Luxury and Sports: The World’s New Favourite Duo 

Luxury and sports; two industries that could not be further apart. 

Or, so you would think. 

The luxury and sports sectors have spent 2024 getting to know each other, becoming increasingly more intertwined day by day. Once entirely separate fields, luxury has been seen working closely with athletes to boost its public image. 

From footballers walking the runway to Chaumet designing the Olympic medals in Paris, luxury is making sport a major part of its modern marketing strategy. 

Which begs the question, why? 

Why have athletes suddenly become the go-to influencers for luxury, and can their presence breathe some fresh air into the stale industry? 

Read on to find out more. 

@arsenal

“I love fashion and to be asked to be involved in this is really special.” Declan reacts to walking the Labrum London Fashion Week show 🤩 #DeclanRice #Arsenal #londonfashionweek #Fashion

♬ original sound – arsenal

LUXURY HITS A STUMBLING BLOCK

In recent years, luxury has found itself stumbling. 

Faced with a world of consumers who demand authenticity and relatability from brands, luxury has been struggling to connect with modern audiences. As an industry that has built itself on heritage, exclusivity, craftsmanship, and elusivity, reaching modern consumers who do not particularly value these characteristics has seemed near impossible. 

Consumers are becoming increasingly mindful of the brands that they engage with. Brands must be transparent, adhere to environmental guidelines, and show soul if they wish to cut through the noise. Several luxury brands have, therefore, faced recent controversy. Dior, for example, is still attempting to rebuild trust in modern consumers after a public inquiry into its supply chain exposed less than favourable practices.

There is also the issue of celebrity and influencer fatigue. Luxury consumers are tired of the same old faces gracing their screens. They want something new and fresh, something that shakes up the way the industry has typically operated. 

Luxury needs a new way to reach modern consumers, to tactically reframe its image as an industry that not only cares about its consumers, but is genuine to its core. 

Enter luxury and sports. 

@culted

@Taylor Fritz opening @BOSS SS25 🎾 #taylorfritz #tennis #tennisplayer #boss #bossss25 #milanfashionweek #cultedmfw #fyp

♬ original sound – CULTED

LUXURY AND SPORTS: THE ANSWER TO LUXURY’S PRAYERS?

Athletes have quickly become the ultimate luxury ambassadors, bringing the perfect combination of aspiration and relatability that luxury desperately needs. 

The perfect example of this new obsession, were the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Olympics were a turning point for the relationship between sports and luxury, with major brand names taking a central role in the event.  In fact, the Launchmetrics’ Olympics Marketing Report concluded that more than 70% of the event’s celebrity voices were athletes, building $12.9 billion media impact value for the luxury brands involved.  

LVMH was an official sponsor, and brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton tactically made use of the event’s global scale through logos on swimsuits and products in the Opening Ceremony. From Chaumet designing the Olympic medals to LVMH running an extensive social first campaign on its involvement in the event, luxury made itself essential at the games. 

Unsurprisingly, the tactic well and truly paid off. Simon Biles generated $2.7 million in media impact value for luxury house Ralph Lauren, all by wearing the brand’s designs during the Olympics. 

Beyond the Olympics, luxury is finding new and creative ways to work with athletes, such as investing in players to strut their stuff down major runways; showing just how far luxury brands are willing to take this new partnership.

@naomiosaka

lv cruise ’25 ✨ #ootd #runway #resort #fashiontiktok

♬ original sound – Goldenfilmz🎞🌼

In just the past two Fashion Week cycles, Declan Rice was featured in Labrum’s 2025 Spring runway at London Fashion Week, Taylor Fritz in Boss’s show in Milan, Marcus Rashford in Prada, and Eileen Gu for Louis Vuitton. 

Ultimately, these athletes are becoming influencers and trendsetters in their own right, gaining large followings all tracking their unique style. This phenomenon, of athletes ascending to influencer status, is part of an overarching pattern that we previously covered here. 

At the end of the day, it is clear that luxury is hedging its bets on the power of athlete influencers, and hard. 

Yet, why luxury and sports? And, why now?

THE SHEER POWER OF ATHLETES 

What makes these athletes so successful is their unique voice. They occupy a special niche in the world, one that cuts through the noise of influencers and celebrities, and entices modern consumers.

Athletes represent an aspirational way of life, filled with hard work, dedication, and expensive sportswear. For young consumers, athletes are figures to look up to; relatable and authentic enough to seem genuine, but still idyllic and slightly untouchable. 

For older generations, athletes embody the more traditional values close to this groups’ heart. The perfect image of how hard work pays off, athletes are able to influence older generations just as easily as their younger counterparts. 

@ralphlauren

Game. Set. PoloBear. As the final day of the @US Open begins, our icon’s match takes an unexpected twist with a visit from a New York local. #RLTennis #RalphLauren #PoloRalphLauren #USOpen

♬ original sound – Ralph Lauren

By engaging with athletes, luxury brands are able to reach both young and older audiences alike, bringing in a human element to their brands that the industry typically lacks. 

What’s more, athletes have mega star power with younger consumers. According to new reports by Simar, Gen Alpha and Gen Z are more interested in following an athlete online than they are watching sports. Interestingly, a mere 18% of Gen Z attended a live sporting event over the last year, and 33% do not watch live sports.

It is not the sport that allures these generations to athletes, but the athletes themselves. 

LUXURY AND SPORTS: HOW TO ENGAGE

Luxury brands who are looking for a refreshing way to target consumers will find the answer in sports. Typically two unrelated industries, luxury and sports are now as thick as thieves, all thanks to the modern influencer status of athletes, and the authentic, aspirational air around them. 

Brands seeking to get in on the luxury and sports fun should act fast, before consumer fatigue once again sets in and these famous sports people lose their sheen. Focus on up and coming athletes such as Ilona Maher, as they are more likely to have an established social presence; thereby making your campaign as successful as possible. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful