Tennis has always been an elegant game for stylish people. Every Grand Slam tournament is examined almost as much for the new outfit designs as the action on court. The first Grand Slam of the year is the Australian Open and fashion icon Stella McCartney is starting the year off in suitable style by debuting her new Adidas Barricade Collection.
According to the official Adidas site the Barricade SS17 collection is “a fusion of bold, feminine style and leading performance technologies.” The bold color scheme of the Barricade collection matches the vibrant identity of the Australian Open. Adidas reports that the collection will be debuted by Garbiñe Muguruza and Caroline Woziacki. Muguruza will play in a hypergreen and white dress while Woziacki will play in the hypergreen and bold Barricade tank top with matching skirt. Speaking to Adidas about the clothing line Garbiñe Muguruza said “I am really excited to wear the dress at the Australian Open; I love the design and fit flattering. Wearing Adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade line, I can step on to court ready to compete and also look my best in Australia’s summer heat.”
Completing the look will be the new Barricade footwear, which will be worn by both Caroline Woziacki and Garbiñe Muguruza. Tennis Identity writes that the new footwear is “designed specifically for women and available in bold orange, red and white.” The shoes feature BOOST technology that gives the athletes maximum support. Woziacki said “BOOST is something you need to feel to believe; my game is more energized and I’m lighter and faster on my feet.”
Stella McCartney and Adidas have been in collaboration since 2004 and she was made Great Britain’s Creative Director for the 2012 Olympic Games. In an interview with Fitness On Toast about her work with Adidas McCartney stated “I always keep in mind women and how I want them to feel about themselves and try to encourage them to be their best…also, I’m always considering how I can help in a workout. I think it’s hard to motivate yourself to go out and workout.” The designer went on to say that by giving women the best sports clothing technology she hopes it will encourage more women to get fit.
In a recent article by The Guardian they revealed that tennis is having a fashion moment with the sport moving away from the traditional “cucumber-sandwich, blond-ponytailed aesthetic” to becoming “more diverse and more inclusive.”
Tennis players are now also fashion role models both on and off the court. The public’s growing interest in tennis fashion is leading to huge sales in events such as Black Friday according to tennis experts Play Your Court. Not everyone will be able to get their hands on Stella McCartney’s latest line but they are making sure they get the right gear as opposed to wearing causal sportswear to play.
2017 is set to be another great year for women’s tennis and Stella McCartney’s new Barricade SS17 line will ensure that the quality of fashion matches the quality of tennis.
