Curating culture: fashion’s play in sports by 160over90's Roxy Nucu

The lines between fashion and sports can be blurred, says Roxy Nucu, strategy director at creative agency 160over90, WME Group’s global marketing agency.

Fashion and sports have always danced around each other, but now, they’re moving in sync, influencing each other and shaping culture.

From tunnel ‘fits’ to trophy trunks, fashion is tapping into the emotional power and mass appeal of sport, not just for visibility, but to build something it has long lacked: an open community.

We’re seeing Fashion Weeks starting to borrow some tropes from sporting events: watch parties being thrown, high-production fashion shows being livestreamed globally (check out L’Oreal in Paris) and aesthetics re-imagined through the lens of sport (Ferrari in Milan).

It’s an interesting move for luxury fashion which has traditionally been more exclusive – curated behind closed doors and designed for elites. Seasonal calendars, gatekeeping editors, and top-down trendsetting defined the industry for decades. But those codes have been cracked. Today, fashion is influenced and sometimes shaped by stylists, influencers, and athletes. People who live at cultural intersections and have a story to tell.

Athletes are the new storytellers

Nowhere is this shift more visible than in sports where athletes have become a symbol for an aspirational lifestyle, driving powerful storytelling and pushing sportswear into luxury category.

Right now, athletes are no longer just styled as celebrities but have become the celebrities with the sports arena as their runway show. Fans are taking notice, showing up not just for the game, but for the look themselves. Just look at the Swifties at NFL games. The arena is now a runway, and every match, draft, or press conference is another chance to curate a tastemaker story.

The exciting part is that athletes aren’t just wearing fashion, they’re shaping it. Naomi Osaka’s tennis looks have turned tournaments into cultural moments (from tutus honouring her heritage to showing her bejewelled Labubus at the US Open). Lewis Hamilton collaborates with Dior and uses Formula 1 as a stage for high fashion. Justin Jefferson wears $300k worth of diamonds on the field. These aren’t just outfits—they’re expressions of identity and influence.

This extends beyond global athletes

This shift isn’t limited to the stars. Stylists, coaches, and even trainers are stepping into the spotlight. Fashion is helping them tell their stories too. And in women’s sports, the momentum is especially strong with fashion and beauty. Brands like SKIMS and Glossier are investing in the WNBA. Sephora is turning games into branded experiences with beauty bags falling out of the sky. The crossover is real… and growing.

This is a strategy that goes beyond aesthetics. Sports offer guaranteed audiences, deep emotional investment, and cultural relevance. Fashion brings storytelling, aspiration, and identity. Together, they’re creating a new kind of spectacle: one that’s immersive, aspirational, and deeply communal.

The Playbook for Brands: culture, not just sponsorship

Fashion’s move into sports isn’t a trend, it’s a strategic shift. For brands, this opens new ways to show up meaningfully in culture with another visual expression and extension of the brand identity or a more interesting way to partner up with talent and the people behind talent.

If you’re a brand, here are some thought-starters you can consider:

• Empower athletes fully: Choose them wisely and embrace their full lifestyle vs just in a performance setting.

• Champion the unexpected storytellers: Stylists, photographers, and behind-the-scenes talent craft the narratives fans live for—invest in them.

• Back tomorrow’s icons today: Get in early and help shape emerging athletes’ fashion voice before they hit mainstream.

• Co-create culture: Don’t just sponsor—collaborate, curate, and contribute meaningfully to the cultural conversation.

With the runway expanding, there’s now more room for athletes, fans, and storytellers alike to use the fashion and sport stage to rewrite the rules of influence. For brands, the next big win won’t come from a logo, it’ll come from tuning into culture and showing up with purpose, creativity, and the right company.