NCS
—
WNBA participant Angel Reese has landed a Vogue cover, posing for a narrative about how the worlds of trend and sport have collided. With interviews from Reese, tennis participant Frances Tiafoe and Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas — the final of whom additionally acquired a separate cover — the story delves into why trend manufacturers are tapping athletes as a few of their greatest stars.
Though luxurious labels have typically tapped trendy athletes prior to now for campaigns and on-court collaborations, the connection has been hypercharged as of late.
NBA, WNBA and NFL “tunnel walks” have turned arenas into extremely anticipated runways and, in flip, athletes have made debuts on precise runways, with Olympians Noah Lyles and Jordan Chiles making their debuts for New York Fashion Week within the fall.
That week noticed loads of athletic affect, from Willy Chavarria’s collaboration with Adidas to Tory Burch’s melding of sportswear and ready-to-wear, whereas the occasions additionally coincided with the US Open, bringing an additional dose of trend courtside as company pinged between the 2 schedules.
For Reese, who earned the nickname “Bayou Barbie” for her glam seems throughout Louisiana State University video games, “It’s always been both: basketball and fashion,” she told Vogue.
The All-Star ahead, who’s gearing up for her second season with the Chicago Sky this spring, recalled to the journal how she’s been a “fashion girlie” since she was younger.
“I was always in my mom’s closet, putting on her stuff. I liked to carry a purse. Hair done. I wanted to look put together. I still do,” she stated.
She used to follow her runway stroll whereas watching “America’s Next Top Model,” she added, and hopes to stroll for Paris Fashion Week sooner or later.
For Vogue, Reese appeared in a ruched purple Versace gown, photographed by Norman Jean Roy. The basketball star shared the cover on her X account and Instagram tales shortly after publication, writing “I ‘covered up’ and gave y’all COVERGIRL” — a response to on-line criticism she acquired final week after posting movies of an ultra-low neckline animal print gown she wore for New Year’s Eve. “Show up as yourself even if it makes other(s) uncomfortable,” she wrote in a separate publish.