The world of sports is changing, and not just because Influencers have discovered fitness blogging is a money-making sweet spot. Formula 1 has dropped its ‘Grid girls’, the Winter Olympics no longer means spangly outfits and precious ice skaters, instead, fitness for women is now a place of girt, determination and political awakening. And, this recent Milan Fashion Week was a celebration of that.
Ditching all the tired athleisure symbolism of joggers and box-fresh trainers, the Italians have been on the fast-track to refresh this frontier. Gigi Hadid chose Milan to showcase her final collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. It was a sprightly collection, worthy of a mental pitstop. Leather trousers with motocross references pushed past last season’s overused side-striped trousers, checkerboard print and flag-collage patterns made the case for team spirit.
Stella Jean entered this race with the most stylish rendition of a marathon runner’s number bib we’ve ever seen. It was placed on furry coats, pretty print dresses and across fluffy short-sleeve jumpers. But, the Olympic fever didn’t stop there, for simple, piped dresses and tops, as well as the zip-neck polos, spoke to the good sportsmanship on display. Similar, Sportsman artfully junctures fashion and function with plush puffs jackets, ski sweaters and detailing that echoed the laces of an America football.
Never knowingly subtle Versace pulled off a coup with it’s tantalizing reference to this micro-trend. Rather than competing, they cheered on from the stands with their twist on the classic football scarf. Tied tight at the neck it showed the Italian label’s colours and team-spirit without mucking in for the match.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.