Sports and fashion are increasingly linked

I speak for Generation Y. When the Spice Girls were in their heyday, all us little girls wanted to dress like Victoria Beckham, in a black Gucci suit. And when we had to play one of the five members of the girl band among friends, we hoped we would not have to be Mel C. The reason was simple: we saw those jumpsuits she always wore as "punishment" for gym class. But for the upcoming generation, the Zetas, it was the other way around, because for them it's really cool to dress sporty.

And so it really seems that Y and Z have found a common understanding: They can also dress practically during the day and incorporate details from the world of sports into the most fashionable looks. Because cyclically, it's all back: the Adidas tracksuit, but in suit form, thanks to the collaboration between Adidas, precisely, and Gucci. It was enough to see it worn by Madonna to understand that we can no longer do without it. Because the link between fashion and sport, born at the beginning of the twentieth century but only really appreciated in recent years, could not be more attractive. A few examples? At the end of 2022, Puma returned to catwalk shows in New York, Fila teamed up with Fendi and Nike began to collaborate with everyone, going from dressing the famous tennis player Serena Williams to fascinating collaborations with Off-White and Jacquemus, to name but two.

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Is this success perhaps thanks to the fit checks that have sprung up on social media? Possibly! Because one thing the now prehistoric pandemic has taught us is that the practicality and versatility of a curious yet sporty garment could not dress us better. The latest shining example is Bella Hadid's reinterpretation of the basketball jersey in her second collection for About You, which, like the biker jacket, makes us want to scour thrift shops for real vintage pieces. And then the latest craze: Isabel Marant's high wedge trainers are back. Coincidence?

The "case" for tennis in fashion

And that's exactly the point we wanted to get to. The racket discipline has achieved a hype in fashion. Last year, Miu Miu launched its Tennis Club, where a squadron of It girls, from Chiara Ferragni and Emili Sindlev, wore pleated miniskirts meant only for the tennis court and crop-top-style mini polo shirts, paired with white socks and immaculate trainers whose soles were born precisely for clay courts. And then there is the international legend of the Italian Matteo Berrettini: he, who looks cool even in tracksuits, especially those he stands for as the testimonial of the Boss brand, has convinced even the most relaxed in their chinos and loafers to switch to the "dark" side of tracksuits. But it's Celine that makes us want to transfer the allure of the "court" to street style: the tennis collection mixes technical garments with designer racket-wear and is available for a limited time until the end of April. Also ahead of the French label are tennis giant Hydrogen, which has had one prettier collection than another signed to Prince for years, and low-cost phenoms Fila, Oysho and Mango. But primacy goes to Chanel: Karl Lagerfeld, after all, was the first to recognise the possibility of making the combination of fashion and sport palatable to women by personalising every kind of object, from surfboards to tennis rackets. Just like Gwyneth Paltrow in The Tenenbaums: furry yes, but with a polo dress underneath.

Chanel

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Gwyneth Paltrow ne I Tenenbaum

Yoga has brought the relaxed state of mind into our everyday looks too

Until a few years ago, leggings were only something for celebrities who went shopping in their spare time - Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner stand out here, although the first was our own Italian Elisabetta Canalis in LA - now they are a thing for everyone. And credit to Patricia Field: who, a fan of Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City era, did not think how cool it was to put on the leggings - hers were iridescent and blue - after the Pilates session and pair them with a jumper in exactly the same colour and gold accessories? Today, the yoga brands are also wonderful to wear around town, with a trench coat or blazer. We imagine you have already pinned them on Instagram: Mahr, Bea Studio, Marine Serre, Wolford and Heat & Soul are the five hottest brands you should try off the workout mat now. And then there's balletcore: tutus and ballerinas juxtaposed with leotards and heartwarmers à-gogo. But that's another story.

Let's get ready for the return of the basketball trainers

Galeotto will indeed be the film AIR - The Story of the Big Leap, which opens in Italian cinemas on 6 April and tells the story of how Nike convinced Michael Jordan to sign on for the iconic line of trainers. Although many women have already made this bootie-like, eternally vitamin-coloured and eternally limited edition model their status quo, we are getting ready to see it soar. Because, we'll tell you, they also look good with a skirt and paired with the ubiquitous flannel check shirt in your wardrobe. It's a similar story for Golden Goose, whose reinterpretation of the skater shoe - now with glitter and pony fur inserts to please even the most romantic of female audiences - continues to achieve higher sales season after season.

Giorgio Armani will dress the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina.

This is because the Italian designer will be an official partner. Giorgio Armani's association with the world of winter sports is not new: he already collaborated with Italian and Swiss ski schools in 2012 for the 'Winter Tour' format event and with CONI for the Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018, Beijing 2022 and the 2023 World Ski Championships. EA7, the line founded in 2004 as a sports declaration by Emporio Armani, has been confirmed as the official outfitter of the Italia Team, dressing the athletes of the Italian Olympic and Paralympic delegation from the upcoming Summer Games in Paris 2024 to the Italian date.