Let's Get Dressed

Episode: How Fashion Took Over the Super Bowl — Zara, Adidas, and More

Host: Liv Perez

Guest: Daniel Yaw Miller (Fashion & Sports Journalist, author of Sports Verse)

Episode Overview

This special Super Bowl episode explores the unprecedented fusion of high fashion and American football during the Super Bowl weekend. Liv Perez sits down with Daniel Yaw Miller, live from the event, to discuss why fashion’s investment in sports reached new heights this year. They unpack brand strategies, headline moments like Bad Bunny’s Zara halftime look, the power moves from Adidas, and what this convergence signals about the evolution of both industries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Super Bowl as "Fashion Week"

• A Fashion Insider’s Take (01:28)

  • Daniel frames the 2026 Super Bowl as “the highest profile yet” for fashion’s integration with sports, likening the experience and energy to Fashion Week:

    "Being on the ground felt like Fashion Week without the calendar. There was a thousand things happening all at the same time. So many different brands activating."
    — Daniel, 01:39

• Brands Meet Consumers and Industry (02:48)

  • Liv and Daniel discuss why some brands (like Thom Browne) bypass traditional fashion circuits, capitalizing on the zeitgeist of the Super Bowl to directly access a broader audience, with Daniel noting the “real, considered strategic presence” of Thom Browne throughout the weekend.

Strategic Brand Activations & Fashion Shows

• Thom Browne’s Play (03:37)

  • Daniel credits Thom Browne’s risk to stage a show during the Super Bowl as yielding greater media value than if they'd stuck with New York Fashion Week.
  • The brand’s authentic ties to sports and prior athlete collaborations gave their Super Bowl presence credibility.

• A6 Collaboration Launch (05:21)

  • Thom Browne’s release of an Asics sneaker collaboration during Super Bowl events is highlighted as “genius... it makes so much sense.”

    "Launching an Asics collaboration in the middle of the Super Bowl, a big supporting event, just, it makes so much sense."
    — Daniel, 05:31

• Abercrombie’s Lower-Key Presentation (21:57, 23:28)

  • Their NFL partnership event felt “light-hearted, fun, and gimmicky… [but] the clothes weren’t the main draw.” Daniel and Liv both expected a bigger brand comeback moment.

The NFL's Fashion Infrastructure

• Bringing in a Fashion Editor (06:38)

  • The NFL’s strategic hiring of Kyle Smith as its first fashion editor marks a shift, transforming how players present themselves and how the league interacts with the fashion world.

    "For a sports league wanting to enter fashion... you need to have institutional knowledge from the fashion industry. Kyle Smith is the best example of that."
    — Daniel, 07:24

• Deepening Player Engagement (09:09)

  • Smith’s influence is seen in tailored player styling and headline-grabbing moments like Joe Burrow’s backless blazer at Vogue World Paris.

• Strategic Global Reach (06:38)

  • The timing aligns with the NFL’s international expansion—using fashion to reach audiences outside traditional football fandoms.

Halftime Show Highlights – Bad Bunny, Adidas, and Zara

• Adidas’ Super Bowl Coup (12:22—15:13)

  • Rather than pay for a mega-expensive ad, Adidas capitalized on Bad Bunny’s headline performance and sneaker launch:

    “One of the most expensive ways [to show up at the Super Bowl] is having a commercial... Or you can be lucky enough to have the hottest artist in music right now, who happens to have a signature sneaker coming up with your brand, and you can wear it on stage.”
    — Daniel, 12:59

  • Bad Bunny's signature Adidas sneaker, shown on stage, generated a spike in attention:

    “Adidas watching Bad Bunny's Super Bowl increase their popularity by 20% in just one day.”
    — Liv, citing Maria's data, 21:36

  • The shoes sold out the morning after the Super Bowl (18:51).

• Zara's High Fashion Play (15:13—18:17)

  • Bad Bunny’s choice of custom Zara sent shockwaves, blending accessibility with star power:

    "This is a performance that is for the people. Zara, it's accessible, it's affordable for everybody watching the show, right now... A kind of groundbreaking move for Zara."
    — Liv, 15:41

  • Daniel observes this as emulating Zac Posen’s strategy at Gap—mass-market brands gaining cachet through celebrity dressing.

  • Liv wonders if Zara will seize more red carpet moments, noting Gap and Uniqlo as brands pursuing similar upmarket pushes with celebrities.

Other Brand-Fashion-Sports Crossovers

• What Works and What’s Missed (11:42, 27:49)

  • Daniel names Thom Browne, Jacquemus, and On as brands hiring people with true sports or fashion expertise, leading to authentic, effective partnerships.

  • The Skims x NBA collaboration is critiqued as missing the cut-through that a partnership with the NFL might have delivered.

• Hockey and Lesser-Known Sports (28:43, 29:08)

  • Liv laments that winter sports/lower-visibility sports lack the same brand investment; Daniel notes that the era of social media has enabled individual athletes—even from niche sports—to become culture drivers.

• Sports as Cultural Palate Cleanser (30:54)

  • Daniel points out that sports' universal appeal provides brands with a “palette cleanser” to reset their image after controversy:

    "Sports is the one great equalizer... It's the most democratic, universally understood, accepted language in the world."
    — Daniel, 31:39

  • Balenciaga’s NBA tie-in is discussed as a move to shift brand associations post-scandal.

Industry Reflections & Future Trends

• Fashion’s ‘Addiction’ to Sports? (38:17)

  • Daniel expresses concern that fashion may be overcorrecting, racing so intensively into sports that it risks oversaturation—much like the sneaker market crash of 2020–21.

    "I hope the same thing doesn't happen to sport. I do generally worry about how much and how fervent the desire is from the fashion industry to have anything to do with the world of sport."
    — Daniel, 39:39

• Why Fashion Loves Sports (38:02)

  • Leading designers (Jonathan Anderson, Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Pharrell) and major collabs “spotted the power of sports before it was a trend.”

• Players as Culture Builders (40:13)

  • Daniel was most impressed by NFL athletes’ willingness to build their personal and the sport’s profile through fashion:

    "I was really impressed and encouraged by how excited and invested they all were in building personally their own personal profiles and the sport in general, especially using fashion as a vehicle."
    — Daniel, 40:31

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Fashion has been a bigger talking point than ever before in a Super Bowl.” — Daniel, 02:26

• “Custom Zara. Never thought I'd ever see that sentence.” — Liv, 17:35

• “For a sports league wanting to enter fashion ... you need to have institutional knowledge from the fashion industry. Kyle Smith is the best example of that.” — Daniel, 07:24

• “Sports is the one great equalizer. It's the most democratic, universally understood, accepted language in the world.” — Daniel, 31:39

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------|------------| | Super Bowl as Fashion Week | 01:28 | | Thom Browne Show & Asics Collab | 03:37-05:52| | The NFL's Fashion Infrastructure | 06:38-11:38| | Adidas & Bad Bunny Halftime Show | 12:22-15:13| | Zara’s Custom Look on Bad Bunny | 15:13-18:17| | Abercrombie’s Attempt | 21:57-25:17| | Sports as a Cultural Reset (Balenciaga) | 30:54-34:40| | Industry Cautions & Athlete Influence | 38:17-41:34|

Conclusion

This episode unpacks how the 2026 Super Bowl marked a watershed for the integration of fashion and sport. Key takeaways include the shrewdness of brands like Thom Browne, Adidas, and Zara in capturing attention through authentic, high-visibility moments; the importance of bridging fashion and sports expertise; and the risks of the fashion world’s current obsession with sports. Ultimately, the Super Bowl served as a “team effort” between leagues, brands, and athletes all hungry to shape new cultural narratives—making for rich territory to watch in years to come.