From Performance to Presence: Why Athletes are the Future of Luxury Branding
From fashion to luxury and beauty, sports stars are becoming the cultural tastemakers that brands crave – and it’s not just the medal winners leading the charge.
A decade ago, athletes were grumbling from the sidelines as influencers secured brand deals and fronted lifestyle campaigns. Today, the playbook has changed. “Sport is no longer just a category that brands dip into; it’s becoming the cultural cornerstone of fashion, beauty, and luxury,” says Dale King-Clutterbuck, Director at the sports specialist group Forte Talent Group and a former athlete himself.
“The shift started about 10 years ago,” King-Clutterbuck says, “when influencers began dominating brand partnerships. Athletes were confused and asking, ‘how are they making money from that?’” But it wasn’t long before a new generation of athletes began to understand the mechanics of content creation: establishing digital presence, storytelling and monetising engagement. Today, many athletes are not just training, they’re building brands, too.
Crucially, it’s not just the top level of medal winners leading the charge. “Middle-tier athletes often have more time and flexibility to focus on brand work,” King-Clutterbuck explains. “They’re better positioned to create content, engage and evolve into lifestyle tastemakers.”
One word sets athletes apart: loyalty. “Athletes have fans, not followers,” King-Clutterbuck says. Their audiences are deeply invested, emotionally connected and willing to show up – literally. When Olympic gold medallist and British track star Keely Hodgkinson hosted a public event, over 4,000 fans turned up, some driving across the UK to attend. “These fans aren’t just scrolling, they’re emotionally invested,” King-Clutterbuck says. That level of commitment is catnip for luxury brands seeking authentic cultural connection. It’s no longer enough to have reach; brands crave resonance, too.
Beauty meets the track
Beauty and fashion brands have for years resisted athlete partnerships, particularly with women. King-Clutterbuck remembers pitching a campaign featuring a female runner, only to be told, “we just don’t get it.” Fast-forward to 2025, and brands such as Rimmel London are setting the pace. Rimmel’s partnership with Keely Hodgkinson included Diamond League activations, performance-oriented beauty content and widespread media coverage.
Suddenly, beauty and sport don’t feel contradictory – they feel inevitable. “All these elite athletes are wearing makeup on race day,” King-Clutterbuck says. “They’re training in it, too. It’s not a gimmick – it’s part of their routine. Once brands saw this reflected real life, everything changed.”
High street brands were first to clock the commercial potential. Zara and H&M launched sportswear collaborations years ago. But now, high fashion is catching up. “Luxury brands want culture, community and connection – and athletes have all three,” King-Clutterbuck notes.
Unlike influencers, however, athletes must prove more than performance. “What’s your dream brand?” he asks young talent. “If the answer is Burberry, then we need a three-to-five-year strategy.” For brands such as Vogue or Burberry to commit, athletes must already be immersed in style culture. “You can’t fake it with fashion,” he cautions. “If an athlete doesn’t care about clothes, we don’t put them forward.”
Running, once dismissed as uncool, is now a subculture. Creators like Emily Wilcox post daily training diaries, track progress goals and showcase kit with authenticity. “They’re not elite athletes,” King-Clutterbuck says, “but they’re consistent storytellers.” Community-based run clubs like Track Mafia attract more than 200 runners weekly, proving that sport content isn’t just about training, it’s also about lifestyle, joy and culture. These creators have reshaped the field, making sport accessible and aspirational. And brands have taken note.
“The smartest brands now pair athletes with creators,” King-Clutterbuck explains. Creators deliver reach and relatability, while elite athletes provide gravitas and legacy. Together, they form a holistic strategy that captures both attention and trust. But there’s a caveat. “With elite athletes, anything under 12 months doesn’t cut it,” he says. “The collaboration has to feel lived-in.” Fans can smell a transactional relationship from a mile away. And inauthenticity? That’s the fastest way to alienate a loyal audience.
The long game of luxury
Despite the allure of brand deals, athletes often underestimate the time involved. Photoshoots, travel, events and social deliverables all come on top of training and often clash with it. “There’s a tension between wanting exposure and maintaining sporting focus,” King-Clutterbuck admits. Education is therefore essential. Athletes who understand expectations from the outset are better equipped to manage the balance and avoid burning out. Authenticity also drives willingness. “When athletes love a product, they want to talk about it,” King-Clutterbuck says. “The energy, the content – it all changes.” Conversely, forced partnerships quickly lose steam.
Luxury brands are beginning to play the long game. Jude Bellingham’s teenage fans may not be able to afford a £500 T-shirt now, but they might in a decade. “That’s what luxury brands are playing for,” King-Clutterbuck says. “It’s about planting seeds and building cultural equity.” Campaigns like Burberry x Marcus Rashford have shown what’s possible: purpose-led storytelling, long-term investment and true community engagement. “It’s not just about the product anymore,” King-Clutterbuck says. “It’s about people.”
Looking ahead, he sees a future defined by fewer, deeper partnerships. “You don’t need to win medals, you need a story,” he says. Lina Nielsen, a British sprinter and hurdler with multiple sclerosis, is a perfect example: authentic, inspiring and instantly captivating to brands.
The influencer model isn’t disappearing, but it is evolving. “People are tired of traditional influencers,” King-Clutterbuck says. “They want driven, honest storytelling. And sport has that in spades.”
So what’s the takeaway for luxury? Stop chasing clout; start investing in culture. Because in today’s luxury landscape, athletes aren’t just wearing the clothes – they’re shaping the story.
A former athlete and founder of Forte Talent Group, he now serves as director of the London-based sports marketing and talent agency. With a sharp understanding of the evolving landscape of performance and media, he has helped shape the careers of elite athletes including Josh Kerr and Kelly Hodgkinson—encouraging them to embrace content creation as a powerful extension of their sporting success.
Image sources: 1 – On The Run Club, Instagram, No Bad Vibes, 2 – Dossier Magazine, 3 – Instagram 4 – NSS Magazine
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