By now, many in the beauty space have wised up to just how powerful a tool athletes and sports are for their brands. But the crossover between sports and beauty has only just begun, according to panelists at Glossy’s Pop NYC event in Manhattan earlier this month.
WNBA star Hailey van Lith, stylist Dianne Garcia, tennis brand Courting founder Courtney Kelly and Jenna Smith, founder of sports marketing agency Tantamount Sports Group, joined the Pop NYC stage to discuss the state of sports and beauty crossovers.
The common theme of the discussion was that there is still so much more to explore in this space. While big brands like Sephora and Ulta, along with many smaller beauty and fashion brands, have started to partner with athletes and show up at major events like the U.S. Open, there is more room to grow, Smith said.
“There have been brands like Sephora and Glossier making their mark,” she said. “Definitely at the league level, we are seeing a lot of momentum. But is the space mature yet? No, it’s just getting started.”
Smith said she sees a huge open opportunity for more sunscreen and SPF brands to start partnering with athletes and sports teams. It’s a perfect match for outdoor sports like tennis and is, so far, relatively untapped compared to other beauty and wellness categories.
Kelly, whose brand Courting has already become popular with influencers and stylish creators like Shanina Shaik and Meeka Hossain, agreed with that assessment.
“There’s no ceiling right now for beauty,” she said. “I also see a big untapped market for sunscreen. Wellness has traditionally overshadowed beauty in sports, but beauty is now taking over.”
The athletes themselves have played a key role in this expansion. Garcia, who has styled celebrities from many fields, including sports and music, said she has noticed a shift both in how brands treat athletes and how athletes want to work with brands.
“A lot of brands used to think athletes just came to play their sport, and you just give them a look, and they do what you tell them to do,” Garcia said. “I come from the music world, and musicians tend to have a lot more say in their aesthetics. Athletes were different. But now you’re seeing a lot more collaboration. The athletes are taking a bigger role in shaping the collaboration.”
A big part of that evolution is how athletes interact with their followers. Van Lith, who plays for the Connecticut Sun and has worked with brands like Coach and Batiste, said that fans are coming to her for content on her social accounts that isn’t strictly limited to sports, opening the door for lifestyle, wellness and beauty content that’s resonating with her audience.
“The fans eat up the personal life content,” she said. “They want to know what you’re doing from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to bed. I love that they want to know more, and I’ve had a lot of positive interactions. The flip side is that, as female athletes, we often get criticized for more than our performance.”
