Ever thought about what you’d spend on if you had an extra million dollars to spare? No doubt about it, we’d spring for the utterly frivolous, and here’s where it gets downright ridiculous: luxury sports gear. You see, the rich don’t just do sports, they do sports, and we’re not even talking about overpriced yoga gear. Somewhere out there, there’s a girl (other than a Kardashian) who owns a Chanel tennis racket, stamped with the classic double “C” logos, because come on, Wilsons are just too basic. Or a guy on the ski slopes with a Gucci ski mask strapped to his head, because god forbid sweaty ski rentals.
All that’s left for us normal folks to do is to admire, from afar, at the fine craftsmanship and stylish house codes that go into the making of these products, each from a storied luxury brand. From Chanel paddle boards, Coach baseball gloves, and most recently, Louis Vuitton and Hermès skateboards (we know, the irony), here are the best of them.
Chanel: Tennis Racket, Paddle Board, Beach Rackets
Before the 2016 Métiers d’Art collection, model Soo Joo Park took a moment to commemorate the Parisian brand by balancing on a stand-up paddle board, that, with its classy and monochromatic design, oozed utter luxury. Gisele Bündchen also made the Chanel surfboard a coveted item, after riding the waves with one in a sensual ad for the Chanel No.5 perfume. Similarly, you might have noticed that the brand has been consistently pushing out sports items over the years: we’re witnessed tennis rackets in various colours since Chanel’s S/S 2008 show, or slung over the shoulders of Kris Jennner in a not-so-discreet logo-stamped bag, a gift from Kim K herself.
This year, we’ve got more Chanel tennis rackets ($2,330), this time in clean white with a bright blue band that you don’t have to painstakingly wrap yourself; a matching tennis ball set ($590), also in pristine white instead of, ugh, fake carpet green, and complete with a leather case; as well as a pair of beach rackets ($5,090) and a matte black paddle board (POA).
Hermès: Skateboard
We’ve long admired the Hermès items that were made for display around the house — chess sets in rosewood and mahogany where each chess piece is fashioned from luxurious leather, or monogrammed towels that you just wanna casually leave slung on your chair — but they’re only worth it if you live in an expansive mansion with actual space to house things worth showing off. Wayne Manor, not his subterranean Batcave, you know what we mean? This skateboard’s a little different though.
Together with the leather bags, scarves and accessories of their Objets AW17 collection, we’ve now got an urban staple: the Hermès Skateboard in Cavalcadour printed Vosges maple. The house deems this new item a way of “reclaiming urban space as a playground”, so rather than the gritty designs you’ll usually see, the board comes to life with a Henri d’Origny design of intersecting coloured strips, printed to ensure that the pigments penetrate the wood for maximum longevity. Now you can hit the streets in absolute style.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton: Skate Decks
You must have seen this by now. Hot behind the heels of the classy offerings from Hermès, is, of course, this skate deck from the massive Supreme x Louis Vuitton collaboration. The two iconic brands collided for a highly sought-after collection that sees a beautiful union, by way of the high fashion French house working seamlessly together with the skate-oriented cult street brand. Debuting at the Autumn/Winter 2017 runways early this year, and after months of rumours, it was a dream come true for street style mavens, especially those that love to mix high and low fashion. Can someone say #hypebeast?
And in a wild frenzy of shirts, bags and phone cases, we have to acknowledge that this skate deck, stamped all over with the signature Louis Vuitton monogram and with a matching trunk, had to be the most buzz-worthy of them all. Interestingly, actual skaters have lashed out against this unexpected collaboration, mainly because one of these fetches a hefty price tag that’s estimated to stand at US$54,500. Also, there have been gripes about how the once-rebellious skater label seems to have betrayed their roots with this foray into the elite crowd. Well, it’s at least more exciting than a clay brick right?
Gucci: Ski Mask
In a flurry of white snow, you obviously need an accessory that stands out — this Gucci ski mask (£120) should do the trick. Never mind that you’re still on the bunny slopes with a bunch of children, or just cautiously sliding down the slopes and fearing for your life, you’ve got style on your side. The biggest and most stylish stunt you can pull off are these sleek googles with an elastic band that’s reminiscent of the house’s classic designs, a sturdy pair that’ll have you heaving a sigh of relief because you don’t have to rent the used ones anymore. You certainly don’t wanna lose this on your next crash landing.
The Italian fashion house has been doing luxury sports equipment for years, since their surfboards hit the scene in 2001, so you know they’ll be adding a touch of class to this one too: a velvet hard case, available in a range of six jewel-toned colours and paired with a coordinated satin lining.
Coach: Baseball Collection
You can expect a true-blue American brand to honour one of the country’s most popular pastimes: baseball, so true enough, luxury leather goods brand Coach went full-out, with an exclusive Father’s Day collection that sees baseballs, a limited edition Bleecker Baseball Bat (US$248), and a Bleecker Baseball Glove (US$348), alongside other Major League-inspired apparel, including tan varsity jackets (US$998) and wallets that mimicked the contrast stitching found in the sporting gear. All this makes even more sense when we take into account that the brand was actually inspired by the glovetanned leathers found on baseball gloves in the first place. Well, they sure knocked it out of the park, alright.
Most of the 2014 collection should be off the shelves by now, but you can still purchase one of these: a baseball-style paperweight ($65) that deserves a place on the desk of any sports fanatic.
Saint Laurent: Roller Skates
How can you not love these? This retro pair of roller skates from Saint Laurent are high on our ‘want not need’ lists, simply because they’re both high-top metallic sneakers and 80s-style wheeled skates at the same time. Yeah, we may scoff at the passing fad that are Heelys, but imagine cruising down East Coast Park in this; you’d definitely be the envy of many. This particular design, widely sold out even with a price tag of US$1,209, comes in quality grained metallic leather with star appliqués all over, making it the perfect balance of kitsch and luxury.
For a fresher design, you may look to these heels on wheels, part of the brand’s Fall Collection this year. There isn’t much info on how much the ‘Anja 100 Strassed Pump Rollers’ are priced at, but the glorious sight of the Anja stiletto heels, in luxurious velvet with crystal studs, make for a stunning conversation piece. We don’t know how you’re actually gonna balance in this, but high fashion does come with some sacrifice, right? You’ll figure it out.
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