Jewel & Jewel

Is your sweaty old tracksuit a fashion statement or just comfy clothing?

A new exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum explores how high fashion and sport have paired up over the last decade to become a potent clothing and retail force just in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The curator of the V&A’s “Fashion V Sport” exhibition argues that the role of sportswear has increasingly come to be viewed as couture rather than just jogging or gym attire.

“More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open,” Ligaya Salazar told Reuters.

The compact display of the interaction between contemporary fashion and global sportswear brands is on at the museum in central London until January 4th, showcasing some 60 outfits, design drawings, photographs and films demonstrating sporty dress sense, design, advertising and collections.

Some fashion brands taking part in this demonstration of how sport crosses the divide from the frumpy to the fashionable may surprise visitors more used to seeing well-known fashion names on catwalk rather than on the sports pitch.

The show is broken up into sections entitled “Dare,” “Display,” “Play,” “Desire” and features designs by such well-known names as Prada, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Yohji Yamamoto alongside sportswear makers like Adidas, Reebok and Nike.

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