What did she say that made you think this could be a business?
GRADE I think brands work best when they connect with what’s happening in the broader culture. We’ve seen a huge shift in the way sports influences popular culture – following last year’s Olympics, the way the Super Bowl is becoming a global must-watch and how women’s sports are taking center stage. We’ve seen athletes really understand that fashion can be an accelerator when it comes to building their brands. And so many big brands, whether it’s Balenciaga or Chanel, draw their inspiration from sports.
Are you a football fan?
GRADE I grew up going to football matches with my family in England. I’m from East London and they all support West Ham, but I’m an Arsenal fan. My husband is a huge, huge American football fan. Now I’m a season ticket holder for the Lakers. I live around the corner from the UCLA campus, so I enjoy a bit of women’s basketball. It really is pure entertainment.
But is it fashion? Most people don’t go to major sporting events and think, “So elegant!”
GRADE If you go to games, I’d say 90 percent of people are wearing some sort of fan gear, and many of them have started customizing it. They take a T-shirt, roll it up and cut off a sleeve. It comes down to options. Seven or eight years ago, when we started Good American and talked about fashion for women of all sizes, I understood that fashionable women came in plus sizes, but their options were limited. It’s really about giving fans at every level another option. The love of fans for their teams is limitless.
And unaffordable?
GRADE What Kristin does feels very different from anything out there. But we’re not just going to create a product, we also have to create an audience for it. Then we will conquer that market.
I think there is a huge scope when it comes to serving the fans and their needs. We consider this a complete line: men’s, women’s and not just for these five teams, but for all 32 teams and for other competitions.
We’ll have a little surprise around the Super Bowl, and then we’ll start what is essentially our spring collection around March and April. It’s probably not what you would imagine from the first launch.
