New Balance & Miu Miu Seize the Tennis Opportunity With Coco Gauff
Plus, an exclusive interview with ESSX founder Laura Baker on her store's relationship with athletes.
Hi friends! Welcome back to another edition of SportsVerse, your favourite newsletter at the intersection of sports, fashion, culture and business. Powered by OffBall.
A couple of weeks ago, in a post that is one of the most-read pieces on SportsVerse to date, I analysed how legacy brands were missing out on the boom in interest tennis was experiencing, not just from purist fans of the sport, but more casual sports culture and fashion consumers too.
I said that there was a whole cluster of legacy brands which have been involved in performance racket sports for decades — in some cases, centuries — but don’t seem to be interested in getting in front of these new audiences. I also explained how this has left the door open for newer entrants to tennis, like On and Lululemon, which have their fingers on the sports culture pulse, to take advantage and steal market share in the valuable tennis-style category.
Yesterday, we saw New Balance assert its skill in this regard with the latest instalment of its collaboration with Italian cool girl luxury brand Miu Miu, this time a performance and casual tennis collection starring signature athlete Coco Gauff, which has the internet in a chokehold.
This is the first time in a long while that a tennis-specific collection has reached the attention of mainstream consumers. It ticks several boxes, meeting the ever-rising interest in the tennis aesthetic, adding a fashion-forward twist to the silhouettes that you don’t usually see in and around performance gear, and also including the luxury star power of Miu Miu (all with the bonus of Coco Gauff, the centerpiece of the collaboration and one of the most marketable athletes around)
After so many years of incumbent brands like Nike and Adidas steadily deprioritising tennis — investing less and less in new collections or marketing around key tournaments — the New Balance x Miu Miu collection is a sign that there is still life in the category for brands smart enough to extract it. Fans are excited.
A Marketing Masterclass
What’s smart about this collection is the strategy behind its rollout. Before it launches to the public in September, Gauff will sport clothing and footwear by the two brands during her forthcoming tournaments in Rome (May), Berlin (June), and Cincinnati (August). They’re building hype for this as they would for one of their sneaker releases with Joe Freshgoods or other high-end collaborators.
In each of these locations, Coco will wear different colorways: navy and white with red accents in Rome, white and green with sky blue accents in Berlin, and white and royal blue with red accents in Cincinnati. This allows New Balance to show off the full range of the collection in action, rather than just dropping it all online on the given release date.
On the court, Gauff will wear the New Balance x Miu Miu sportswear collection and a collaborative version of her signature shoe, the Coco CG2. Off court, she’ll wear her more casual version of the New Balance X Miu Miu 530 SL sneaker as well as tracksuits designed by both brands.
This is how, as a sportswear brand, you tap into the tennis-fashion aesthetic (without being cringe) with genuine performance credibility. And this is how you market a product.
I’m excited to see this one roll out. New Balance is on one hell of a winning streak.
Laura Baker, founder of ESSX, speaks to SportsVerse
In Tuesday’s edition of SportsVerse, we spoke about New York-based boutique ESSX, which has often been described as the “saviour” of the city’s fashion retail scene. The store’s SS25 campaign was shot by NFL player Ogbo Okoronkwo — a novel way to integrate the appeal of athletes and sport into fashion marketing, and an alternative to the typical role of an athlete in front of the camera.
Since then, I got the chance to catch up with ESSX founder Laura Baker to hear more about the unlikely but important role sports have come to play in the appeal of her store, which has become an undeniable Lower East Side hotspot.
DYM: When you were first thinking about what ESSX would mean to NYC fashion culture, did sports and athletes come into the planning, or was that a natural evolution once the store opened?
Laura: Athletes weren’t part of the original plan for ESSX—it was a natural evolution. When NBA and NFL players started showing up, we quickly adapted, working with vendors to meet their unique sizing needs. It was unexpected, but ultimately helped shape our identity.
DYM: It's common to see athletes starring in fashion campaigns as models, but Ogbo Okoronkwo shot this campaign for ESSX, which is pretty novel and refreshing. What made you decide to platform his creative skills in this way, and how did the conversation first come about?
Laura: That came about really naturally. Ogbo’s been a supporter of ESSX from the start, but beyond that, he’s genuinely creative, with a great eye and a real passion for storytelling. We had been chatting about doing another photoshow, and it just sort of clicked- why not shoot our campaign!?
We’re always about platforming talent in unexpected ways, so giving him that space just made sense. It wasn’t about him being an athlete—it was about him being a visionary.
DYM: Why is sport and your relationship with athletes such an important aspect of the ESSX community?
Laura: Sports (and music) have always been a big part of fashion culture, especially in New York. Our relationship with athletes grew organically, but it quickly became clear—they’re not just icons on the field, they’re tastemakers off it. A lot of them connected with ESSX not just for the product, but for the community and the creative energy. That mutual respect is what makes the relationship real, and why it’s become such a key part of who we are.
DYM: What does it take to become a go-to store for the professional sports community?
Laura: We’ve been fortunate to build a growing family, with athletes from the NBA, NFL, and even overseas FIFA leagues coming through. What makes ESSX a go-to is our authenticity and the uniqueness of our product selection within the brands we carry. Athletes want items that reflect their personal identity off the field, and they also need to stand out from their teammates during those tunnel walks. We’re here to make sure they have something that sets them apart—and that’s why they keep coming back.
DYM: Finally, are there any considerations specific to catering to athletes at the intersection of high fashion that you take into account when building your VIP business?
Laura: When catering to athletes at the intersection of high fashion, it’s about more than just style—it’s about creating an experience that feels personal and exclusive. Athletes want pieces that elevate their look while reflecting their individuality. In building our VIP business, we focus on offering unique items and consistently introducing clients to new designers and brands. We also pay close attention to fit and, of course, ensure item exclusivity so they’re not matching with other players.
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Until next time!
DYM
Wow the MM x NB fits are so good! Wonder if they’ll cost more or less than On x Loewe
I do like this. Tennis fashion is my favorite sports fashion. I like where this is going.