Jeux by Beatrice Brandini

Olimpics Rings by Basquiat and Warhol at the Louis Vuitton Foundation

In Paris, until September, sport and fashion are celebrated. In fact, there are many exhibitions, even outside the capital, that have this wonderful combination as their protagonist.

   

Sport et Mode at the Palais Galliera

I had already talked about Sport and Fashion in an old post from 2014 (for those who want to recover it, this is the link: https://www.beatricebrandini.it/sports-and-fashion-rivals-or-accomplices-a-reality/?lang=en ), now a few years have passed and what seemed to be an increasingly frequent collaboration or union has become a reality.

   

Sport et Mode at the Palais Galliera

But the relationship between fashion and sport actually dates back many decades, in fact, already in Vogue in 1926, it was written like this: “Three-quarters of the day fashion proposed in Paris is of the sporty type. Simple, practical and youthful, it is an influence that is increasingly felt outside the sphere of actual sport and reaches into daywear, holiday and travel clothing”.

   

“Sport Chic” at the Hotel Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg

The explanation lies entirely in the change in lifestyle, in the frenzy of commitments that our daily lives impose on us, in the desire to stay (or at least try to stay) in shape, in the emancipation of women that is not well suited (or suited) to corsets or overly demanding clothes.

Diaspora Omar Victor Diop, at the Louis Vuitton Foundation

Installation by Roman Signer, at the Louis Vuitton Foundation

Actually, today it has been a bit exaggerated, in my opinion there is a perfect time and way for sportswear or streetwear, and one for a bit more elegance. Comfort is fine, but a man with a capri to go to the office, as well as a woman with a tank top, no.

A beautiful image of the Spot and Fashion installation

However, the Paris Olympic Games are celebrating sport, one of the most beautiful things in the world. People cheer for their country, they discover and watch lesser-known and decidedly fascinating disciplines, and there are many wonderful stories of athletes who without this spotlight would be just stoic unknowns. Because the real effort, with little fanfare and a lot of honor, is precisely this, the one in which you prepare for 4 years and risk everything in a few minutes. The effort of swimming (Martinenghi, Ceccon and the collector Paltrinieri are wonderful), fencing, the marathon, judo, volleyball, gymnastics, diving… Fantastic guys!

   

Histoire de sports poster and a photo, at Le Cellier, in Reims

However, putting aside this romantic note (but I was very moved), I would like to underline how the city, in various locations and with very heterogeneous proposals among them, has lent itself to celebrating fashion and sport.

“sporty” covers on Le Jardin Des Modes

In fact, at the Palais Galliera the relationship between fashion and sport in the beautiful exhibition “Fashion in Motion”; at the Louis Vuitton Foundation the exhibition “The Collection, Rendezvous with Sport”; “Sport and Renaissance” at the Musée de la Renaissance; “Sport before the Games” at the Maison de Balzac; “Sport Chic” at the Hotel Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg; “D’or, d’argent et de bronze”, the history of the Olympic medal at La Monnaie de Paris; “Secondary” at the Fondation Cartier with the artist Matthew Barney, an exhibition that investigates the relationship between sport and the body.

     

Vogue covers from the 1930s

There are so many on the calendar, it’s impossible not to find the one that best suits your tastes. If it were up to me, I’d visit them all.

Good life to everyone!

Beatrice