s continued push into the Lone Star state. Back in 2019, LV opened a 100,000-square-foot factory in Alvarado, Texas called the Rochambeau Ranch (it’s also LV’s third American factory). The Ranch focuses on training artisans and creating LV flagship projects like bags and the recent boots seen in creative director Pharrell Williams’ western-influenced FW2024 runway show. They’ve also set up Client Services Center in Irving, Texas alongside their main Paris and NYC operations furthering their imprint in the state, well before the Spurs drafted Wemby. The terms of the ambassadorship seem to state that Wemby will wear the brand’s wares before and after games, model in campaigns and generally do the sportsman version of the actor brand agreement, although I’m not certain if they have exclusive rights on his off-court gear. Louis Vuitton is also a premium partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and with Wemby along with the (hopefully) the world’s best hoopers heading to Paris, it’ll be interesting to see what they can cook up for the summer.
PWHL Scores On Style
As someone who grew up reading both Vogue and Sports Illustrated while also working on major junior hockey broadcasts for course credit in high school (go Ottawa 67’s!) - I’m always holding out hope that the NHL would start getting their act together on the fashion front. We’ve had players like Sean Avery, and Henrik Lundqvist (both Rangers, go figure) and now young players like William Nylander are Loewe fans (bless you, JW Anderson) and even the Hockey News is writing about NHL All-Star style!
But honestly, for the most part, attempts to make hockey a more stylish sport have rarely worked and efforts often come off a bit clunky or just a bit disingenuous. Do we need a tunnel cam if it’s all sweats and boring suits? That’s why I’m so excited to see how the PWHL is embracing style as part of the league’s DNA from the start. We’ve seen “Walk-Ins” sponsored videos for arrival outfits and game day fit checks for both home and away and on players’ social media. Having the content come directly from the athletes helps it all feel more genuine.
The league is also participating in Black History Month with some great team merchandise like these shirts worn by PWHL New York, designed by Dana Mack (although it would be nice if we could buy the shirts, too). Custom apparel is also coming into the fold, with Carly Jackson wearing a custom “Battle on Bay Street” jacket made by Seven (check out the creation video) to commemorate the game between Toronto and Montreal that broke attendance records, highlighted in their Walk-In cam.
We’ve even seen the first embracing of off-ice style trickled down into young women and girls, like this Twitter user’s daughter wearing a pink blazer in honor of PWHL Ottawa’s leading scorer (and most fashion forward, tbh) Lexie Adzija’s pink suit. It’s the first time I remember seeing the sport of hockey embrace more than just a cool jersey or a good suit but individuality off the ice which seems to be translating to fans supporting in-person and online. It makes sense for both the young girls who play watching, seeing that their favourite athletes can like dressing however they want, showing their personality as well as for marketing as it makes the athletes more fun and allows for more content and sponsorship opportunities. The NHL should take notice and honestly, I’m having a hard time deciding which PWHL team to support because they’re all bringing the right of energy.
Jacqumeus x Nike Nails It
The new Jacqumeus x Nike collection is here and as expected, the viral pieces - like the Instagram bait swoosh bag - are sold out. The other pieces, much like most items from the cute and French brand feature their signature skimpy styling, core color palette (black, cream, red and pink, shades of browns, gold hardware, etc.) and not a ton of material but plenty of cool-girl appeal. However, the real highlight of this collection is the branding and model, Sha’Carri Richardson, a track superstar who will be competing for the United States in the upcoming Olympics.
Richardson looks stunning and it’s honestly refreshing to see an athletic woman in a brand generally only worn by the tall and lithe. I don’t have much more to say besides it’s a bit over-priced (for example - $150 for shorts - that is on the high end for Nike, average for Jacqumeus but personally, I only buy the brand on sale on SSENSE or second hand), probably won’t hold up for strenuous workouts but it would be great for hot summer nights, beach trips and honestly, I am trying to talk myself out of le short and the haute drape bra top because I am only one woman (who also wears a Jacqumeus 38 and looks good in pink and red).
Extra Credit
If you ever so much as watched an MLB game, you’ve probably seen at least a sampling of the fans freaking out over the Fanatics x Nike new uniforms. There is a lot to be angry about - odd sizing of nameplates, see-through pants (is it just due to studio lighting?), odd script and more. While I have plenty to say, in the meantime I’d recommend a few pieces to start with if you’re looking to dive deep into the world of uniform outcry.
Uniwatch - Nike? Fanatics? Nope, Turns Out It’s MLB’s Fault! (Maybe)
SportsLogos.Net - MLB Answers My Questions About those New Nike Uniforms
The Atlantic - What Happened to Baseball Jerseys?
Did anything else catch your eye this week? Let me know.
Stay safe and stay true,
Megan