Why Did Angel Reese Announce Her WNBA Draft Eligibility in Vogue?
L.S.U. might have misplaced to Iowa within the Elite Eight spherical of the N.C.A.A. ladies’s basketball event, however even two days afterward their star ahead Angel Reese was nonetheless making headlines — this time in Vogue.
On Wednesday, Ms. Reese, 21, determined to make use of the shiny to announce she was forgoing her final 12 months of faculty to enter the W.N.B.A. draft, going down later this month. That selection, full with Ms. Reese posing glamorously for a shoot involving garments from Valentino, Diesel, Wales Bonner and Christian Louboutin, is solely the most recent expression of the blossoming love affair between trend and sports activities, an intermingling of industries that can attain new heights this summer time with the Paris Olympics.
The basketball participant stated she had been impressed by Serena Williams, who selected to make use of Vogue to announce her retirement from tennis. (Ms. Williams obtained a canopy shoot, befitting her standing.) Probably, nonetheless, Ms. Reese is modeling — no pun supposed — her profession on Ms. Williams’s in additional methods than only one.
In any case, as a school athlete, Ms. Reese — who was known as the “Bayou Barbie” after she moved to Baton Rouge due to her penchant for eyelash extensions, lengthy pink nails and dressing up — has been one of many highest paid N.I.L. stars, with offers valued at $1.8 million. She has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, the place images of herself in uniform alternate with images of herself in outfits from Trend Nova and with Louis Vuitton purses. Each information factors matter in the identical means that the record-breaking 12.3 million folks that watched the L.S.U.-Iowa recreation matter. Ms. Reese clearly understands the facility of picture to remodel a gifted athlete right into a model that may then be parlayed into all types of offers, not solely throughout her taking part in profession, however far past.
It’s not an accident, for instance, that Tom Brady, in his post-football life, began the “Brady” line of athleisure, or that a big chunk of Michael Jordan’s wealth comes from his Air Jordan sneaker line. Nor that Ms. Williams herself has a trend line, S by Serena. Nor that seemingly each week brings a brand new announcement from LVMH, one of many Olympic sponsors, a couple of totally different athlete who has turn out to be an envoy for one among its manufacturers, together with Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton.
On the similar time, an athlete who can also be a celeb can add worth to a crew by attracting consideration from an viewers not considering sports activities. For Ms. Reese, who’s seeking to be an early draft choose, underscoring her potential in that enviornment isn’t just about emulating an idol, but additionally making a strategic transfer. It’s a slam dunk.
To that finish, an alignment with Vogue — much more than Sports activities Illustrated, which featured Ms. Reese in its swimsuit challenge, or Ladies’s Well being, which put her on its March/April cowl — is solely a fundamental résumé builder. Simply as no matter designer Ms. Reese decides to put on on the purple carpet for draft day will likely be a part of the sport.
Solely on this one, all people wins.
