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Italy’s Jannik Sinner and his custom monogrammed Gucci bag made a splash opening day of Wimbledon, a loud and white-dress-code violating signal that luxury fashion is taking on tennis.
With tennis greats like Serena Williams and Roger Federer — both Nike ambassadors — recently retired, a new generation of players are approaching brand partnerships differently, with non-sports brands coming into play on and off the court. Louis Vuitton signed Japanese tennis champion Naomi Osaka (who is currently on a maternity break) as an ambassador in 2021. The brand then recruited 20-year-old Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz — who’s currently ranked number one globally — as an ambassador last month. Dior tapped women’s champion Emma Raducanu as an ambassador in October 2021. Raducanu attends shows, opens retail pop-ups and more for the label, when she’s not training or playing. Prada is yet to sign a tennis ambassador, but American player Reilly Opelka was spotted on the brand’s front row for the last two menswear seasons as sports stars increasingly show up at fashion week.
Gucci’s appearance at Wimbledon showed the power that a high-profile tennis tie-in can have, even though the bag only appeared for a few seconds. The following press and social media storm ensued, generating $2 million in media impact value for Gucci, per Launchmetrics. Search for Gucci holdalls/duffles have increased 7 per cent in the last week, per Lyst.
The new generation of tennis stars, including Alcaraz, are increasingly becoming public figures off the court, bolstered by social media, experts agree. Osaka became an advocate for mental health after opening up about her personal struggles, which resonated deeply with young people globally and contributed to her sponsor Nike rethinking its approach to women’s sport. While American player Coco Gauff regularly posts fashion content on her Instagram. Her latest post is a prime example, captioned “Wimby whites but make it streetwear”.
“Most recently, we’ve seen tennis players pushing the boundaries and evolving their style to be more diverse but also reflect their personality on and off the court,” says Yasmin Mehmet, menswear buyer at Selfridges. “Nick Kyrgios made headlines last year for breaking Wimbledon rules by wearing white and red Air Jordan 1s as he entered the court. As tennis is a global sport with a widespread following, we want to bring this to the Selfridges customer.”
Tennis popularity surges, boosting fashion demand
Tennis popularity has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic lockdowns. In the UK, adult tennis participation grew 43 per cent in 2022, to 4.7 million people, according to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). In the US, tennis participation grew by 1 million players in 2022 with more than 23.6 million playing the sport — the third consecutive year that the sport has seen an increase, according to the United States Tennis Association. In China, too, consumers are increasingly watching and playing the sport. Adjacent sports such as pickleball and paddle have also grown in popularity globally, according to Euromonitor, further boosting demand for tennis apparel.
In the US, men’s and women’s tennis apparel sale revenue is up 66 per cent year to date (Jan-May 2023) vs. last year, and up 69 per cent vs. pre-pandemic 2019, according to Circana.
“While the growth of tennis-inspired apparel is no doubt a result of the heightened interest in both tennis and pickleball, I think there is another reason the trend has taken off,” says Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst at Circana. “Tennis apparel has been a natural evolution from comfy sweatsuits, as it represents a balance of sporty and chic, comfort and sexy,” she says. “I think the versatility of tennis apparel has just as much impact on this trend as the sport itself.”
By aligning with a sport that is currently experiencing a resurgence, it offers brands the opportunity to expand market visibility and diversify global sales across many demographics, says Suzi Gardner, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International. Fashion brands are strategically aligning themselves to sports brands and to the sporting calendar to capitalise on these sales opportunities and increase visibility, she adds. Streetwear label Noah launched a collaboration of shoes and apparel with Puma inspired by tennis in June, while streetwear brand and global retailer Kith launched a collaboration with sporting goods brand Wilson last month.
This month, Danish premium label Ganni launched a collaboration with racquet sports and lifestyle brand Prince, featuring the brand’s Scandi-inspired design features paired with Prince’s signature colours, especially in the signature Argyle knit vest featured in the collection, Gardner says. The launch aligned with Wimbledon, when interest in tennis “is at its peak”, she adds. “As with most trends, aligning with what is popular and being able to release a product at the right time will make any tennis adjacent offering a highly profitable move given the current increase in popularity of the sport.”
Sports labels aside, tennis-inspired fashion brands have also boomed in recent years. During Wimbledon, searches increased for tennis products from brands like Tory Burch and Marysia Sport, according to fashion search engine Lyst. “Tennis skirt” has been a trending term on Lyst for the last six months, with most-wanted products ranging across different styles and price points, and brands from Nike to Miu Miu. The platform also saw a spike in searches for the Stella McCartney x Adidas tennis skirt after a video of Kate Middleton playing tennis with Roger Federer at Wimbledon was released last month. Paris brand Casablanca, which is heavily inspired by tennis culture, has estimated revenues up to $100 million and continues to scale with new investment this year.
“The tennis aesthetic speaks to stereotypical aesthetics of ‘preppy’ sports style which associates well with heritage luxury brands,” Gardner says. “As we’ve seen from the rising popularity and growth of the likes of Miu Miu, an updated interpretation of these aesthetics is proving to be fruitful in terms of sales, and driving visibility and relevance towards younger luxury consumers.”
Using tennis heritage to revamp a legacy label
Legacy brands are riffing on their tennis connections to spark a brand revival. Following acquisition from Korean firm F&F Holdings last year, tennis fashion label Sergio Tacchini is taking aim at a younger consumer, by repositioning to be more fashion-forward while communicating its deep connection to the sport.
Sergio Tacchini opened a new retail space in Selfridges last week, tapping veteran tennis star (and Novak Djokovic’s current coach) Goran Ivanišević to support the launch. Ivanišević was the only wildcard to ever win Wimbledon, and he won it wearing Sergio Tacchini. “It further solidifies our skin in the game, and our commitment to the sport. We started as a tennis brand, and that will continue to be a part of the DNA that makes up the brand as we move forward further into the lifestyle market,” says Neil Beeson, Sergio Tacchini brand and product director for footwear. “With the blurring of the lines between on-court and off-court, and the integration of sportswear into our everyday wardrobe, our ability to explore the lifestyle side of the brand has grown,” he adds.
During the buying process, Selfridges went through an extensive archive collection with the brand before selecting new items in the range to display in the pop-up, Mehmet says. “Sergio Tacchini harks back to their retro archive seeking nostalgic appeal,” she says. “Reviving a brand like Sergio Tacchini taps into this nostalgia, appealing to the Selfridges consumers who are familiar with the brand’s iconic designs and heritage.”
Kith and Sporty Rich also merge elements of sportswear and luxury in a similar vein, she adds, allowing the Selfridges customer to experience the sport and explore their style at the same time. “It is the perfect trend for summer, and we do see continuing into SS24.”
Correction: Launchmetrics data was updated to reflect the correct data unit is media impact value (MIV).
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