Paris Fashion Week Needed a Tennis Tournament
For the past few years, I’ve been part of a terribly disorganized crew of tennis enthusiasts who also happen to find themselves in Paris during the June men’s fashion season. After years of chaotic text chains and DM groups, searching for players and courts so we could get a hit in between shows, I finally decided it was time to level up and use my distinguished status as the editor-in-chief of this magazine to arrange a proper tennis tournament.
It turned out the Tennis Club de Paris didn’t recognize or care much for my status, but they were willing to host the first ever Highsnobiety Invitational.
On Tuesday, opening day of fashion week, amidst a a historic heat wave, we hit the courts for a doubles round-robin and some drills sessions with the Club’s esteemed pros. Players were hooked up with goody bags that included choice merch that Highsnobiety made in collaboration with the Japanese tennis brand Setinn, racquets and strings from Solinco, and Whoop devices.
The teams included the legendary pro skater Paul Shier, the musician Dev Hynes, Thistles co-founder Callan Malone, Setinn boss Shingo, Mike Cherman, New York Times fashion writer Jacob Gallagher, and me, the organizer, who, despite some rumors, did not in any way rig the tournament. Paul and I got second place, defeated in the finals by Cherman and his gregarious partner Phillip Andelman.
After the final match, sweaty and caked with French red clay, we sat for lunch and bestowed the champs with their custom engraved trophy plates. It was an awesome first tournament. Then, we all hopped in Ubers and on Lime bikes and headed back into the city, just in time for Saint Laurent to kick off the shows.
