Only a few months have passed since, last summer, comparisons began between catwalks and sports fields. The occasion was the Paris 2024 Olympics which, thanks to the context of a city synonymous with fashion, were defined as fashion shows in “extra format”, boasting a duration of sixteen days and incalculable catwalks, engineered as connecting lines between the sports fields. The mix between the two sectors – fashion and sport – has reached such a level that tunnel walk – English for the stretch between the arena and the changing rooms – e defiler they defined a single red carpet seamlessly. And, as on the red carpets of Hollywood memory, at the (fashion) Olympics what matters is the MIV® (Media Impact Value™). This is a measurement standard patented by the Launchmetrics platform to allow brands to attribute a monetary value to each of their collaborations, be it a social post, an editorial or the appearance of a star on a red carpet. And so, even sports uniforms, the functional garment par excellence, have been invested with the economic-aesthetic index of the Fashion System – the aforementioned MIV®.
In a sort of arms race, the Maisons compete for the rights to design the clothing of competing teams and champions, aware of gaining visibility and economic return. For the last Olympics, the home winner was the French conglomerate LVMH: Louis Vuitton, Dior and Berluti supplied the team uniforms, Chaumet created the medals, while the Möet Hennessy drinks division provided the champagne for the celebrations. And so the branding of the sporting Olympus was achieved. And vice versa: at the Autumn Winter 2024/2025 haute couture fashion shows the Olympic fever was palpable. Sportswear? In the summer of the Paris Olympics? Pure avant-garde. Yet, quotes aside, those by Schiaparelli, Thom Browne and Dior – just to name a few – were true athcouture – synthetic neologism between athleisure and couture. In short, if it is true that, as Karl Lagerfeld claimed, “Tracksuit trousers are a sign of defeat: when you lose control of your life, you buy a pair”, these should also be banned from Olympic villages and high competitions. Replaced, of course, by appropriate uniforms couture.
The theme is all the more relevant today the closer we get to the final stages of the 2024 World Series – the playoff series between the champions of the two main professional baseball leagues in North America: the American League (AL) and the National League (NL ), which together constitute Major League Baseball (MLB). And, even more so, as this year’s clash is worthy of the best Hollywood cinema. On one side, the New York Yankees, led by the outfield giant Aaron Judge, on the other, the Union Dodgers, led by Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best baseball player in recent history. The former has been an ambassador for Ralph Lauren Fragrances since last March, the latter is already an ambassador for Hugo Boss and New Balance. Both boast a notable following, with an increase in searches for their respective teams on dedicated merchandising sites ranging from 60 to 120% in the days following the matches – and, above all, the victories. Off the court, “New York vs. Los Angeles” is a contest between the country’s largest, most culturally distinct and most geographically opposed cities. Like their teams, they are steeped in history and glamour. For fashion, it is pure wealth to invest.
“Fashion brands are capitalizing on the most important baseball World Series of recent decades”, is the title of Lei Takanashi’s latest editorial for BoF dedicated to the not-so-sacred union between fashion, sport and business. As Takanashi points out, nothing (so) new: Gucci has been collaborating with Major League Baseball for the creation of Gucci-branded sportswear lines since 2018. Prices start from seven hundred dollars for a cap and reach thirteen thousand for a pair of denim jeans. Not your usual stadium merchandise, that’s for sure. And this is confirmed by the fact that vintage garments are often worth more than new ones. And so does The Supreme, who has always used the logos of baseball teams alongside his own for high-profit collaborations. The New Era brand, long-time license holder of the MLB logos, officially entered streetwear culture just when director Spike Lee asked for a custom-made cap with the Yankees logo for the 1996 World Series. Today the hat is considered a limited edition luxury.
From the moment of the request, the time required to obtain the permits is considerable: three years passed before the moccasin brand Blackstock & Weber obtained the license for co-ed Yankees and Mets footwear. Not to mention the costs of obtaining these licenses – which, however, are soon paid by the media value of shares, posts, reposts and dedicated articles. And then, of course, there is the value of the goods sold, strictly sold-out: at the beginning of the year the New York or Nowhere brand launched a co-ed collection with the New York Yankees. At the start of the World Series the inventory was almost depleted.
In addition to the lucky few who manage to obtain such licenses – Ralph Lauren is also mentioned among the Maisons – there are those who, even without a license, try to capitalize on sport. New York or Nowhere itself promoted a collection of unauthorized products with Yankees-inspired colors to make up for the depletion of official products. The sports brand Undefeated, in collaboration with Nike and Union Los Angeles, organizes parties complete with a projection of the match in the background. In the meantime, the red carpet of the All Star Game becomes increasingly important: in the general dispersion of ratings and views between the various streaming, on demand and social platforms, the sporting match remains in fact a unique capable of concentrating millions of glances on a single screen, at the same time. It applies to baseball, like basketball, football, Formula 1, the Olympics and, more recently, to tennis, where a large part has been played by the cinematographic boom of Challengers (2024). At this point we ask ourselves, Who’s Next?
Harper’s Bazaar Fashion List
Bottega Veneta oval acetate glasses
Maglia in cashmere The Row
Burberry mini canvas bucket bag
