The National Sports Museum, initially named “French Sports Museum,” was established at the request of Maurice Herzog in 1963. Today, it showcases an immense sports collection with nearly 400,000 objects and 45,000 documents, preserved in the same manner as classic works.
Situated in Nice for over a year now, it retraces the history of sports and fashion.
Sports are also a fashion story. As early as the 1930s, Coco Chanel ventured into beach pajamas, followed by René Lacoste, a pioneer of elegant sportswear.
This period marks a turning point in the role of sports in society: it was no longer reserved for the elite.
Jeanne Lanvin launched the first “sports line” designed for women, including bathing suits and ski wear where the materials are both more flexible and more elegant.
American Urban Fashion
American influence operated a transformation in the 1940s with its concept of “sportswear,” a fashion derived from the sports world with a simple principle: “don’t button up, slip on.”
The 1960s-70s revolutionized clothing fashion with the emergence of alternative sports like skateboarding or snowboarding.
Musical trends (Rap, Break, tagging…) introduced codes of affiliation in the 1990s. A true phenomenon, Americanized clothes were coveted by both the upper and lower classes.
The Constant Pursuit of Sports Performance
A race can be won in a fraction of a second. The idea may seem absurd, yet it is very real. Athletes’ demands combined with the passion for sports have pushed outfitters to surpass themselves in textile innovation.
Everything must be considered, and nothing should be left to chance. The suits worn today by runners or swimmers are the result of years of research to study the best air or water penetration while maintaining comfort.
A concept now found in a “sport-chic” mindset.
Creation Invites Itself into the World of Sports
The 2000s marked the rapprochement between outfitters and designers, eager to launch new creations. Yohji Yamamoto, creator of Real Madrid’s 2014-2015 jersey, and Stella McCartney then decided to create their lines with Adidas.
Several athletes became the face of major brands later on. High fashion houses increasingly align with celebrities as a way to enhance their products and image.
From Thiago Silva to Olivier Giroud, including Roger Federer or Tiger Woods, chic invites itself onto the field to redefine the contours of elegance.
But these true brand ambassadors drew inspiration from this new phenomenon by creating their own brands. Several players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Tony Parker ventured into fashion. Their ventures include the “CR7” brand or French basketball player’s “champ wap two” sweatshirt.
Sporting Attitudes as True Sources of Inspiration
During his years in Manchester, Cantona invented the turned-up collar—a trademark of rebellious attitude—while player Suzanne Lenglen invented a much more elegant style with a knee-length pleated skirt and a fitted headband. These gestures inspired great designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier and his marinière (French national team jersey).
Today, it’s the sports spectacle that drives designers to invest in researching richer and more whimsical materials. Figure skating or football offers a more colorful palette with more spectacular outfits or fluorescent football shoes.
