By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
Headless Marie Antoinettes’ singing, the heavy metal band, Gojira playing, Lady Gaga channelling Zizi Jeanmaire– a 1950s dancer, and a reanimation of Joan Of Arc. The 2024 Olympics held in Paris, France was the year’s highlight.
Like the tenth chapter in Joshua, the world stood still from the 26th of July to the 11th of August. For two weeks of our lives, everyone was a patriotic sports fanatic. Nigerians dished complaints about how the government mismanaged our Olympic representation. For example, Favour Ofili was left off the 100m race entry list due to an administrative error; Ese Ukpeseraye, Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic cyclist, borrowed a bike from the German team after being unable to find one herself.
Nevertheless, we all cheered on our athletes and our short-lived love of sports dominoes into a love of sportswear. WWD reports, “Searches for Olympics are up 239 percent since June and Olympics-related products have seen three straight months of trade growth.”
But before the faux sport’s camaraderie, there was a booming market for Olympics sportswear fashion lovers. 2023 saw jerseys become the new statement T-shirts, with the average streetwear brand debuting its jersey. Thrift stores jumped on the bandwagon as they introduced modified jerseys. AshLuxe debuted a short film and a collection titled The Olympiad.
The niche community of sports merch lovers has now been broadened. So for the rookies who need help knowing where to shop and what brand suits them best, here are the brands creating masterpieces around the Olympics sportswear fashion.
WWYD:
WWYD is short for What Would You Do? The homegrown label has been flirting with making sportswear as streetwear for two years. However, the self-taught multimedia visual artist, photographer, and founder, Ayanfe Olarinde went full-throttle in 2023 with its racer collection. She continued running the sportswear gauntlet with the launch of its Windbreaker in 2024.
Windbreakers are not popular pieces in the Nigerian street market. A windbreaker jacket is designed to protect from the wind in dry, cool conditions. It is an essential piece of clothing for day hikes and trail runs. Hiking and running clubs have become popular among young adults, so Olarinde launching a windbreaker is a perfect example of designing with foresight of the potential of Olympics sportswear fashion.
AshLuxe:
The high street behemoth and Business Of Fashion 500 member Yinka Ash has defined the streetwear zeitgeist with the launch of AshLuxe in the late 2010s. This year, AshLuxe’s highly anticipated Olympiad collection made a triumphant return with an upgraded 2.0 version. The latest collection showcases a diverse range of sports-inspired elements, including boxing, racing, cycling, baseball, and football paraphernalia, solidifying AshLuxe’s position at the forefront of contemporary streetwear fashion.
High fashion by JOL:
High Fashion is the brainchild of singer Rahman Jago. The store’s grand opening in July 2023 was met with resounding praise and excitement from the local community. With Tycoon as its creative director, High Fashion brings a unique flare to the industry. Thinking out of the box of limitations often referred to as the climate in West Africa, High Fashion incorporates fleece to create cosy silhouettes inspired by winter sportswear, redefining traditional fashion norms with functionality and style. They also have a racing collection. 2024 held the Summer Olympics but High Fashion got you covered for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Meji Meji:
The Nigerian streetwear fashion label founded by Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) alumni, Tolu Oye, recently dropped a collection of body-hugging sportswear for all sexes. The brand is known for its quirky designs such as using popular Nigerian sweets as inspiration. This includes a Baba Blu T-shirt, a Milo tube top, and a Tom Tom face cap. Even its jersey spots the Tom Tom design structure. Meji Meji made its debut in 2020, in the heat of the pandemic, and in four years, it has become one of the most recognisable brands of the decade.
Severe Nature:
Jerseys became a staple in the Nigerian streetwear fashion community in 2023, however, motorsports must be getting some heat in 2024 because racing garments seem to be a designer favourite. Christopher Afolabi, Tobi Adeleye, and the late Michael Atobalele founded the unisex high-street brand. Its latest collection titled Exxxtreme Sports is an ode to motorsports.
However, Severe Nature makes it clear that it is more than an ode to aesthetics, “A fusion of angst, rigour, and feral instincts. This collection isn’t just about racing; it’s about the relentless pursuit of speed, tranquillity in chaos, and the unyielding cadre of those who dare to live on the edge. Step into the future with a force that’s subestimada (Spanish word for underrated or undervalued), yet undeniable.”
BIIO:
Nigerians are not the only ones jumping on the Olympics sportswear fashion. Ghanaian brands like BIIO are taking it further by mixing sportswear with high-fashion silhouettes. The brand was launched by a then 17-year-old, Nathaniel Bio, in 2012. “The BIIO aesthetic is an artful fusion of sportswear and deconstruction, exemplifying a sense of juxtaposition,” The BIIO website states. “BIIO was born out of a desire to question the status quo and challenge societal norms.”
Free The Youth:
Another Ghanaian brand surfing the sportswear wave is Free The Youth. The brand played a pivotal role in the present Streetwear boom in West Africa as it was founded by Jonathan Coffie, Winfred Mensah, Richard Ormano and Kelly Fol in 2013. “Lighting the torch for a new generation: Free The Youth Hood Paris Olympics collection debuts Sunday, July 28th.”
While headless Marie Antoinettes were singing at the banks of the Seine during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, Free The Youth took to Instagram to unveil an Olympics-inspired collection. The collection is called Hood Olympics and features tracksuits, T-shirts with medals as its centred graphics, face caps, jerseys, and many more. “When discussing their collection on Instagram, Free The Youth states, “ Join us in celebrating individuality, self-expression, and the beauty of unexpected encounters.”
