At the intersection of sport, fashion, and photography, it can be easy to believe that trend rules all. The trend cycles spin faster every year it seems, and in trying to keep up, it’s so easy to lose track of what we truly love. Recently, including people of color in campaigns around sports and outdoors has been trending, while the reality is that we’ve always been athletes with full lives around our sports. The joy and purity of self-expression that comes through in sports transcends trend and I would encourage all of us to lean into that joy even as we are being pulled to follow trends.
This project was inspired by my friend Philip, who was a teenager when Black skaters in the Bay Area came into the national spotlight. Philip is effortlessly fashionable but never trendy. His fashion while skating evolved while navigating the racial landscape of Oakland in the early 2000s—skateboarding and the clothes he wore to do it were part of a complex exploration of identity, both as an individual and as a member of the Black and skating communities. Because his identity as a Black skateboarder was forged through so much conflict and necessitated so much self-exploration, he sees the rise of skateboarding as a trend with a skeptical eye. Talking to Philip, I was curious to explore what happens when we strip away trends and look to the elements of sport and fashion that bring us joy—can we still be relevant, can we find joy without trend, what does that joy look like? After all, when we were kids, we loved putting on something that made us feel like ourselves and then going out to play.
In “At the Heart,” I asked athletes to wear pieces that make them feel like who they are at their core and photographed them playing sports they love; Rosie chose rock climbing in a flowy dress, Rei chose trail running in street clothes, and Hannah chose trail running in her mom’s shirt and grandpa’s overshirt. These photos explore the possibilities of disentangling fashion and sport—from the actual movement to how communities coalesce around it—from trend, and distill the joy, confidence, and peace that movement brings athletes.
TEAM CREDITS
Photographer: Miya Hirabayashi
Talent: Philip styled by Upper Management , Rei, Hannah, and Rosie
Miya Hirabayashi
Photographer + Director
Miya is a photographer with a deep understanding of brand and strategy. She started her career as an academic and creative strategist, and now finds joy making meaning behind the camera.
She aims to capture humanity first, finding perfection in imperfections and bringing to light the broad spectrum of emotions and relationships that encapsulate the human experience. Miya works in the convergence of hard and soft to move people.
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