With Tennis Stars George Loffhagen & Emma Cohen, Gucci Heads to the Courts
After the years-long crescendo of ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘coastal chic,’ both easily identified by their classic ‘prep’ style — a posh palette of cream, chestnut, and navy reigns supreme — it seems only natural that tennis, too, would make a comeback. Propelled by Challengers, this spring’s cinematic supernova featuring Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, and Zendaya, tennis-core is back with a vengeance. Launched alongside players Emma Cohen and George Loffhagen, the Gucci Tennis Special Collection — a capsule filled with clean lines, contemporary colours, and nostalgic silhouettes — declares that tennis fashion is here to stay.
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-7-683x1024.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-6-683x1024.jpg)
Although the resurgence is a fairly recent phenomenon, tennis and fashion have a storied past. Country club archetypes have inspired many-a-designer. In fact, Gucci’s archival works lit the match for the Tennis Special Collection. Just glancing at the offerings — tennis shoes in white canvas; duffle bags and racquet backpacks embossed with shiny, white-on-white GG monograms; crisp and polished polo shirts — it’s easy to picture Sabato De Sarno, Gucci’s newly-appointed creative director, paging through vintage sketches. He’s retooled each look for the modern day, infusing contemporary confidence into every thread.
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-1-1024x683.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-9-1024x683.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-2-1024x683.jpg)
In the collection, De Sarno revisits the Tennis 1977 sneakers — perhaps the most recognizable of Gucci’s tennis-ready looks. As one of the first sneakers by a luxury fashion house, the original design was a trailblazer. Bearing the classic green-and-red Gucci stripe, the Tennis 1977 launched a new era for both sneakers and fashion houses. Subsequent luxury kicks, from Prada’s runway-ready PS0906 to Lanvin’s patent cap-toe sneaker, can credit their success to Gucci’s visionary release. In a sense, the Tennis 1977’s casual-luxury sensibilities made it an early predecessor of the high-fashion and streetwear collaborations that are so ubiquitous today: think Dior and ERL or Zegna and The Elder Statesman. Today’s Tennis 1977, composed of squeaky-clean canvas and leather, remains as proud and preppy as ever.
Shoes, of course, are only the beginning. The collection is jam-packed with court-inspired accessories, from pristine cotton-blend sports towels to classic GG canvas tennis visors. There’s even a cheeky set of wristbands in green and red.
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-8-683x1024.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-3-683x1024.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-4-683x1024.jpg)
![Gucci Tennis Special Collection with George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen](https://sharpmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/gucci-tennis-collection-6-2024-5-683x1024.jpg)
You’ll find signature, green-red-green Gucci stripes throughout the entire collection. The Web motif is at its flashiest as it runs down the centre of a white, cotton-piquet polo. An audacious, modern pop of colour jolts the traditional polo silhouette out of its slumber, rejuvenating a classic cut.
Exclusive displays in Milan, London and Paris launch the Gucci Tennis Special Collection with a splash. If you’re located elsewhere, however, there’s no need to fret: shoppers can access all the new Gucci apparel online.
Creative Director: Sabato De Sarno
Stylist: Melissa Levy
Hair: Ramona Eschbach
Photographer: Davit Giorgadze
Make-Up: Stephanie Kunz
Talents: George Loffhagen and Emma Cohen
The post With Tennis Stars George Loffhagen & Emma Cohen, Gucci Heads to the Courts appeared first on Sharp Magazine.