Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes has transformed the concrete tunnels of basketball arenas all over the country into her own personal runway, showcasing her captivating designs and individuality before tipoff.
Now, Hayes and the Valkyries are taking it a (fashionable) step forward.
As fashionistas around the world eagerly await the arrival of New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week in September, Golden State is busy preparing its own Valkyries Fashion Show, presented by Sephora. The Valkyries Fashion Show, which is set to take place in the Bay Area on Aug. 28., will showcase looks from Hayes’ fashion line Seyah Renara, alongside other trailblazing designers.
‘The W has always been bigger than basketball; we’re participating in a movement, a new culture, and the fashion trends we’re creating that helps us tell that story,’ Hayes said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Sports. ‘Valkyries Fashion Week is important because it creates a space where sports and style collide, showing the world that we are leaders on and off the court. When we create confidence that leads to connection, we’re also proving that when we look good, we feel unstoppable on the court, off the court, and everywhere else in life.”
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The Valkyries might be in their inaugural season, but Golden State has had unprecedented success on and off the court. “You wouldn’t have been able to predict how things have happened,’ center Temi Fagbenle said.
Not only are the Valkyries (19-18) currently in playoff contention in seventh place in the WNBA standings, with hopes of becoming the first expansion team to make the postseason in its inaugural season since the Detroit Shock in 1998, Golden State has cultivated a passionate fanbase that has turned out in droves. The Valkyries have sold out all 17 of their home game this season at Chase Center, which the team nicknamed ‘Ballhalla.’
Valkyries President Jess Smith said the Valkyries Fashion Show will merge ‘basketball, fashion, and culture,’ which has been integral to cultivating the team’s identity and community this season.
‘We wanted to create something that brings these worlds together and highlights the creativity that exists in all of them,’ Smith said in a statement. ‘Our players bring their own unique style and perspective both on and off the court. This event gives us a chance to showcase that authenticity while celebrating the broader creative community that surrounds women’s basketball and the Valkyries.’
The Valkyries Fashion Show will take place at Chase Center’s Above the Rim location on Thursday and will feature 15 curated pieces from various collections, including Hayes’ Seyah Renara, Ru by RuPaul, Retired from Society and Kids and Immigrants. All the items on the runway will be available in the Valkyries Shop in October.
The event will be followed by the Valkyries’ home matchup against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, a contest that is a must win for the Valkyries as they battle a string of injuries down the final stretch of the season. Hayes is questionable with a left knee injury suffered in the Valkyries’ 81-72 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
‘It’s coming down to playoff basketball, and so every win really matters and every game is super important,’ Veronica Burton said following the Valkyries’ 90-81 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. ‘We understand that and we just rely on each other and we are really just feeding into each other, encouraging each other. That really goes a long way in terms of just getting over the hump, and the mental toughness that we have as a group is awesome.”
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