Through a tunnel, in between slipping into and out of a sports uniform, personal style gave New York Fashion Week a run for its money.
On the opening night of the Super Bowl LVIII on Monday, some of the world’s leading NFL players served looks befitting of a New
Besides Usher trying to do choreography in a pair of rollerskates as the main event’s halftime performer, the other curiosity that caught my eye was the fashion on parade down a tunnel, as players walked through on their way to get dressed for the opening game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Like the men who frequented Marie Antoinette’s court during the 18th century, the level of peacocking on display was unprecedented. But flamboyant sports players are nothing new.
We caught a smidgen of this more recently in the Netflix documentary Beckham, where at the peak of his career, David Beckham single-handedly redefined masculinity for a generation with his off-duty fashion.
Even in between games when he was required to wear his team’s regulatory number ones, David still managed to effortlessly add a layer of “brand Beckham” into the ensemble. Whether it was an Alice headband to scrape his golden locks off his face or a Louis Vuitton Keepall thrust nonchalantly over the shoulder, David permitted an entire generation of men to enjoy (and indulge) in a pursuit considered effeminate even during the 90s. Here was a lad from humble beginnings who wasn’t Elton John, David Bowie or Adam Ant, other men who challenged the status quo, albeit from an industry more fluid than sports.
Even before Beckham in the US, former NBA star Dennis Rodman ushered in a radical take on fashion with his preference for womenswear, piercing, tattoos and green hair. At the time it challenged a puritanical nation and opened up the possibility for people playing sports to embrace their style.
Sports and fashion have long had a symbiotic relationship, but in 2024, we’re expecting to see this reach an ever bigger scale with the impending Paris Olympics in July.
It’s unsurprising. The public have an insatiable appetite for content that demands a constant drawing of the curtain. Behind-the-scenes fodder that satiates the consumer’s desire to know everything — what players are wearing, when they’re off the field, when they arrive at the stadium, and what they wear after the stadium.
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Brands such as Balenciaga and Wales Bonner have reimagined the nostalgia of retro-inspired sports as everyday wear through their respective collaborations with sportswear behemoth adidas.
And while Millennials have been sporting activewear and athleisure wear as everyday wear for some time now, a new generation demands a little more style.
We see this with micro internet sports-adjacent trends such as bloke/blokette-core and ballet core. Sports are used as a base of inspiration for an outfit that feels a little more complete, a little more thought-out.
And we saw this at the Super Bowl, a sports event where fashion has always played second fiddle to the more glamorous tunnel fashion historically seen at its basketball counterpart, the NBA.
There at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, players chose to flaunt their style (and their wealth) as they used their tunnel walk to their changing rooms as a photo opportunity to document their personal brand, something savvy sports players are increasingly seeing the value in; a new generation of sports stars who are taking a stylish leaf out of pioneers like Rodman and Beckham.
Taylor Swift’s beau, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, arrived at the Super Bowl wearing a custom outfit by LA-based menswear brand Amiri. Working with designer Mike Amiri, Travis settled on a silhouette from the brand’s spring/summer 2024 collection made from a black bouclé fabric woven with shimmering paillettes as a nod to Las Vegas.
Known for his outré sense of fashion, the remarkable thing is Travis doesn’t work with a stylist.
Recent street-style sightings of Travis include him wearing designs from a range of artisanal brands such as Marni and KidSuper. He’s a fan of upcycled clothes too, wearing several pieces from Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who himself wore a jacket designed by his wife made from repurposed old jerseys that he wore in high school.
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Advertise with NZME.Like Brand Beckham — which combines the potent power of pop and sports — Travis’ personal style and reach beyond an audience of sports fans has allowed him to shift product too. A hard-to-wear white splatter paint suit jacket Travis wore last September from KidSuper has already sold out.
What’s even more noticeable about the parade of fashion through the tunnel on Monday was how far menswear has come. There was a diversity of looks on display — from avant-streetwear to a pinstripe suit worn by San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Styled by Lesus McPhearson — who is also responsible for the personal styling for NFL athletes like New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson — Christian approached the locker room as if he was walking out of Wall Street, wearing a Polo Ralph Lauren Purple Label double-breasted suit accessorised with the ultimate status symbol, an oversized Hermès tote bag that retails between $110,000 to $125,000.
Taking a less traditional take on luxury, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel opted for a full Prada suit with utilitarian pockets, stomping boots and a complementary Prada bag, as if going into battle.
For an even prouder display of personal identity, 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, while not on the field due to a torn ACL, walked the tunnel in a traditional Tongan taʻovala/mat wrapped around the waist, a garment worn only for special occasions and as a sign of respect to others.
A connection between sports and luxury can be found close to home with the likes of Dan Carter, who recently shared with us his evolving relationship with fashion and luxury — specifically as an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, and how these opportunities presented him with the chance to connect with audiences outside of rugby.
Some NFL players have used their profiles to create their own take on fashion, including Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who co-founded Good Man Brand in 2016, which is now a B-Corp-certified company.
Close to home, former All Black Jerome Kaino launched his line of comfortable and sustainably made underwear Mint in 2021. To date, the brand appears stagnant online and across its social channels.
While we’re yet to see the level of “tunnel” fashion locally, it’s a reminder that savvy sports stars can and should use the full extent and power of their public appreciation.
By leaning into their public appeal, personal style and opportunities beyond the sport, they’re allowing themselves to contribute and challenge old notions around masculinity, and more importantly, help contribute to their own financial security in the future.
When your sports days are inevitably numbered, these types of opportunities are worth considering.
More sports and fashion
Be inspired by the symbiotic worlds of sportswear and style.
Swimwear we swear by: Olympian Lewis Clareburt, Dancer Shona Wilson and more stylish aquaphiles. The best swimwear? A sundry of people found frequently in the water make a case for their favourite board shorts, ‘budgie smugglers’, bikinis and more.
Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 uniforms: What we would actually wear. Supporting some dynamic sporting prowess on the field are some very cool kits.
The reinvention of Dan Carter: How the rugby great found a new kind of greatness. Post-rugby, Dan Carter wears many hats (and luxury shoes). He tells Rebecca Barry Hill how he’s taking his passion for winning and leadership into the next stage of his life.
The secrets of ‘après-sport’ style, the newest trend in off-duty dressing. This is not athleisure because doing exercise is essential at some point in the process.
