“I had an opportunity to look at what’s out there, and we approached Uniqlo,” explains Federer, who consulted with Vogue’s Wintour once negotiations began. It will be jarring to see both future Hall of Famers in new, unfamiliar threads, but both veterans feel they have a lot more to offer in their respective sports-and each move was made with an eye off their respective courts. A former sponsor of Novak Djokovic and current outfitter of Japanese pro Kei Nishikori, Uniqlo’s addition of Federer is the fashion equivalent of the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring LeBron James. I want to re-do that, and recreate the coolest things with Uniqlo.”Īfter 20 fruitful years with Nike, Federer caused a stir in the tennis and business worlds when he inked a 10-year contract with Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing retailer that is better known for its casual lifestyle apparel than for its athletic pursuits. “I really wanted to make the best apparel, the best-looking apparel for a tennis player in recent years. But Roger Federer’s biggest New York City fashion statement may have taken place this past Wednesday, on the 22nd floor of the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, when the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion said these words: “We are ready to go.NEW YORK-He’s worn tuxedo-inspired shorts, tennis-friendly Air Jordans and has a well-documented relationship with style maven Anna Wintour. Federer, fashion designer, clearly has his next shot lined up. But it could have been basically double in size,” he said. But at the end, at some point, you have to cut it down. “We would've liked the collection to be even bigger, because we had so many cool pieces. As Federer explained, there’s more yet to be revealed from their many design sessions. For now, he hopes to keep working with Anderson. Now that Federer has designed sneakers, sunglasses, and a capsule collection with one of the hottest designers working today, what’s next? I asked if one of the great suit-wearers of our age would try his hand at tailoring. And after going through Covid, with loungewear, keeping it easy and smooth-I thought that would be a nice touch.” “We haven’t seen that many hoodies in the past for on court stuff. “I liked the color blocking, knowing that Jonathan does that better than anybody.” He also pushed for the inclusion of a fleecy hoodie with preppy ribbing details that one might wear on a practice court. And adding more fashion projects to his portfolio-this year, he inked a deal with Oliver Peoples to co-design sunglasses.įederer noted he was particularly proud of the lambswool sweaters, in a heather gray and one in a navy and rich blue. Following his retirement from tennis last year, Federer has been indulging in new hobbies like playing percussion with Coldplay and making pizzas with Scarr Pimentel in Dimes Square. In 2020, he released a sneaker he designed with On, the culty Swiss running brand. In 2018, Federer signed an endorsement deal with Uniqlo, and began refining his on-court fits with the brand’s artistic director, Christoph Lemaire. Available August 28, the collaboration is the latest in a string of apparel and accessories projects the icon of sporting icons has launched in the last few years. “Up-and-coming fashion designer,” he replied, cracking his famously warm grin.Īs he was there to announce, Federer has created a collection of clothing for Uniqlo with Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson. I joked that he might be becoming their favorite fashion designer. If there’s one thing Federer has heard approximately one billion times from fans, it’s that he is their favorite tennis player. Outside, a small crowd of admirers was growing larger by the minute. On Wednesday morning in New York, I watched as Roger Federer toured the Uniqlo flagship on Fifth Ave, a phalanx of videographers moving amoeba-like around him.
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