Bye gorpcore, I'm dressing for country pursuits
Fly fishing is sexy and editorial
Trends come in threes and I’d chalk up the Alexa Chung x Barbour edit, the Kate Moss x Zara collab recreating her iconic Glastonbury look (complete with Hunter wellies), and the Olivia Colman Burberry campaign, complete with a flock of sheep, as a clear indication that country pursuits are back.
Concurrently in the media outside of the UK, the Cotswolds is being positioned as the new Hamptons (and yes I’ll read anything Plum Sykes writes about it), Town & Country magazine is roaring back (digital direct advertising is up 16 percent year over year in T&C), and the discussion around barn jackets vs field jackets continues to rage.
Global brands are leaning into the country pursuits moment—Range Rover and British Vogue co-hosted an event at Goodwood Revival, the annual celebration of classic cars and vintage fashion in West Sussex, the Dior cruise show came to Gleneagles in Scotland (a hotel known for their outdoor adventures), and Barbour and Ganni teamed up on influencer trips to the Scottish Highlands two years in a row. A season earlier, Hill House came to gorgeous Hauser & Wirth hotel in the Scottish Highlands, the Fife Arms, to shoot their holiday collection.
Perhaps catalyzed by the "old money" and “Sloane Ranger” aesthetics, this creative direction is angling for a jaunt to the countryside. In terms of sport, I’m predicting a resurgence and romanticism of country activities. And I’m not talking about country club golf and tennis. I mean, riding, stalking and fly fishing.
On the fly…
As I pitched in February (can’t believe no one took this story!) I'm convinced that fly fishing is about to become the hot new leisure activity.
Brand activity makes me believe this is true. Three weeks ago, Drake partnered with Nike and Abel Reels to launch a fly reel. He appeared on the cover of cult-followed fly fishing magazine, The Drake.
In June, Loro Piana came out with their outdoors collection. The month prior, Adidas launched a fly-fishing inspired capsule collection and at the end of last year, NOAH collaborated on a line of fly-fishing goods that kicked off with a casting demo and fly-tying workshop in the Hamptons. I also want to know everything about the Livingston Manor Fly Fishing Club in the Catskills.
The fly fishing x fashion consortium has been building over the years since Florence Pugh’s fish photo in Vogue and OV founder, Ty Haney’s inspirational fly fishing photoshoot in Forbes months later.
But the cross-over between fly fishing and fashion isn’t anything new. In 2008, Chanel unveiled “an original Chanel stamped fishing kit, with its quilted leather case and double C flies: without doubt the most unexpected fall 2008 accessory offered by Karl Lagerfeld to fishing lovers.”
According to Chanel, the piece fit “naturally into the history of the fashion house, echoing Mademoiselle Chanel’s passions. She was one of the first women to take on horse riding, dancing and golf, and started creating “sporty” pieces for her collections as early as the twenties.”
As I’ve come to learn after a year and a half of living in Edinburgh, Coco Chanel had a deep love for fly fishing (and Scotland!) According to the National Records of Scotland, “the design of Chanel’s iconic tweed suits was even inspired by fishing and hunting outfits” worn by the Duke of Westminster at their Highlands home, Rosehall Estate. The mansion is allegedly being turned into a boutique hotel—but I couldn’t find any updates on that since the news broke in 2020!
Looking to catch the trend?
If you’re keen to try dressing for country pursuits without the $18,000 Chanel fly fishing rod, check out Kestin, a Scottish men’s clothing brand founded by Kestin Hare. Their AW24 collection is called “By Loch & Stream” and the images are stunning. It’s worth reading the entire presentation of the collection, but I pulled out some of my favorite bits below.
Growing up in Scotland, you’re either given a golf club or a fishing rod at a certain age. I went to a golf club with my Grandfather as a child, but it wasn’t for me. Instead, as my father was and still is obsessed with fly fishing, I joined him on most of his fishing trips while growing up.
Scottish fishing was like a club where everyone knew each other, and they honoured the day by getting dressed up for the occasion. Good year welted brogues, long wool socks, moleskin or tweed trousers, gingham check shirts, wool jumpers, and Barbour jackets were the regulation attire.
—Kestin Hare
Final note: If you’re looking to follow a cool fly fishing account, check out Strike Fishing Supplies
Prediction: Seeing how heritage brands are having such a resurgence at the moment, I don’t think we’re that far out from a luxury house sponsoring an influencer trip for fly fishing and catering to the female demographic in an unprecedented way.
Major movers:
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo launched his new VC fund, BYL Ventures, which will target companies within the entertainment, sports, and consumer goods sectors. He is also an investor in the Milwaukee Brewers, Nashville SC and LA Golf Club and launched Improbable Media, a film production company, earlier this year
Kylie Kelce launches her first podcast, Not Gonna Lie, produced by the masterminds at Wave Sports + Entertainment (who also produce Jason and Travis’s podcast)
Wilson drops the Off-White c/o Wilson Airless Gen1 and Aryna Sabalenka and Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets) both took this $3,900 bag for a spin.
Luxury fashion brand Fear of God (Jerry Lorenzo) teams up with NBA and the WNBA via multiyear partnership.
Zara started selling beige padel racquets (Zara)
What We’re Reading:
The “Catlin Clark Effect” and how the WNBA delivered a record $136mm in media value for sponsors during the 2024 regular season. An in-depth report on the value and visibility these female players bring on the court and via social media. (Relo Metrics Report)
How top beauty brands are helping top female athletes on game day. On your marks. Get set. Glow? by Grace Cook (FT)
Interesting call out from the article: This year, the New York Marathon was sponsored by Maybelline — the first time a make-up brand has backed the event. Charlotte Tilbury now sponsors the F1 Academy. Nike hired London nail artist Jess Young to create 30 sets of extensions painted with a swoosh for the Lioness’ prematch manicure. Arsenal women’s team has a partnership with US cosmetics company Il Makiage.
“In 2024, some of the most influential figures in American sports aren’t the players. They’re the women by their sides.” The Modern WAG Is Changing the Face of American Sports (Glamour)
Are Sports and Fashion Brands Done with 'Blanding'? (LinkedIn)
Wall Street is making big calls on the sports industry. Goldman Sachs called sports the next trillion dollar market (GS) and Business Insider published a deep-dive titled ‘Wall Street is bullish on sports investing as major leagues' values outpace the S&P 500 by up to 5 times.’ (Business Insider)
Yours in sport,
SWG & DLM
 | A guest post by |
Fly fishing for the W!!!