Worlds Collide: Vaquera and the WNBA

Shui says of this project, “Well, it's funny because I went to a basketball college. I never was into it because I was not good at sports— but this project made me learn so much more about basketball and how it's deeply related to entrepreneurship. A lot of ideas and values that are in basketball and sports are so much related to how we live our lives. Commitment, working hard on what you do, not giving up. Even if you lose a game, you get back up and you do it again. And also I think women's basketball is particularly fascinating, because stereotypically, it's almost like men's basketball is hypersexualized, but women's is the opposite. You're not thought of as feminine or sexy if you're playing such an aggressive sport. It's interesting to work with that, because my clothing's considered so sexy all the time. And to work with a female basketball player all day is incredible.”

Michelle Walter, Jordan Brand Women’s Apparel Sr. Design Director says, “As a Jordan Brand designer, it’s rewarding to see our apparel designs on WNBA athletes. With an increased understanding of Kim Shui design language and Isabelle’s aesthetics, we approached this look with a desire to play up color and textures. The ice blue Essentials body-con top contours Isabelle’s form and balances Kim’s vibrant corseted pant. It’s incredible to see how Kim interpreted Isabelle’s insights and challenged both herself and the brand to create a look that shows off Isabelle’s fearless personality.”

Shui touches on her intention with Thursday’s baby blue look, “I think it was interesting to build something that accentuated the legs, because she mentioned always having problems. Like finding pants that were not long enough or didn't fit well. I think it was interesting to do something that was a little bit more sculptural and challenging that way, but do it in her size, which is something she would normally not find, because of the length of it. It's pulled in the middle with strings. And then we hand embroidered it with the crystals, to give it a feminine touch. And then the cosseting is the feminine part. And then the boot look is supposed to be this fighter, warrior type inspiration.”

“Excited to see this custom look for @omg_itsizzyb come to life for one of her home games in Dallas, Texas. The look was designed as a modern armour inspired by heroines. The pieces aspire to convey a duality highlighting both Izzy’s strength and femininity. We worked on accentuating her figure with bodycon corsetry and cut outs — along with delicate porcelain prints, and hand sewn diamanté detailing. Being 6’3, Izzy mentioned that it was hard to find pants that were her length and fit her properly. We wanted to extend and reconstruct that reality. We paired the look with a Jordan Women’s Essentials Bodysuit in Celestine Blue, Women’s Essentials Short in University Blue and Air Jordan One High Tops.”

—@kimshuistudio