With the 2024 Olympic Games approaching in Paris this summer, it's time to take a look at the links between the worlds of sport and fashion to see how they can influence each other.
As soon as it was presented, it was immediately plundered, this is the fate suffered by the collection of Le Coq Sportif for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The brand has created the outfits for the 800 athletes who will represent France for the occasion, making 1060 different models. And a majority of sports federations will wear the brand during the competition. Worn by athletes or not, the creations from this collection are therefore expected to invade the streets of Paris and a large part of France this summer.
Indeed, sport and fashion have rarely gone so well together, as evidenced by the increasing number of collaborations between fashion and sports brands, Adidas X Guggi, Saint Laurent X Cavalleria Toscana, Puma X Maison Kitsune, because you can be chic for sport or be sportswear and designer.
However, sport and fashion did not wait for a special occasion to intertwine.
Sportswear has actually been around for much longer than you might think. In the 1920s, René Lacoste, known as "the Crocodile," tired of having to roll up the sleeves of his shirt because it kept him too hot on the tennis court, created the now-famous Lacoste polo shirts. He was inspired by the polo players' top, which he had made from Egyptian pique cotton for the elastic side, to which he added a collar for the chic side. The Lacoste company was created in 1933 and the production of the polo shirt with the embroidered crocodile for the public was launched. With this piece, René Lacoste not only revolutionized the world of tennis but also that of fashion, it was the first brand that could be immediately recognized thanks to a visible logo. It is also the sportswear that is worn in everyday life, as much by tennis champions, CEOs of multinationals and even sometimes grandmothers in the know... Since then, the polo shirt is not the only trace left by sport in fashion. We find other timeless items like the essential winter riding boot, or the tennis skirt with its always impeccable fall.
Among all the pieces from the world of sport, sneakers seem to be wardrobe staples and spare no luxury fashion house. For Karl Lagerfeld, jogging pants represented the ultimate in letting go, and he hasn't abandoned sportswear either. For winter 2014/2015, the designer had models walking around in their sneakers in a "supermarket" designed by Chanel. Since sneakers don't seem to be leaving the catwalks any time soon, a futuristic and aerodynamic unicorn at Balmain, a size as outsized as a Hollywood blockbuster from Balenciaga or even Louboutin sneakers for those addicted to red soles. Sneakers come in an infinite variety and for the Olympic Games Le Coq Sportif is offering a unisex version for its French Olympic and Paralympic team collection.
But sportswear isn't just a way to modify fashion silhouettes; it's also a source of inspiration for many more designers than you might think. And the interpretations and versions of the sports wardrobe are as diverse as the designers. A vintage vibe is created when Nicolas Ghesquière offers Louis Vuitton rugby jerseys Striped XL, nostalgia for a time when rugby wasn't yet professionalized. At Chanel, even the most popular of sports becomes chic.
Football doesn't just unleash the passions of the city of Manchester; it's a defining characteristic, so it's invited to the parade of crafts along Thomas Street. Virginie Viard effortlessly pairs knee-high socks with a tweed suit. Not only does sport not spare fashion, but fashion also influences sports, even those that aren't played in a stadium or watched live by millions of people. As proof, the ultra-zen, but also ultra-trendy, yoga fanatics fall for a total Balenciaga look by Demna and parade through the streets of Los Angeles.
Only time will tell if sportswear will remain as present in our wardrobes as it is today. What is certain is that sport and fashion have continued to collaborate over the past hundred years, and whether consciously or not, we have become sporty in the city.
What sportswear items will infiltrate our wardrobes? What seems certain is that in the near future, no matter what sportswear item is worn, it seems the key will be that it be adorned with the Olympic rings.
Coralie Fabreguettes
