Designer Looks, a WNBA Game, and ‘Electric’ Energy: How Paige Bueckers Did NYFW

When we spotted UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers at the 2024 ESPY Awards—dressed in a lilac suit from the KidSuper fall 2024 runway—we predicted the Minnesota native would continue to land on our fashion radar. We were correct.

Bueckers, who graduated in May with a degree in human development and family sciences, will return to the Huskies basketball team for the 2024–25 season. But before hitting the court, she hit up New York Fashion Week. “This is my first New York Fashion Week, and it caps an offseason filled with some creative pursuits that I have really enjoyed,” she tells Vogue. “While I have been to some style-driven events in the past, I had to get out to New York Fashion Week to experience it all in a really immersive way.”

That immersion saw Bueckers attend Tombogo, Who Decides War, and Off-White, in addition to several events with Nike. (Bueckers inked a deal with the athletics giant last year—an opportunity she was able to pursue while still in college given the NCAA’s fairly new NIL rules.) Throughout the week, the WNBA hopeful was dressed the part of a VIP showgoer, working alongside stylist Brittany Hampton.

“The best part about working together is that we understand each other and she knows what I like, what I don’t like, what boundaries to push, and how to help me step outside my comfort zone,” Bueckers says of Hampton. “But she also allows me to say no and have a little bit of independent freedom.” For her New York Fashion Week glam, Bueckers turned to hairstylists Hayley Logan and Mitchell Ramazon and makeup artists Meghan Nguy and Joanna Simkin.

Bueckers describes her style as “a hybrid of masculine and feminine elements,” adding that she’s drawn to patterns, pastels, vests, and cardigans—and loves “a good crop top, jacket, and pant outfit.” At school, however, she’s known to prioritize comfort. “I dress very lazy for class,” she admits. “I love a good sweatshirt and sweatpants duo.”

Among the highlights of a New York Fashion Week experience she calls “electric” were attending the Tombogo show (the brand was one of the first Hampton dressed her in when they started working together); meeting Off-White creative director Ib Kamara (“a memorable, inspiring moment,” she says); and taking a quick break from shows to attend a New York Liberty game. (“I’m a huge fan of Jordan Chiles, who I got to sit with.”)

Ahead, Bueckers shares snapshots from her first New York Fashion Week with Vogue.