How the US Open became fashion’s newest playground

If you’ve ever been to the US Open, you know that the tennis tournament has become a playground, not just for the players, but also for food, beauty, and lately, fashion brands.

Top players such as Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula have collaborated with designers and brands like Khaite, Luar, and Adidas and worn their creations on the court. US Open champion Coco Gauff even debuted her own line of custom apparel and sneakers in partnership with New Balance and Miu Miu.

Michael Prendergast, managing director at Alvarez & Marsal’s consumer and retail group, said the US Open’s transformation from a pure sporting event to a fashion spectacle didn’t come out of nowhere.

He traces its roots back to the OG lawn tennis tournament, Wimbledon, known for its “understated elegance and high fashion quotient,” per Prendergast, alongside a heavy celebrity presence which over time has made the event simply a glamorous place to be.

“It has always been a place to see and be seen, but in the past 10-plus years, it’s become sort of a different thing,” he told Retail Brew. “It’s become more elevated, less understated, and really kind of hitting all of those attributes of high-fashion celebrity excitement.”

He added that the real elevation of the US Open from a fashion point of view happened when Ralph Lauren took the reins back as the event’s official outfitter and sponsor a few years ago.

“When they did that, it kind of re-emphasized the focus…on fashion and brands,” he said. “They did such an amazing job and I think it raised the bar for everyone.”

Speaking of sponsors, American Express has maintained a strong presence as a US Open partner for over 30 years, “making them one of the longest-standing relationships in our comprehensive sponsorship portfolio,” according to Shiz Suzuki, VP of global brand sponsorships and experiential marketing, at American Express.

While the two have collaborated in many different ways over the past three decades, fashion has become an important component of the Amex installations at the event.

This year, the company is hosting an experiential activation at its card member lounge, where guests can personalize items such as US Open hats and also work with stylists to personalize shoelaces with signature colors, patterns, and charms.

“Fashion is a great way to capture consumer attention because it’s constantly evolving, personal, and customizable,” Suzuki told Retail Brew. “At an iconic event like the US Open—where culture, sport, and fashion moments intersect—it’s the perfect place for self-expression, turning what fans wear into a meaningful part of the overall experience.”

When asked why Amex picked the specific personalization activities for the event, Suzuki explained that sneaker, hat, and lace customizations had taken off among Gen Z and served as a way to create a “lasting memory” of the experience.

“It’s become a form of self-expression and a big part of streetwear culture and letting your personality shine,” she said. “Bringing that to the US Open felt like a fun way to tap into the tennis-core trend while creating an opportunity for fans to engage with our brand.”

But whether it’s Amex, Ralph Lauren, or more under-the-radar, emerging brands such as Luar, the opportunity for fashion retailers is huge.

While bigger brands can benefit from higher budgets and a lower risk tolerance, smaller retailers, while taking a risk on the investment, end up with a “long-term impact of positivity for their brands,” Prendergast said, calling it the “Tiger Woods effect.”

“He inspired an entire group of an entire age demographic of young people to become golfers and in the tennis world, it can be the same thing,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of Gen Z and a tremendous amount of millennials with lots of eyeballs on the event. It’s an amazing opportunity for these brands to expose themselves and take a maybe less short-term ROI approach and more of a brand-building, longer-term brand establishment.”