{"id":227569,"date":"2021-10-26T12:11:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T10:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/?p=227569"},"modified":"2021-10-26T12:12:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T10:12:13","slug":"sports-merchandising-enters-the-fashion-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/sports-merchandising-enters-the-fashion-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports merchandising enters the fashion game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professional league sportswear moves out of its marginal design sphere and into the fashion game. Sports organisations thus capitalise on the sartorial prowess of their athletes through a series of collaborations with which to elevate their economic power.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This long-awaited renewal of sports merchandising has been joined by firms such as Rowing Blazers<\/strong>, which in February launched a collaboration with the NBA<\/strong>. The result: a selection of designer pieces, both tailored and sporty, that subtly evoked the American collegiate aesthetic.<\/p>\n

Beyond the college-inspired cult label, countless luxury and contemporary brands have championed the revival of these restricted codes in the sporting sphere. Elder Statesman<\/strong>, Louis Vuitton,<\/strong> and Canada Goose<\/strong> have been getting in on the game through collections with the NBA. While Gucci<\/strong> and Polo Ralph Lauren<\/strong> did the same but with the MLB<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Rowing Blazers x NBA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But here sport is not exclusively married to luxury. Other firms such as the handbag brand nana-nana<\/strong><\/a> (with the NBA), or BaubleBar<\/strong> and H&M<\/strong> also took part in this game of liberation in sports fashion, partnering with the NFL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We speak, in this context, of freedom because not many years ago, in 2005, leagues such as the NBA<\/strong> established very strict dress codes<\/strong>: a uniform that required athletes to wear “business casual attire” at games. Accessories such as chains or pendants were forbidden, as well as any kind of headgear.<\/p>\n

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Gucci x MLB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the next 15 years we have seen how athletes have been breaking down all those stylistic barriers, making the pre\/post-game a red carpet. Now those products styled by the players directly influence the results of the brands, who obviously want to establish that creative coalition with the leagues.<\/p>\n

THE FASHION GAMERS<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In this same universe, one of the most significant collaborations is undoubtedly that of Louis Vuitton and the NBA<\/strong><\/a>. This May, they launched their new collection, created by Virgil Abloh<\/strong>, which paid tribute to the league’s heyday in the 90s.<\/p>\n