The 20's: The Athlete's Decade in Fashion

In decades past, the expansion of the fashion audience could be credited to specific groups. First and arguably the most important to the industry are models, but specifically the “supermodel,” which pushed models into celebrity status. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the same faces and names graced the covers and pages of Vogue. Then, in 1996, we saw a change when Gwyneth Paltrow graced the cover of the August issue of Vogue. It pushed the idea of using celebrities for fashion magazines and brought these magazines a new audience. First, it was those in the film industry; then, slowly but surely, we saw musicians, like Lil Kim, transitioning into the turn of the century. 

As we find ourselves in the middle of this decade, a new player has emerged in the fashion scene, bringing with it a fresh and exciting dynamic. Athletes have stepped into the spotlight, transforming the traditional relationship between sports and fashion. The representation of the athlete has evolved from the grand stages of Paris Fashion Week, where designers like Grace Wales Bonner and Willy Chavarria have unveiled collaborations with Adidas, to the humble arena tunnels that have now become a runway for athletes showcasing their favorite designers. 

The recent migration of athletes into high-fashion spaces has been fun to see, with collections from fashion houses that feature jerseys and other items that are a part of the sports world. The first five years of the decade have shown how this new relationship thrives, with a significant factor being Fashion Week. 

Fashion Week

Whether it’s Milan, Paris, New York, or London, each of the menswear fashion weeks has brought athletes to the forefront, marking a significant shift in the industry. Let’s take a trip to Milan and look back at the PDF show. Domenico Formichetti, the designer behind PDF’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection called “FREE-DOM”, featured the New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, underscoring the growing influence of athletes in high fashion. 

A collection heavily influenced by streetwear culture, we saw Kamara walk down the pavement in a distressed hooded workman-jacket and distressed jorts to match, which came to his shins. Both the jacket and shorts were primarily covered in teal fabric. It was supposed to give the feeling of graffiti, but it looked like a bunch of motorcycle brand stickers were slapped on. Diggs was styled in the same silhouette; the difference for Diggs was that his jacket was zipped close, and his coat seemed purposely puffed up. I enjoyed the color of the garments and the choice to focus on texture rather than covering this in graphics as well. 

For Diggs, it wouldn’t be his last men’s show of the year as he traveled to Paris, where he walked for Willy Chavarria, alongside another professional who was making his fashion week debut, James Harden. This show was not only important because it featured two athletes, but also because it debuted a new collaboration between the designer and Adidas. Not the first time a big designer has collaborated with a sports brand, and definitely won’t be the last, but we will come back to those later. 

Continuing in Paris, which is the location that attracts the largest crowd of athletes, we saw Russell Westbrook and Jordan Clarkson as well. These two are very familiar with the high fashion world, which is part of the reason we see more athletes in that space. Clarkson, who has great style off the court, was just attending this time around; he hit shows like Dior, Rick Owens, and Willy Chavarria. Westbrook took it one step further. 

He attended the Amiri and Louis Vuitton shows as their celebrity guest. Still, most impressively, he modeled for Feng Chen Weng. A designer with whom he has a close relationship, which became apparent when she came out to do her walkout, concluding the show. Westbrook was seen hugging and then jogging through the runway with Weng, the two of them smiling from ear to ear after a beautiful show. It was a great fashion moment for the NBA veteran as he wore two looks in the show.

While basketball and football players often dominate the media’s portrayal of athletes in the fashion world, it’s important to remember that the sports-fashion relationship is far more diverse and inclusive. The fashion world is buzzing with activity from a wide range of sports, including gymnastics, soccer, and track and field. This diversity is what makes the sports-fashion relationship so rich and exciting, and it’s a community that welcomes all sports enthusiasts. 

David Beckham, known for his edgy style during his playing days, was in attendance at Paris Fashion Week. Current player Declan Rice even made an appearance during London Fashion Week. Where he would end up walking for the brand Labrum London. The sports madness doesn’t end there either, as a handful of Olympians were spotted at the Paris and New York weeks.

In New York, we saw Sunisa Lee, Gabby Thomas, and Jordan Chiles all in attendance. Chiles only went to one show, but Thomas and Lee had their plates full with three showings each. With a focus on the American brand Tommy Hilfiger, which featured the two on their Instagram, sitting in the front row. 

The last Olympian of the bunch is the world record holder for pole vault, Mondo Duplantis. He was in Paris attending the Dior and Hermes show. Two very prestigious brands that have a deep history in the fashion industry. The appearances of these athletes show the unity between high fashion and sports.

Vogue

Vogue magazine, often referred to as the bible of the fashion business, has played a pivotal role in setting trends and expanding the fashion audience. The inspiration for this story came from “Vogue: In the 90s,” a docu-series and podcast that delves into the magazine’s profound influence on the fashion business, particularly in the 90s when it began featuring more celebrities, expanding its audience and setting new trends.

Why does it matter?

If Vogue sets the standard, then the increasing presence of athletes in its pages is a clear indicator of the growing influence of athletes in the fashion industry. This trend is not just a passing fad, but a significant shift that is shaping the fashion landscape of this decade. 

In the past 26 years, there have been 11 appearances from athletes in Vogue that the magazine has truly loved. Going back to 1998, when Serena and Venus Williams were first photographed wearing Carolina Herrera. However, the collaboration between Vogue and professional athletes has not always been smooth.

It started in 2001, when the January cover came out, and it featured Marion Jones. At the time, the fastest woman in the world and the winner of five medals at the 2000 Olympic Games. Upon further research, I discovered that Jones was the first athlete to receive a solo cover shoot at Vogue. Still, a deeper dive is needed to confirm this. In most cases, Serena Williams’ solo cover in 2015 is considered the first. It’s a pivotal moment for athletes and black women alike, so why isn’t it talked about more?

Unfortunately, a controversy followed the star athlete, and the people involved never let up until the truth was out. In 2004, Victor Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative or Balco, revealed in a national interview that he personally gave Jones “four different illegal performance-enhancing drugs before, during, and after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.” Jones denied the accusations until 2007, when she admitted to lying under oath to federal agents about her steroid use during the Olympic Games. 

The scandal that followed this athlete, along with another Vogue cover in the late 2000s, contributed to what seemed to harm the relationship between the magazine and athletes. The cover is the April 2008 edition, which featured NBA star Lebron James and supermodel Gisele Bündchen. It received a lot of backlash due to how the two were portrayed on the cover. With critics and fans saying the photo was racially insensitive, giving the feel of “King Kong.” 

The controversy surrounding these two covers seemed to have left Vogue leaders walking on eggshells. It would be another seven years before an athlete graced the cover again, this being when Williams got her solo cover. There were still features within the magazine, and ultimately, the use of athletes picked up. In 2018, Williams appeared on the cover again. In 2020, Simone Biles scored the solo cover for the August edition, and a few months later, Naomi Osaka had a solo cover in January of 2021. Williams secured another solo cover in 2022, followed by two additional covers in 2024: Coco Gauff in April and Sha’Carri Richardson in the August digital issue. Most recently, though, coming off an LVMH-sponsored Olympics, the first issue of the new year featured WNBA star Angel Reese. This made her the first professional women’s basketball player to be on the cover of the illustrious magazine. 

So, in the last five years, every year except 2023, there was an athlete to grace the cover of Vogue. If that wasn’t enough to prove that athletes are the new faces pushing the luxury fashion business forward, then consider that last year’s Vogue World was all about sports. It was deemed a collaboration with youth athletic academies throughout France, telling the story of sports and fashion over the last 100 years. The showcase brought out a lot of big names, including Serge Ibaka, Stefon Diggs, Kyle Kuzma and Venus Williams. 

Sports Brands and Fashion Designers 

With the recent trend of athletes switching their uniforms for runway apparel comes the increase of designers working with athletic apparel companies. Names like Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, Veneda Carter and, most recently, Willy Chavarria all come to mind. When it comes to the trailblazer who laid the foundation for the luxury designer in the sports world, I instantly think of the late Virgil Abloh. 

Abloh and Nike collaborated for the Ten collection while he was still a part of the OFF-WHITE team back in 2017. Considerably one of the most influential shoe drops of the last ten years, it received instant love from professional athletes. Westbrook was seen wearing different versions of the Jordan 1s in his pregame outfits back in 2018. As well, players like Montrezl Harrell and P.J. Tucker were even seen wearing sneakers from the collection in-game.

Abloh really ignited this movement, and Wales Bonner kept the flame burning when she did her first collection with Adidas about 3 years later. Taking her ideas one step further than footwear, she reimagines a staple of the brand: tracksuits. She created a frenzy when previewing some designs during London Fashion Week, selling out instantly when the clothes hit the market.

Now, about five years later, the frenzy around her Adidas collections has grown chiefly by bringing back sneakers and garments from the archives of the sports company. Reimagining and elevating comfort looks through the use of different materials to the point that they look like they are taken straight from the runway.

My favorite part of this shift is that multiple brands want to work with established fashion designers. It’s expected from the powerhouses of Nike and Adidas, as they represent a majority of professional athletes. However, Under Armour would not be left out of the mix, working with its own design giant. The brand’s most recent collaboration was with Balenciaga under their head designer Demna. A collection that wasn’t the flashiest, but kept the iconic baggy shape that Demna made famous while at Balenciaga. Like the other collaborations, they managed to reimagine staples of the brand like sweatpants, sneakers, and shorts. 

Chavarria is the most recent designer to collaborate with a sports brand, joining Wales Bonner at Adidas. He also managed to bring back some iconic looks, especially with the track pants he made. The collection looks like a perfectly tailored blast from the past. 

With five years left in the decade, I’m excited for what is yet to come.