Sawt Falasteen - NFL embraces fashion as league seeks new audiences

And a VIP fashion show Saturday ahead of the New England Patriots' Super Bowl clash with the Seattle Seahawks was the latest bet by the league that indulging its players' penchant for high-end designers is also good for the NFL's bottom line.

A sport for decades associated with no-nonsense jocks has in recent years encouraged its stars' newfound obsession with attire as a way to capture new fans beyond the sport's traditional base.

Female and global supporters are particularly coveted by a league that has essentially saturated its core, male-heavy demographic, with some 125 million Americans already tuning into last year's Super Bowl.

"People who love fashion are paying attention to it. Brands are getting involved. So I think it's opened another element to the game," Detroit Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown told AFP at the event.

NFL marketing bosses have been pursuing a broader "helmets off" strategy, including behind-the-scenes documentaries and social media clips, that seeks to make players more relatable by emphasizing their personalities and off-field interests.

Clubs regularly share footage of their players in designer outfits, or attending events like an Abercrombie & Fitch fashion event in San Francisco, hosted the night before Sunday's Super Bowl.

Guests included league boss Roger Goodell and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

"Fashion is global," the San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, also in attendance, told AFP.

"Especially when you talk about the European market, a lot of the Asian markets where fashion is such a big part of culture.

"I think when you add a lot of our walk-out or entrance outfits that guys wear now, it helps reach a global audience."

- 'Gives us that swagger' -

Abercrombie & Fitch was last year named the NFL's first official fashion partner, and athletes have countless personal tie-ins with brands like American Eagle.

Some of the game's top players, including Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, have dedicated personal stylists and have popped up at global fashion shows in Paris and at the Met Gala.

According to Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, experimenting with haute couture can serve as a confidence booster.

"We don't just do it when we go to the games," he said. "We put this stuff on because it makes us feel good personally, and just gives us that little swagger, just to go about our day like that."

The adventures into fashion can relax players in the locker room prior to games, as athletes rib one another for their more brash selections.

"You'll always get some comments, especially when your outfit is pretty loud. But guys have fun with it, man," said McCaffrey.

Still, St Brown added, the fun stops when game time arrives.

"At the end of the day I'm still there to play football. It's not a fashion show," he said.

"But I still want to dress nice and feel good."

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST