Maria is featured in the January/February edition of Harpers Bazaar Australia and talks about fashion on and off the court and her range of TAG Heuer sunglasses.
Here is the article:
She's Got Game
PRO TENNIS PIN-UP MARIA SHARAPOVA TALKS GRAND SLAM LABELS (AND GREAT SUNNIES) WITH RACHEL SHARP
Hermes might have themed it's most recent runway show around retro tennis, but the modern game has even greater power to shape your wardrobe. Just as the looks on the runway dictate what will be in store next season, so too do the outfits worn during grand slam tennis tournaments by the likes of Maria Sharapova, who returns to Melbourne this January looking to her second Australian Open title.
"I pretty much know what I'll be wearing (on court) and what colour, a year in advance because the clothes have to go to retail (at the same time)." she says of the tennis dresses she helps Nike designers create and the match-friendly Tiffany & Co. earring she wears for each Grand Slam tournament.
Unlike some tennis pin-ups, the impossibly long-legged 22-year-old, who is the highest paid female star in sports history, actually bags major titles as well as her endorsement deals with the likes of TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co. and Cole Haan, all of which have also involved her in the design of their wares.
"If you think that fashion on the tennis court is wacky now, look at photographs of the players 50 years ago - it's so out there." she says Chris Evert played in white dresses with such amazing details and embroidery. Feeling comfortable on the court and knowing that you look good and feel good in what you wear is so important. It really makes you attack."
Sharapova may have the figure to carry off a Preen micro-mini, but during down times, she prefers to be elegantly comfortable, wearing men's watches because they "are such a cool statement piece" and gravitating to low key, classic fashion pieces like the Rick Owen jackets and pants that she wears "on rotation every season. I (also) love Isabel Marant and Chloe - that effortless French vibe. And I'm a huge fan of Stella McCartney. Her clothes fit me really well and ... I love that she isn't afraid to experiment. That has inspired me."
"When I wake up in the morning, my first priority is tennis, but the fact that I have the opportunity to create things such as my tennis dresses and sunglasses is fun and I'm certainly no afraid to fail at it."
The sunglasses for TAG Heuer (on sale this month) are one of her most hands-on design projects yes. "(It) gave me the opportunity to be creative and work with some really talented people," she says.
"We did two pairs - one is more casual, the kind you could wear every day, the other is a little bit more sophisticated." The kind that spectators might wear to watch her at the Australian Open? "Yes," she laughs. "If you want to show off."
Click here to go to the Harpers Bazaar Australia Website.