A MESSAGE FROM DVF

Introducing an exclusive ready-to-wear collaboration with designer Henry Zankov. This bold, multi-dimensional capsule brings together DVF’s legendary prints and iconic silhouettes with Zankov’s graphic sensibility and modern approach to color and texture.

As an alumni of DVF, Zankov brings a deep understanding of DVF’s design codes and storied heritage. The campaign imagines a modern interpretation of Diane von Furstenberg herself - confident, unapologetic, eclectic, and always in motion.

Available for pre-order August 27 exclusively with Bergdorf Goodman, and at DVF from September 15.

And now on to the main event...

Putting aside the pop pop pop of pickleball that’s currently driving suburban neighbors nuts, the racket sport that’s actually making news is tennis. According to the United States Tennis Association, tennis participation has exploded to 25.7 million Americans, up nearly 2 million players last year alone, with one in every 12 Americans now playing.

Not far behind, of course, are a number of D.T.C. fashion upstarts that have realized the formerly niche market shouldn’t be left to heritage tennis brands like Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Lacoste. Watch any random match at this week’s U.S. Open—and, better yet, make sure to see Venus Williams, who’s been wearing custom Khaite and carrying a shearling leather tennis racket bag custom designed by brand ERL—and you’ll see multiple insurgent brands trying to build market share within one of the country’s fastest growing sports.

A MESSAGE FROM DVF

Henry Zankov infuses his distinct visual language into the collection with unexpected textures, clashing colors, mixed prints, and a harmony between urban and natural elements. Elevated fabrics including chiffon, silk and cashmere are at the heart of the collection, brought to life with embellishments like digitally printed sequin, paillettes, and intricate embroidery.

Silhouettes are long and loose, invoking a relaxed ease that is inherent to both brands. Shapes borrow from the world of menswear, with subtle wrapping techniques that nod to DVF’s iconic legacy.

Available for pre-order August 27 exclusively with Bergdorf Goodman, and at DVF from September 15.  

The economic opportunity wasn’t always so obvious. “I made my first concept deck about Spence in 2017, floated the idea in the venture and investment world, and was repeatedly told that tennis isn’t culturally relevant,” said Amanda Greeley, the founder and creative director of Spence. “The total addressable market is too small, it’s not growing—I ran into wall after wall after wall, because no one cared about tennis.” But D.T.C. investors have belatedly come to recognize that the category’s audience is much bigger than athletes. For every non-pro sweating up the courts at the local country club, there are many others who want to wear tennis-coded athleisure year-round.

The tenniscore market upheaval is already reshaping established hierarchies. Vuori, the San Diego–based D.T.C. brand that claimed a $5.5 billion valuation last year after raising $825 million, recently poached British tennis star Jack Draper from Nike, putting a significant crack in the athletic giant’s tennis dominance. For Vuori, primarily known for athleisure, signing the world’s No. 5 player represents a leap into high-performance sports, as does its recent poaching of trainer Kirsty Godso, also from Nike.

At the Open, Venus Williams has debuted three distinct looks that signal how brands and players are approaching the sport now. Stylist Ronald Burton III worked with her on a custom Khaite kit, a Luar x Woolmark collab featuring performance merino wool pieces, and Monday evening’s ERL kit—the prep polo and white tennis set giving traditional, but not stuffy. Burton told me that the idea for “new American luxury” looks, and to focus on brands that are keeping things exciting in American fashion, came together during their fittings in early August. Not that Williams, who wore Lacoste to this year’s Met Gala, is averse to tradition. “When an icon like Venus knocks on the door, you say yes,” said Luar designer Raul Lopez. “I wanted to honor the traditional tennis silhouette, while also turning it on its head a little bit.” His choice of merino wool follows wool’s increased use in running and performance gear.

All the usual suspects can be found in Flushing this year: Ralph Lauren, of course, which is celebrating a 20-year partnership with the U.S. Open, as well as pop-ups from Nike and Wilson. (According to a source, Ralph Lauren is dressing 215 on-the-court officials and 400 ball crew members.) Meanwhile, both Lacoste and Spence are doubling down on experiential retail at Printemps downtown. “Lacoste paid quite a lot of money to do an activation,” I’m told by an inside source, while Spence, a mostly D.T.C. challenger, was brought in by Printemps store buyers. (Neither brand responded to requests for comment.)

We’ll see how heritage brands adapt their retail strategies to compete with the insurgents. The tennis market, after all, has become bigger than a mere heritage play. While the big TV events, like the U.S. Open in tennis, the U.S. Open in golf, and the Olympics have traditionally been where brands play hard for recognition and consumer eyeballs, the D.T.C. bunch have been inclined to supplement the spectacle with more intimate approaches. For example, Spence is partnering with professional coaches who train high-net-worth and celebrity players. The Association of Tennis Professionals just unveiled a collab with Palmes, a menswear brand with “roots” in tennis. Still, when Jack Draper—who reached the semifinals last year—takes the court tomorrow in the second round against Zizou Bergs, the spectacle will be all that matters.

Humans are unreliable narrators, and that’s the reason most memoirs don’t work. But of all the aging white men books I consumed this summer (a lot), I have to say I enjoyed Barry Diller’s Who Knew the most. It’s one-sided, for sure, but also as honest as these things can be. Most people will come for the personal stuff and explanation of how, as a gay man, he fell in love with and married a woman: fashion’s very own Diane von Furstenberg. There’s a decent amount of celebrity gossip, too—the kind that is not salacious per se, but actually revealing.

However, what I most enjoyed was Diller’s depiction of how his business mind works: He’s speaking with decades of hindsight, but it was fun to hear his side of how deals were won and lost. If you followed the saga of the Ellisons buying Paramount from Shari Redstone, you might be interested to hear how her father, Sumner Redstone, won Paramount in the first place by outbidding Diller and QVC.

At the end, he goes on a little too much about the creation of the High Line and Little Island—a major contribution to New York City, to be sure, but kinda boring to read about—and I truly do not care that they cloned their dogs, which he seems to want to defend. Overall, though, it’s a great read, or listen. I suggest the audiobook because Diller reads it, and he is charming. Fans of Diane’s—and who isn’t one of those?—will also enjoy her brief cameos, reading notes she sent to Barry over the years. [Audible]

Speaking of D.V.F., I love her new collab with Henry Zankov, a kind and incredibly talented designer who has worked with many different brands on their knitwear programs. If I were a different person, I would buy this look—which means you definitely should when it is available to preorder on August 27. Also, she is hosting a big fundraiser/party on Thursday in Venice, just in time for the film festival, that sounds incredibly glamorous. [Bergdorf Goodman and Inbox]

Bryanboy, the O.G. blogger who is both an observer of the luxury industry and a client of it, started a smart newsletter. Should I ask him to be Line Sheet’s next guest columnist? [Screenshots]

I am convinced that Zara ended up making an ad with the cool girls dance troupe after everyone in the fashion industry became obsessed with them and kept posting and commenting on the video of their routine. Truly shows the power of social media. [Instagram]

Liana Satenstein is the expert on the resale market that you must follow immediately. Loved this profile of a collector of vintage Marc Jacobs. [Neverworns]

Wow, the takeover of Nine Orchard by Austin-based hospitality group MML (whose partners are chefs Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman, and famed hotelier Liz Lambert) is a big deal. Pretty sure this is their first property outside of the South. New York City is the most challenging place in the world to do this sort of business, but it can also be the most lucrative. Anyway, I’m a fan, and intrigued. [Feed Me]

Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo put his Los Feliz house on the market for $10 million. Looks nice! [Instagram]

It’s designer profile season, and you should bother with Maya Singer’s depiction of Jack and Lazaro’s early days at Loewe. [Vogue]

Yes, I agree that Cate Blanchett’s contract with Uniqlo is weird. But also, she has a strong team around her advising on this stuff, and I assume they are doing this because of Clare Waight Keller, who is smart and formidable. Also, they have a lot of money. [Inbox]

I love the Collier Schorr Givenchy campaign. It’s gorgeous, and further indicative of this push by designers to get women to get dressed. I hope to see people wearing these clothes in Europe in the fall. [Instagram]

WWD hired a new editor-in-chief, who is a longtime Fairchild Media employee. (They moved the SheKnows lady to an “innovation” role.) Absolutely so depressing that they couldn’t find an interesting person outside of the business to do this. Perhaps he will surprise us? [WWD]

Until tomorrow,
Lauren

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