The Clio Awards - Creative Summit

New York Liberty Scores Fashion Partnership With Off-White

The deal is a victory for women's sports

Jonquel Jones. Photo courtesy of New York Liberty.

Sports and fashion are entwined like never before, especially in the super stylish WNBA.

Women’s basketball stars are the supermodels and style icons of the day, sporting their pre-game looks in tunnel fit checks and posing for magazine shoots. And now comes news—which, notably, broke in fashion bible Vogue—that Off-White has has signed on as the official style and culture curator of the New York Liberty.

Here, team CEO Keia Clarke, who made time for Muse in the midst of the WNBA Playoffs, discusses the Brooklyn-based team’s multi-year partnership with the Milan-based luxury fashion house founded by the legendary Virgil Abloh.

Muse: This is Off-White’s first collaboration with a U.S. sports team, and the brand wanted to work with a women’s squad, which is such a big deal. Can you explain why WNBA players are now so prominent in fashion?

Keia Clarke: Fashion fosters connection between the fans and the players, generating interest in what players are wearing, their creative self-expression and who they are as individuals beyond the uniforms they wear on court. The player arrival tunnel is a space brimming with individuality for many on our roster—like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Betnjiah Laney-Hamilton—leaning into it. Leading with a fashion-forward approach has opened doors for teams and players to engage with non-traditional sports fans and capitalize on the momentum to sustain the growth we’re experiencing across the league.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Photo courtesy of New York Liberty.

Why are the New York Liberty and Off-White the perfect fit for each other?

Our brands are breaking barriers and have a shared vision to celebrate the power of women’s performance and influence on and off the court. Sport is becoming increasingly more engrained in the fashion world. With the Liberty based in New York—a hotbed of creativity and eccentricity where art, fashion and sports intersect—our team has been able to differentiate itself in ways that transcend the basketball court. We’ve spent time evolving our approach to fashion and apparel, and partnering with Off-White to create unique engagement opportunities felt natural.

How did your players react when they learned about this partnership? Is this the kind of thing that boosts morale?

To kick off our relationship with Off-White, Sabrina Ionescu gifted each player on the roster a jacket in the team’s locker room following our last home game of the regular season. Knowing that many of our players have a keen interest in fashion, we knew this would be a great way to close out the regular season and get them ready for the WNBA Playoffs in style.

We have seen that custom varsity jacket at games and all over social media. Can you tell me about the design and how it represents the Liberty?

The Off-White Varsity Jacket features signature details reflecting each partner’s distinct DNA. For Off-White, their logo and homage to their history; and for the New York Liberty, our colorway, NYC influence and reference to our manifesto with “Always, In All Ways.”

How can fans get their hands on one of these jackets?

It is a limited-edition piece, and a small number will be available to pre-order at the Berō store on the main concourse outside of section 9 at Barclays Center during home Liberty playoff games.

Ellie the Elephant. Photo courtesy of the New York Liberty.

Will Off-White create any clothing specifically for Ellie, the Liberty’s fashionable mascot?

Timed to when the players debuted the jackets, Off-White gifted Ellie a look for her tunnel walk so she could also arrive in style, too! 

What will we see as this collaboration evolves?

For the 2025 WNBA season, a New York Liberty-inspired Off-White collection will be also available for purchase with a wider range of items and price points.

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