Sport is fashion and fashion is sport. Not only in the Euro 2024 the teams make a big fuzz about the design of their sportswear, but certainly the Olympic games in Paris 2024 will demonstrate the close links between the 2 worlds. We might say playing football is a bit like a fashion catwalk. Keep going right on target, despite obstacles, when thousands of people are watching your performance and potential failures very closely. Making a “bella figura” is a must in both spheres. There is also a strong tendency for “the winner takes all”, that s/he takes the trophy and the jackpot.
Both worlds are also big business in their own right. It is at least 100 years old that sport and fashion got married. The “Musée des arts décoratifs” in Paris had an excellent exhibition on the combination of sport and fashion (booklet link). According to the curators both spheres have always been interlaced. High-level performance and specialized fashion just made for a splendid combination. As the rich and wealthy had more than a penny or two to spend on their leisure activities the combination of sport and fashion soon became itself a big business, beside the visible beauty of the bodies, movements and dresses. Just watch the breakdance fashion as the latest addition to the repertoire of olympic disciplines. In a recent article in “Le Monde” (2024-7-11) the value of the market of sports including its fashionable merchandising is estimated to reach a turnover of € 500 billion in 2022.
The competition of sports has been turned into a competition of the best images and videos. Fashionable as well as functional clothing can assist in climbing the podium. In the Euro 2024 Football Final the teams equipped with Adidas (Spain) and with Nike (England) compete for the trophy. Changing equipment sponsorship from one to the other can raise substantial amounts for a team (€ 100 million/year for the German national team). Big business seems to take over sports and fashion after the century-old marriage of sport and fashion. Since then, they have jointly been on an extended honeymoon. (Image from www.emptyspacetm.com 2024-7)
Styles are a Changing
We all have our very own style. Even if you believe you have no style, then this will be your style. Of course, styles are changing continuously and fast fashion tries to make us believe we even ought to change as frequently as possible. Just find your style no matter of age and gender. Yes we can. Young designers test new materials and cuts to make new impressions. As science is progressing with new fibers that imitate the apparently light fur of polar bears, new designs will become feasible and enrich the list of potential fibers in clothing. In addition to seamless 3D knitting the new fiber allows to replace down with light fiber. Going out into the cold will be fun again. Want more of this, visit Fashion in Action! (Image from empty space designers webpage 2023-12-24 Berk and Julien).
Kimono
Die Ausstellung zur Geschichte, Kultur und Vielfalt des japanischen Kimonos ist beeindruckend. Natürlich kennen wir alle den Kimono aus Kinofilmen oder Fernsehen. Eine kleine, feine Sammlung wird noch bis Ende Mai im “Musée du quai Branly“ gezeigt. Die Betonung liegt dabei auf der Adaptationsfähigkeit des klassischen Kostüms. Selbstverständlich war der Kimono immer schon ein Gewand der sozialen Distinktion. Kleider machten und machen Leute, nicht wahr? Für das deutschsprachige Publikum ist der Rat der Designerin Shibasaki Rumi, die ihre eigene Marke Rumi Rock in Japan hat, interessant. Der Kimono könnte auch problemlos mit Birkenstock Sandalen kombiniert werden, für alle, die keine „japanischen Geta Sandalen“ und passende Socken im Schrank haben. „Cross-cultural fertilisation“, der Kimono ist wandlungsfähig und bringt nach wie vor exotischen Touch mit sich. Damit lässt sich vortrefflich überraschen. Das wusste schon Pop-Ikone David Bowie in den 1970-ger Jahren für sich zu nutzen.
