When I was a kid I had one obsession : win sprints over boys 🏃♀️
And if I never doubted I could do it (whilst my mum was scared to death that I would drain myself chasing something history & science proved rare passed a certain age), I also knew from the start that I would need to train for it in the right shoes, as I could sense that the odds were against me. I wondered if there could ever be such a make-you-run-fast(er) type of shoes.
When I grew up as a sporty teenager I had one fear : when would I be too old to wear tracksuits in the street without being suspiciously looked upon 🤷♀️ ?
It was not even a ‘will I ever’ question; it was a question about time, as I started noticing a change in the way people looked at me sporting my fav outfit with time. Indeed, at some point it seemed like I was the only girl still wearing tracksuit trousers even when not on the track. That made me fall in the boyish section and I really wondered why feeling as free and comfortable as boys would make me less of a girl.
When I started my first job I decided that I would stop worrying and always ensure to be in a position where I could choose places I wanted to work in (while wearing kicks every day 😊 )
Those that value creativity beyond conventions. Those were you could come in sneakers and no one would bother. Better, those where you could come in sneakers and people would notice when you made an effort to look sharp by wearing your rare pairs.
All this in the span of 30 years.
Today, not only can I wear sneakers to work but also I am frequently asked questions which only sneakerheads would care about a couple of years back. Today, luxury brands are making cotton hoodies and highstreet brands are selling silky track trousers as part of their regular collections, and nobody ever wonders if you are on the way to the gym when you are wearing those. Last, but not least, in 2017 Nike decided they will be making a shoe that will make a man run a marathon in less than 2 hours. In 2019, one did. Here was the make-you-run-fast shoe which used to make people laugh at my “gullible” 10 years old self. A year later, half of the world spent about 2 months locked down because of a nasty pandemic. And all of a sudden my Instagram was full of girly girls in tracksuits. It was about time to jot down this odyssey on paper.
This is what Sportswear Era is about.
Questioning sportswear. Its evolution. Its signs. Its role in fashion and all the things there is to learn from its global influence. Its meaning for people and what it has to say about our society. And most of all, imagining where to take it next.
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Sportswear Era 