How Emma Raducanu Won the Fashion World Over in 2021 . . . While Women's Tennis Shakes
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Image: Emma Raducanu by Peter Menzel, CC By-SA 2.0
Before 2021, not even the most ardent of tennis fans would recognize the name of British star Emma Raducanu. Today, she’s far more than a sports celebrity, catching the eye of the red carpet press at events around the world.
The 18-year-old from Kent arrived in New York for the late August-early September US Open tennis tournament, having already captured hearts at Wimbledon, as the first British woman in 42 years to get to the fourth round.
Bets weren’t being placed that Raducanu would win the US Open, even though she was wearing lots of public good will on her back. And then lightening struck in tennis world. Days later publicist Mark Borkowski said Raducanu was poised to become “a billion-dollar girl”, scoring a raft of sponsorship deals.
“I think Emma will earn well over $100 million [in the next calendar year]. She’ll eclipse all the men,” said Jonathan Shalit, the chairman of InterTalent Group, a London-based talent management agency.
Raducanu beat Leylah Fernandez in the September 11 women’s final of the 2021 US Open. Her big win came days after Fernandez shocked the tennis world by taking out Naomi Osaka, who was reeling from a series of challenging defeats and press events since departing the French Open at the end of May.
British Vogue EIC Edward Enninful had already decided to feature Emma Raducanu in the October issue, whether she won or not at the US Open. The young star already had a fashion photo shoot under her belt before hitting the tennis courts at New York City’s Flushing Meadows.
AOC wrote at the time: “The win put the warm-spirited, humble Raducanu in a record-breaking spot in tennis world as the first qualifier to ever win a Grand Glam at age 18. She was the first Brit to win the US Open since Virginia Wade in 1977.”
Emma Raducanu Is 'Court Favourite' by Scott Trindle in British Vogue October 2021 AOC Fashion
Dame Anna Wintour’s Met Gala
Emma’s most notable first appearance was her debut at the September 13, 2021 Met Gala as a guest of Chanel. She arrived already being labeled a “billion-dollar girl” in the press and knowing that the esteemed Edward Enninful and Anna Wintour were on her team.
Dame Anna Wintour DBE is the British-American editor-in-Chief of American Vogue since 1988 and Global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast since 2020. Wintour is an avid professional tennis fan and the Chair of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute since 1995.
It was widely believed that had Hillary Clinton won the 2016 presidential election, Anna Wintour would have become the American ambassador to Britain. To suggest that there was a special place in Wintour’s heart for Emma Radacanu’s US Open win is probably truth.
Luis Venegas, editor and publisher of the “transversal style magazine” ‘Candy’, took on the drag version of Anna Wintour in 2010 . Grace Coddington, Franca Sozzani and Tavi Gevinson also got exposure. We’re tracking down the fashion story, because we all need a fashion spirits ‘lift’.
As a host of the annual Met Gala, Wintour is known for raising over $200 million in a single night. So plucking Emma Raducanu out of the US Open winner’s circle and transporting her two days later to the Met Gala in head-to-toe Chanel is a small feat in Wintour’s world.
Harper’s Bazaar showcased Radacanu’s Cinderella-story big night, where she transformed her tennis court style into a printed monochrome, modern woman’s ensemble designed by Chanel’s creative director Virginie Viard. The then 18-year-old tennis star’s fans saw her in pointed, black-patent booties and a [real] pearls Chanel embellished belt, standing in a sea of camera flashes.
Fashion’s New Status as Human Potential Financial Incubator
Vogue’s Janelle Okwodu said about Emma: “Fashion is as much about relevance as clothes, so it makes sense that fashion has embraced Emma. Even if you don’t know anything about her Grand Slams, she stands out, and there’s a warmth to her presence. Anyone can wear expensive clothing; that doesn’t mean they can carry it off or make it seem effortless, and Emma can do both. As much as she is becoming a red carpet star, what I enjoy most is that she’s retained her sense of self.”
New York City’s love affair with Emma Radacanu was so complete that global fans next saw her at the New York Stock Exchange. Sponsor Nike was getting NYSE headlines and not the latest betting listings on Coral where Radacanu’s ranked amongst the top picks to again win the US Open in 2022.
The current lineup last week had Emma third behind Ashleigh Barry and Naomi Osaka. Today a week in women’s tennis means everything, leaving even me astonished.
Tennis Earthquakes in Miami
My British friends describe Radacanu’s current play as “rather patchy form” since her big win. Reality is that former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka has experienced mostly trouble since the US Open as well. AOC follows Osaka world closely and each time Naomi returns to the court after another timeout, something goes wrong.
When I text my British friends tonight, asking them if they are shocked that Ashleigh Barty retired last Wednesday as the world No. 1 player, I sure hope they know about it.
“It’s cool to leave the game when you’re No. 1. You feel like you have nothing left to prove, like you’ve accomplished everything you wanted to. … She clearly knew what she wanted to do," Naomi Osaka said regarding the shock news about Barty.
AOC is among the voices who have suggested that Naomi Osaka herself consider taking her $50 million 2021 payday and do something that makes her happy. Forbes says that her contract has no performance clause. Not only does Naomi not have to win in her sponsorship deals, she doesn’t have to play the game. Some of Naomi’s same sponsors might well stay with her if she retired from tennis.
Emma Radacanu lost an early match last week at the current Miami Open, and the headlines were not kind. As we speak the young star made a self-defense move Monday, “hurling a response to former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters, who seemingly called out Raducanu for her “princess” attitude and lack of focus on tennis following her second-round exit from the Miami Open,” according to the New York Post.
“Maybe you just see, on the news or on social media, me signing this or that deal and I feel like it’s quite misleading because I’m doing five, six hours a day [of training], I’m at the club for 12 hours a day,” Raducanu said. “But I throw out one post in the car on the way to practice and all of a sudden it’s, ‘I don’t focus on tennis.’
Naomi Osaka got a walkover win at the Miami Open on Saturday when Karolína Muchová pulled out with an injury. Osaka, who plays for Japan, did win today, beating American Alison Riske.
Osaka will play in the quarter-finals Tuesday against American Danielle Collins. With Barty retired, Osaka may score the tournament trophy. Then again . . .
The Marriage of Fashion and Sports
LV x NBA: AOC Catches Up With a Brilliant Virgil Abloh 'For the Ages' Collaboration AOC Fashion
The two cultural sectors of fashion and sport have always shared a mutual interest, but something more is happening today. The idea isn’t fully formulated in my head but the headline is more complex than the “winner take all” mindset that has governed America since the Reagan era.
Yes, the sports figure may be the front person — male or female — but the synergies are changing.
By my own admission, I did not understand just how fully engaged Louis Vuitton Men’s had become with the NBA under the beloved Virgil Abloh. And I don’t mean athletic street fashion. This is old-school Louis Vuitton luxury in today’s world.
In the case of the NBA, they are dressing players for the lives so many of them lead — as business people, entrepreneurs and civic leaders. In doing so, they are reinforcing a much broader vision of the “successful” sports figure.
In the case of Emma Raducanu, Vogue’s Janelle Okwodu words about her resonate: “Even if you don’t know anything about her Grand Slams, she stands out, and there’s a warmth to her presence. Anyone can wear expensive clothing; that doesn’t mean they can carry it off or make it seem effortless, and Emma can do both.”
Under Virgil Abloh, the very brand platform of Louis Vuitton Men’s expanded, treating players as people with their own values and priorities, their own vision of leadership and where it’s needed in the human community.
Betting on Values and Not Only Game Wins
Granted, the recent auction of Virgil Abloh’s last Nike sneaker for LV was historic, because of Virgil’s tragic death. [Here I go again . . . tears, tears, tears.] But the success of the auction shocked even Sotheby’s. An incredible number of new Sotheby’s bidders were involved, and they paid astounding amounts of money for the Louis Vuitton X Nike ‘Air Force 1’ sneakers. These bidders were clearly younger successful professionals, and not part of the old-world values [he who has the most money wins] of Sotheby’s.
They valued the vision, talent, feet on the ground community spirit that prompted countless testimonials of places and people that Abloh touched. The message #VirgilWas Here flooded the digital universe in ceremonies across the world. An auction of 200 pair of Virgil’s last LV X Nike sneakers was projected to raise $3 million for Virgil’s Foundation. It raised $25.3 million.
This entire subject of the changing intersection of sports and fashion is very complex. For a moment the best effort we can make is to table all of our assumptions about “winners”. Trust me, this is not fairytale thinking.
Turning our focus to the players — Emma and Naomi and Ashleigh Barry, who quit professional tennis last week — perhaps we all need a bit of therapy. After reading about “princess attacks” on Raducanu, she might want to line up a therapist, too. If Naomi Osaka wins the Miami Open, she will probably give some of the credit to her new therapist. The best therapist can be different for each person, but adding one to the team of experts surrounding women tennis stars sounds like a good idea in a Twitter-driven world.
This idea of fashion world becoming a real incubator of successful women fascinates me. That is NOT its reputation. Last week, I would have said that the instantaneous, big-money success of these young stars is too superficial, unearned in terms of consistency, and it puts tremendous pressure on young women. Like what if they lose . . . often?
Today I see a new business paradigm forming with sports and fashion brands. Emma Raducanu is the newbie still in year one, and Naomi Osaka is more experienced, with very public struggles.
In this evolution, losing may not be a deal killer. Depending on the broader values and social identity of the ‘star’ among her followers, a more important allegiance to struggle and self-development may prevail. It’s all very interesting what’s going on — especially with the women — and it warrants close watching and original thinking. ~ Anne
