OPINION
Laura Craik is a writer and editor for the Daily Telegraph.
The most decorated gymnast in history could be poised to command a slew of top-flight fashion endorsements.
When pressed, most fairweather sports fans would probably concede that of the 32 categories in this year’s Olympic Games, gymnastics is their favourite. There’s something eminently watchable about a sport that inspires fear and awe in equal measure. How do they do that, when you can barely touch your toes? Truly, the human body – and mind – is a thing of wonder.
In a sky full of Olympic stars, nobody shines brighter than Simone Biles. With an estimated net worth of US$20 million ($34m) – US$7m ($12m) of which comes from endorsement deals, according to Forbes – the 27 year-old US gymnast delighted her fans by qualifying for the finals in all five of the individual events she’s competing in, making her the hands-down favourite to win a slew of golds.
That it also makes her the hands-down favourite to win a host of fashion accolades is yet another win for an athlete who has overcome physical and mental adversity. Sunday’s debut at the Bercy Arena in Paris was a tonic to the thousands who’ve been rooting for her: Tom Cruise, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Jessica Chastain and Lady Gaga were among those cheering her on in the stands. As Biles waved to her parents, Ron and Nellie, she looked relaxed and happy, with not even a niggly calf injury stealing her smile. Her stellar performance was echoed wonderfully by her leotard, a black mesh affair embellished with 10,000 Swarovski crystals hand-stitched into constellations of stars. Biles has eight of them, at an estimated £2333 ($5037) each.
Bling-lover as she indubitably is, her sparkling leotard is unlikely to be her zenith. Experts predict Biles is now poised to become a fashion muse, joining tennis stars Serena Williams and Emma Raducanu as a female athlete with the rare ability to command a slew of top-flight fashion endorsements.
Whether she will join Raducanu as an ambassador for Tiffany & Co. or Dior, or Williams as an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, only time will tell. According to Sara McCorquodale, founder of influencer intelligence company, CORQ, Biles would be a natural fit with a heritage luxury brand that would dovetail with her own significant legacy. “She should be tied to brands which have equal standing and longevity in the culture, or some aspect which reflects her talent and personality,” she says. “A Cartier partnership would have lasting power, but also the internet would go wild if she partnered with Loewe, Miu Miu or Marc Jacobs. Thom Browne would also be quite cool.”
In terms of earnings, the sky’s the limit. “She would make millions if the right partnerships were in place,” says McCorquodale. “She is a global talent and would be relevant in multiple markets. The strategy would have to be a combination of multi-year global ambassadorships and more unexpected short-term brand deals that would allow her to show her personality and have continued relevancy.”
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Advertise with NZME.While the world is busy watching “The Biles” (a double layout with a half-twist in the second flip first performed when she was 16) the fashion world is likely to be tying itself in knots of its own, as brands vie to sign her. Those who didn’t already know that Paris is the fashion capital of the world were left in no doubt after watching Saturday’s opening ceremony. As well as placing fashion front and centre of the four-hour event by dressing star performers Celine Dion and Lady Gaga in custom Dior, even the fabled Olympic torch was given a couture make-over, courtesy of a bespoke trunk hand-crafted by Louis Vuitton. Not for nothing is LVMH (parent company of Vuitton and Dior) owner Bernard Arnault the richest man in the world. When it comes to promoting his brands on a global stage, he is a genius.
How to follow on from stamping your brand all over the Olympic opening ceremony? By signing up one of its most distinguished and well-loved athletes. For Biles is a uniquely modern star. As well as being the most decorated gymnast in history with seven Olympic and 30 World Championship medals, she’s also unusually candid about her mental health, a quality that particularly endears her to younger fans who value honesty and transparency as much as talent.
After devoting her life to the gruelling pursuit of gymnastic excellence, in 2018 Biles revealed she was one of “many” women to have been abused by Team USA’s former gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar. In 2021, she opted out of the team final in Tokyo’s Olympic games after suffering from the “twisties”, a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose track of their position whilst in midair. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardise my health and wellbeing,” she told reporters at the time.
While her decision stunned some fans, her efforts to draw attention to the mental health of athletes immediately placed her in the position of role model. Little wonder Beyonce called her “my girl Simone – born to fly, destined to inspire” in a Team USA promo video.
While she’s spoken honestly about the pressures that come with being a role model, it’s a position Biles takes seriously. “Power. Perseverance. Passion. The three Ps form the foundation of Simone Biles’ success,” notes her website. “Take a look at these brands I believe in.” These include an eclectic range, from the womenswear brand Athleta to the popular US cereal, Wheaties. She also endorses Powerade, cybersecurity company Axonius and Nulo pet food.
Notably absent from the list, however, are any fashion, beauty or jewellery partnerships. However well Biles does in the 2024 Olympics, it’s still a mystery as to why they haven’t come calling before.
As well as being a superstar athlete, she is also eminently relatable – a typical 27-year-old who wears ripped jeans and sports jackets when off-duty, whose down-to-earth attitude plays out well with the sort of young, cool consumer with whom beleaguered luxury brands are so keen to connect. On Instagram, she likes to regale her eight million followers with a compelling mix of updates from her personal and professional life, including her 2023 wedding to NFL player Jonathan Owen, whom she married in Cabo, Mexico. That she eschewed a big-name designer for a gown by the lesser-known Galia Lahav speaks volumes about her pragmatic approach to fashion.
“Simone is without doubt one of the most marketable athletes in the world, so there are probably numerous reasons why she isn’t as prolific commercially as others,” notes Elgar Johnson, editor in chief of sport, style and culture magazine CircleZeroEight.
“One of which is that the fashion industry isn’t heavily educated about the world of sport. They’re two very different industries, meaning fashion will tend to lean into more mainstream sports such as football or tennis. With or without billboards, she will be remembered as a true icon in sport and popular culture.
“Managers of athletes are not always positive about brand partnerships as they don’t want their clients to have any distractions,” notes McCorquodale. “It makes more sense to bide their time from multiple perspectives. The roadmap for athletes’ careers is plotted with such care if they have good people around them – not everyone does. The fact Simone isn’t working with any big fashion, beauty or jewellery brands suggests there is a plan and it will happen when she and her team want it to, not when they are approached.”
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Advertise with NZME.Handily, the next round of fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris falls just weeks after the Olympics closing ceremony – could she strike while the iron is hot?
Whoever comes calling, Biles is sure to do things her way, choosing brands that align with her values over any promise of big bucks. She doesn’t need the money – but even if she did, you sense she’d rather keep her integrity than sign it over to a brand or product that she doesn’t believe in. For that alone, in today’s avaricious culture, she deserves a medal.
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