Fashion and sports have been connected for decades, evolving from simple brand deals for shoes and shirts to becoming a way for some of the world’s biggest agencies to leverage their clients’ love of wearing elaborate and extravagant outfits. From the biggest players in the space such as CAA, Klutch and Wasserman, to independent agencies such as Priority Sports, agencies are increasingly making more moves into fashion as a long-term play for clients and, ultimately, cultural capital.
“Obviously, fashion helps lead pop culture and sets a tone for the zeitgeist in the entertainment community,” said CAA fashion agent Elizabeth Mitchell. “So we help make the connectivity between [clients] and the actual fashion platform — whether that be a product line, capsule, runway show, all of those types of things — just to help identify a conversation between parties and so, ultimately, everybody can monetize it.”
CAA Sports features clients including active NBA players Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets, Jaren Jackson of the Memphis Grizzlies and Kyle Kuzma of the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as retired legends Dwyane Wade and Venus and Serena Williams. CAA provides access to marquee brands and big events, often finding connective tissues between divisions under the CAA umbrella.
In a similar vein, Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports has begun diving deeper into fashion with the addition last year of a dedicated individual to lead that department in-house, though they have done work in the fashion space since its inception. It’s a shift from resorting to using outside firms to advise on deals and collaborations. Those employees at Klutch often work closely with United Talent Agency, a Klutch partner, and its fashion division. Most recently, Klutch client and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts attended the 2025 Met Gala on behalf of British luxury fashion house Burberry.
“You look at someone like Jalen and he’s incredible for us,” said Eric Eways, head of marketing for Klutch. “He had a lot of creative freedom in that event for picking out his outfit, and it’s another way to show him without the helmet and a little bit of his personality, especially with his significant other. It was still him, just in a different light.
“But [fashion] is something that he also just frankly enjoys. It’s not about necessarily a marketing play tied to it, but more about expressing himself.”
The rise of social media deserves some credit for the increased connection between brands and athletes. Brands can get a quick bump from athletes repping them on game day, and athletes can cultivate their own images through social media platforms, especially Instagram.
“All everyone is talking about is the tunnel walk. Athletes have created an environment for them to be special and branded, and some are really intentional with their look. They work with stylists amd tag brands on social media,” said Circe Wallace, Wasserman executive vice president of Women’s Sports, Olympics and Action Sports. “You’re even seeing brands reach out for opportunities in the tunnel.”
On the women’s side, athletes already in the fashion world like Octagon’s Hailey Van Lith, increasingly get calls about collaborations due to their online presence. It’s not often for athletes to get as many inquiries as the Chicago Sky guard, said Allie Grayson, director of marketing strategy for Octagon Basketball.
“I would say for the most part I’m reaching out to every brand there is and understanding where there’s opportunity. But at the same time, with Hailey, she is seeing that other brands are doing some outreach to us to understand what her strategy is and if that’s a fit for what they’re looking to do,” she said.
When it comes to forging brand deals and collaborations, it starts with authenticity. Sometimes, athletes will wear fashion items without an official deal with a particular brand, making it easier for agencies to pitch a partnership.
Priority client and 76ers guard Miles McBride had been interested in apparel from luxury fashion house Acne Studios long before he joined the NBA in 2021. By the time he was finally in the league, he had begun wearing Acne products through tunnel walks, which helped the agency reach out about teaming up.
“Miles loves Acne Studios,” said Alex Shaw, Priority Sports’ marketing manager. “Sometimes the players won’t even tell us. But if I see that he’s wearing something a lot, I’ll reach out to that brand, send it to their PR group and show them that he’s been wearing them authentically and spending his own money.
“That then builds the relationship. Some opportunities do come across our desk, but we’re usually pretty intentional and aggressive about trying to get out there.”
