A piece done for University showing the history of the sports luxe trend for the blog I created called Shorts and Sports and my poor attempt at an illustration.
It was 2009 and Fashion was being a bit of a flirt. The
recession had hit and times were hard – who could blame her for wanting a bit
of fun? And what better way to get a free dinner than with a handsome new date.
There was Embellishment who was extremely dazzling but liked the shine to be on
him a little too much, Colour Blocking who always cheered her up on a dull day
but was a little too bold at times, and then there was Sheer who had all the
wrong intentions,(but she could see right through him). There was one gentleman
in particular who kept catching her eye. Sport.
They met in New York one evening, introduced by their friend
Alexander Wang. Sparks were flying – a long-length hoody here, a pair of
sweatpants with heels there – the chemistry was undeniable. They switched numbers
but ended up forgetting to call each other. Sport was having a busy time
preparing for the Olympics, and Fashion was as fickle as ever, always looking
for someone new. After a few chance encounters in 2010 at Ellie Tahari and
Hermes, they couldn’t deny their attraction any longer; by 2011 they were
official. Fashion become laid-back and more at ease, while Sport became a
glossier version of himself. They
adorned the fashion shows with satin running shorts, bomber jackets and sleek
panelling.
Things became serious in 2012. The Olympics were on and Sport
was in his element - Fashion followed suite. Crop tops
were now acceptable, basketball shirts were suddenly cool and zip-up sports
jackets were lusted after. Once the games were over, Fashion had Sport’s full
attention and in 2013 they were engaged! New York designers went wild. Their
best man Alexander Wang celebrated with sheer sweatshirts, inky caps and mesh
detailing and DKNY launched sleek vests and slouchy shorts. Once they married last year, Fashion’s Godfather Karl Lagerfeld had all of his models wearing
trainers on the catwalk. His mark of approval confirmed that they were a match
made in heaven.