Cool by association

The GIST: On Friday, Canadian figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek stunned in a costume crafted by luxury designer Oscar de la Renta — the label’s first-ever figure skating outfit. Partnering with Stellato-Dudek is a splashy move considering her 2024 world title and compelling backstory, and it epitomizes the kind of hype luxury brands are embracing at the Olympics.

• The Olympics and Paralympics are shaped by their host cities, and with back-to-back Games held in European fashion capitals, luxury brands are activating — and it’s not just the big ones. Everyone is trying to capitalize on the global phenomenon with social-forward campaigns, which are paying off big time. Ice in their veins.

Paris 2024: In 2024, LVMH became the first major luxury brand sponsor in Olympic history, showcasing its top brands thanks to athletes and celebs. Dior won the Games, generating about $53M in media impact value (MIV), the highest amount among luxury fashion brands that were measured.

• Dior also ranked No. 1 among luxury brands in media value and engagement, with red carpet and performance looks via Celine Dion and Lady Gaga comprising about 34% of brand mentions in the first ten days of Paris 2024 and almost $36M in MIV.

• Overall, LVMH’s Olympic presence generated 17x more social media visibility and value compared to the brand’s usual content performance. Feelin’ haute.

Milano-Cortina 2026: Like LVMH, Prada is shaping the Games on the ground in Milan, purchasing the Olympic Village site and influencing fashion houses to relocate to the area. Other luxe lifestyle labels are flocking to Cortina: Prada just opened its first store there, restaurateurs and hoteliers are settling in, and Lacoste launched a collection celebrating Cortina’s 1956 Games.

• But it’s not just high fashion, and in the digital age, the reach extends far beyond Italy’s snowy peaks. Official partner Armani is outfitting Team Italy — a move that benefitted other team outfitters Ralph Lauren and LVMH — while Moncler is sponsoring Brazil in its first Olympic appearance in almost 60 years.

• After Paris 2024, French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette saw sales rise 15% by that October. Ahead of Milano-Cortina 2026, Italian department store Rinascente became a sponsor last July, boasting in-store activations and branded online storytelling.

The opportunity: While fashion’s most powerful players wield an edge with massive institutional influence, there’s still opportunity for lesser-known brands to strike a pose, especially in the social media age. Brands can associate with the Olympics without being on the ground, and social-forward storytelling is captivating global consumers who can’t be there IRL.

• Consider Team USA partner Skims, which encroached on Ralph Lauren’s long-exclusive turf. Though Skims did have Parisian pop-ups, the brand notched the third-highest earned media value (EMV) among fashion brands thanks to social partnerships with women athletes like Team USA rugby star Ilona Maher, who banked $8.74M EMV with three Instagram posts. Talk about conversion.

Women’s basketball has real history. The WNBA has been building stars, stories, and cultural gravity for nearly three decades. But now? A new wave leagues is shaking the whole ecosystem and redefining what pro women’s hoops can look like.

These changes are what’s fueled She’s Not Next, She’s Now — The GIST of It’s eight-part series unpacking the emerging sports and leagues rewriting the present.

In this week’s eighth and final episode, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Lauren Tuiskula dive into women’s basketball, where the landscape is suddenly crowded with possibility.

• We explore how the WNBA’s legacy is colliding with fresh formats and fresh capital — from Unrivaled to Project B to Athletes Unlimited — each creating new routes for athletes, new calendars, and new fan behaviors.

And we went straight to the sources shaping this moment. You’ll also hear from Kirby Porter, Chief Brand Officer at Unrivaled, WNBA superstar Jewell Loyd, who’s also committed to Project B, and The GIST’s own Ben Keefe — whose hoops fandom went from 0 to 100 the second he joined the team.

This episode is about legacy meeting the future, allowing an audience to be served year-round.