Australian fashion label Viktoria & Woods has teamed up with American tennis brand Wilson for a retail experience pop-up in Melbourne.
According to Viktoria & Woods, this partnership marks the beginning of the two houses collaborating on a “shared vision for the future of courtyard style”.
For the current tennis season, the alliance will culminate with an in-store experience at the Viktoria & Woods CBD flagship at the Emporium. This will run this weekend, January 24 and 25.
During the takeover, the boutique will be transformed into a united pop-up experience. The Australian fashion brand will also offer an exclusive customised gift for shoppers: a keepsake merging Wilson’s utility with the V&W luxury aesthetic.
“Wilson is committed to empowering every human to live like an athlete. Our technically elegant, designed sportswear enables our guests to win beautifully,” Wilson head of brand Phil Watkins said.
“I’m looking forward to our partnership with V&W through the 2026 summer season to delight the Australian market with a premium and elevated community experience.”
Viktoria & Woods was founded 22 years ago by Margie Woods, who still leads the brand’s creative direction.
“Our DNA has always been rooted in a modern sport aesthetic," Woods said. "Wilson is a true heritage icon; this alignment allows us to celebrate the energy of the season through a lens of elevated, contemporary style."
This partnership follows a raft of fashion brands jumping onto the Australian Open bandwagon. Lacoste, the French-born global brand that is now being run locally by Accent Group under license, recently launched Le Club Lacoste, a floating 20-metre Lacoste themed tennis court and pop-up selling Melbourne-exclusive Lacoste apparel and serving French-inspired cuisine.
Meanwhile, Beginning Boutique launched a capsule collection with global tennis personality Morgan Riddle.
Dr Harriette Richards, a senior lecturer at the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University, said fashion and tennis are morphing together at this year’s Australian Open, with the “Jellyfish” outfit worn by Naomi Osaka on-court this year being a key media driver.
"The AO, which is more accepting of experimental on-court style than other high-profile events such as the French Open or Wimbledon, has been called a 'barometer' for tennis fashion by New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman,” Dr Richards said.
“Despite this relative freedom of expression, Osaka’s choice of high-fashion outfit nevertheless received plenty of criticism, with commentators saying fashion should be left on the catwalk.
Dr Richards said the furore over Osaka’s outfit tells us a lot about public perceptions and expectations about athletes, particularly in terms of the gender and racial identity of players.
"Female athletes tend to be far more progressive in terms of their clothing choices (and tend to receive more criticism in the process, especially if they are women of colour), while menswear has advanced technically more than stylistically,” the RMIT lecturer said.
"Tennis, primarily played by individuals rather than teams, is a sport in which fashion is especially prominent. However, in this age of increased competition for media attention, bold fashion statements remain a key way for athletes to achieve headlines, in whatever sport they might play."
Dr Richards is also a co-founder of the Critical Fashion Studies Research Group.