Washington Wizards player, Jordan Brand athlete and Goat brand ambassador Rui Hachimura
NBA All-Star Weekend Has Become a Fashion Affair
The NBA All-Star Game has become about way more than just basketball — and brands from luxury to food are tapping into it more than ever.
For one thing, the game is no longer just a game, but has become an entire weekend of events, activations, parties and more. The 2020 All-Star Weekend and 69th annual All-Star game in Chicago begins today and stretches through Sunday, when the actual game will be played.
But for companies and brands connected to the National Basketball Association, the game itself is almost an after thought. It’s all the preliminary activities that matter, allowing them to connect with their customer base through sneakers and other memorabilia.
Gwendolyn Berry holds her T-shirt over her head during the metal ceremony after the finals of the women's hammer throw at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Berry are among the more than 150 educators, activists and athletes who signed a letter Thursday, July 22, urging the IOC not to punish participants who demonstrate at the Tokyo Games.
The Olympic Committee’s Ban on Black Lives Matter Apparel and What It Means for Athlete Protests
As the world prepares for the Tokyo Olympic Games to begin, one thing many might not take note of is the absence of Black Lives Matter statement clothing.
While it may seem one has little to do with the other, the ban on BLM merchandise came amid the International Olympic Committee Athletes Commission recommending the increase of opportunities for athletes’ expression during the Olympic Games, including adapting the Olympic Oath to include messaging for inclusion and approved words for collective messaging in the Olympic Village and on athlete apparel.
So why has this phrase been singled out?
Dallas Wings player Arike Ogunbowale
Is the WNBA a Missed Fashion Opportunity?
Can the WNBA tunnel be the new runway?
This season’s conference finals series this month between the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury saw unexpected fashion moments from league stars such as Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson, among others, and helped shine a spotlight on the women’s take on pro basketball’s “Tunnel Style.”
The Phoenix Suns x Jeff Hamilton jacket.
How NBA Teams Are Using Luxury Fashion to Enhance the Fan Experience
The NBA and fashion have been synonymous for decades. The sport has seen many style changes, from the glamorous 1970s to the sneaker and apparel endorsements, the hip-hop and streetwear era in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the early 2010s GQ buttoned-up period in response to the league’s dress code, and now the “tunnel style” era during which designers battle to be an athlete’s brand of choice for their tunnel entrance.
The individual athletes get most of the attention, attending runway shows in New York City, Milan and Paris and scoring collaboration deals, endorsements and red carpet moments. But the teams are not far behind in the fashion ecosystem.
A look from the Kith for TaylorMade collection.
SportStyle: New Brands, Collabs Bring Fashion to Golf Apparel
Golf is in the midst of a major face-lift — and upheaval.
The sport that has long been synonymous with an affluent lifestyle and reserved for executives and high-ranking officials at country clubs is seeing disruption in many aspects including new tournaments, new brands and new lifestyles.