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Premier constat : le sportswear n’est pas l’apanage d’une silhouette de banlieue ou de campagne. Le sportswear est en train aujourd’hui d’entrer profondément dans la culture mode textile contemporaine. Trois noms viennent instinctivement à la bouche quand on pense à cette montée en gamme du sportswear : Kim Jones, Christophe Lemaire ou Patrick Ervell. Le premier vient de quitter UMBRO pour Louis VUITTON, le second est entré par la grande porte chez HERMES et le dernier voit à son premier rang la reine ANNA (Wintour) l’adoubir de sa présence. Mais on pourrait citer WATANABE, SANDERS ou encore TAKASHI, si on regarde l’adn de leur vêtements on peut reconnaître les silhouettes sportswear comme une présence solide.

Deuxième constat : les marques de sport n’ont jamais essayé de flirter avec le haut de gamme et des vêtements aux coupes et aux matières toujours plus compliquées et pointues. Le produit de sport n’est plus seulement performant : il est beau et technique. De Stella MC CARTNEY x ADIDAS à une marque comme ISAORA ou le dernier maillot de l’équipe de france de foot (AWAY - qui reprend une marinière et shooté par Karl LAGERFELD) jamais le sport n’aura été aussi mode mais dans le bon sens du terme. Ce n’est plus seulement une excuse marketing c’est aussi et surtout une réalité textile.

Troisième constat : le luxe tourne en rond et est prêt à dévorer n’importe quelle proie qui peut lui apporter de la légitimité et surtout une fraîcheur d’inspiration. Après avoir pillé le vestiaire street et en premier les sneakers : pas une marque de luxe ne lance sa ligne de footwear premium : Louis VUITTON, LANVIN, GIVENCHY, YVES SAINT LAURENT, aujourd’hui on sent bien que le sport et sa culture sont la prochaine victime potentielle. Matières techniques, esthétisme et culture le sport comme le cinquième éléments qu’il va falloir conquérir. Le seul vrai problème semblant être surtout avec l’extrême délicatesse du choix des athlètes. Le dérapage n’est jamais loin, et si une marque de sport peut surfer avec la sulfureuse affaire de l’un de ses protégé ce sera beaucoup plus compliqué pour une marque de luxe.

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"The most profound changes in aesthetic are derivatives from technological evolutions" Patrik Ervell

Fashion in itself is not a recognized culture, outside of the stereotypical cliches involving supermodels, fashion shows, hysterical fashion designers and the little pet names by which professional contacts refer to each other by. Fashion is a distant relative of French culture. And that even gets worse when we start refering to its current niches and undercurrents: sportswear, streetwear, sneaker culture... People tend to sink even lower in their shortcuts and other negative connotations. Yet today it would be fitting to put things back where they belong and, most importantly, render unto the street or to the stadium what belongs to them.

First observation: sportswear is anyones prerogative and is not characteristic of a suburban or countryside-belonging silhouette. Sportswear as we know it is in the process of entering deeply into the very core of contemporary fashion and culture. Three names come instinctively to mind when you think of this upscale sportswear trend: Kim Jones, Christophe Lemaire and Patrick Ervell. The former has just left Umbro for Louis Vuitton, the second entered HERMES with all the honors fitting such a feat the front door at Hermes and the latter has the privilege to see Queen Anna (Wintour) attend his latest shows. But one could cite Watanabe, Sanders or even Takahashi since, if you look into the DNA of their clothes, one can recognize sportswear silhouettes as a strong and solid influence.

Second observation: classical sports brands have never tried to flirt with more with high-end cuts and materials, always more complicated and sophisticated, that they have today. The athletic product is no longer just performace-oriented: it is beautiful and technical. From Stella McCartney linking up with Adidas, to a brand such as Isaora or even the latest French National Soccer Team jersey (the ‘Away’ version - which borrows the sailor shirt motif and is presented with a photograph by Karl Lagerfeld), Sports have never been this fashionable, in the best sense of the term. It isn’t a marketing ploy anymore, it is also and above all else a reality.

Third observation: the luxury industry is running around in circles and is willing to eat any prey that could bring it some legitimacy and especially some freshness. They literally looted the locker rooms with a first focus on sneakers: not one luxury brand is not launching its premium line of footwear: Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Givenchy, Yves Saint-Laurent. Today we feel that sports and its culture are the next potential victims. Technical materials, aesthetics and sports culture as the fifth element that we need to conquer. The only real problem seems to be the extreme delicacy that will lay in the choice of athletes. The eventual slipping of an individual is never far, and if a sports brand can surf with any sultry affair of one of its proteges, it will be much more complicated for a luxury brand.

Nevertheless, the conclusion is rather clear: sports and sportswear seem to have turned the page of the ugly duckling, the sweaty and ugly redneck figure. A new creative and commercial El Dorado for markets that are still in need of more territory, the case appears to be heard. To the delight of consumers who can now go run decked in Jun Takahashi (GYAKUSOU line of clothes for Nike) or go out without any complex while wearing Hermes by Christophe Lemaire.

TEXTE écrit par Jay SMITH x TRANSLATION made by Massaer NDIAYE