Capitalizing on the increased visibility of women’s sports, New York Liberty and Off-White recently announced a multi-year partnership.
The WNBA is a place where sports, fashion and culture can beautifully coexist. Tunnel walks where players appear before games have become fashion runways of their own accord. With the league experiencing record breaking viewership this year, fashion serves as a way for players to showcase their individual style and personality, garnering the attention and recognition they highly deserve.
At the forefront of the growing relationship between sports, fashion and culture sits fashion brand Off-White and WNBA team the New York Liberty. Recently, the two announced a multi-year partnership with Off-White becoming the New York Liberty’s first official style and culture curator. The partnership marks Off-White’s first collaboration with a U.S. sports team.
For the New York Liberty, the collaboration serves as a way to engage with women’s sports fans and the fashion world while remaining true to their New York roots. “As New York’s team, we always want to stay true to our city, which is a hotbed of creativity and eccentricity where art, fashion and sports intersect. Our team has differentiated itself by marrying sports with culture and fashion in ways that transcend the basketball court and celebrates our roots as New York’s team” Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty, tells Mission.
“Off-White represents a catalyst for change in fashion and is in the business of building the future, creating platforms and giving voice to a community of young, groundbreaking talents and unique cultural forces”
Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty.
Mutual values brought Off-White and the New York Liberty together, sharing a passion for initiating change and investing in the future. Furthermore, both parties are on the cusp of groundbreaking moments in their respective industries. “Off-White represents a catalyst for change in fashion and is in the business of building the future, creating platforms and giving voice to a community of young, groundbreaking talents and unique cultural forces” explains Clarke. Meanwhile, the New York Liberty are currently chasing history, seeking to bring home the franchises’ first championship. The Liberty are one of three remaining original franchises in the league, and with a stacked roster and remarkable season, they are in a good position to accomplish their goal. The team entered the play-offs as the number one seed and are currently in the finals, defeating back-to-back champions the Las Vegas Aces in the previous round of the play-offs to do so. Last season, the Liberty fell short to the Aces in the finals, but it is a new year and the team is hungrier than ever. The team is currently tied 1-1 with the Minnesota Lynx in a best of five series.
The partnership kicked off during the start of the WNBA play-offs with the unveiling of a custom varsity jacket. For the tunnel walk, each player on the team arrived fitted in their new Off-White jacket. In American culture, varsity jackets are typically worn by accomplished athletes and thus the silhouette made a perfect choice for a sports and fashion collaboration. The jacket also serves as a canvas for both partners to showcase designs and logos unique to their brand. According to Clarke, the jacket “features signature details reflecting each partner’s distinct DNA. For Off-White, their logo and homage to their history; and for the New York Liberty, our colorway, New York City influence and reference to our manifesto with ‘Always, In All Ways.’”.
Head coach, Sandy Brondello, and mascot, Ellie the Elephant, even came in their own Off-White fits to the game, demonstrating Off-White’s commitment to the entire team and culture that the New York Liberty has cultivated. Brondello was dressed in an amazing all-denim outfit while Ellie rocked a black shirt and leather shorts. Ellie was also wearing shoes showcasing the words ‘for walking’ which she used to strut through the tunnel walk. Ellie, a fan-favorite, due to her bold personality and silly antics is just another example of the Liberty’s commitment to authenticity. You can find Ellie all over social media. “Ellie’s fun and energetic personality comes shining through in all of her performances and signature dance moves, and because fashion has been a central part of Ellie’s brand, we were so thrilled to work with Off-White to create a look that she could showcase” says Clarke.
Not only does the collaboration benefit Liberty players who are able to capitalize on the momentum of women’s sports and engage with new fans, but there is also a community-oriented aspect of the partnership. The Liberty prides themselves on the fact that their games serve as cultural experiences for the entire Brooklyn community. With Off-White, they are excited “to create unique fashion capsules each season, authentic community programming for New York City, and more specific partnerships with Liberty players to celebrate Women’s History Month, Black History Month and Pride” Clarke reveals.
The partnership is a multi-year deal and both Off-White and the New York Liberty are merely scratching the surface of their creative endeavors with one another. Everyone watches women’s sports and everyone is excited to see what is to come.
All images courtesy of New York Liberty.
