Dawn Staley has so much to stunt about.
She just coached the South Carolina women’s basketball team to an NCAA national championship (the third since she took over head coaching duties in 2008). The win also means that the Gamecocks ended the season with a perfect 38-0 record, only the 10th perfect season in Division I history. Staley is one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. But it isn’t all about sports. Staley has also reached style icon status with her slew of incredible outfits on the sideline for each game. She’s even earned herself a new nickname, Louis Vuitton Dawn. Address her as such.
The nickname peppered my X (Twitter) feed yesterday after Staley coached the national title game in a metallic silver calfskin jacket from Louis Vuitton. A closer inspection of the fit revealed a pair of recently released Tyler, the Creator x Louis Vuitton Trainers on her feet. The cream pair was covered in Tyler’s pastel-shaded “Craggy Monogram” print.
This incredible sideline attire wasn’t just a one-off for Staley. She’s been doing this for years. You can even just look back at some of the other outfits that she’s worn in this year’s Women’s March Madness tournament for evidence. For South Carolina’s Sweet 16 matchup against Indiana, she donned a $3,150 blue LV jacket covered in Pharrell’s Damoflage print. Ahead of her squad's Final Four game against NC State, Louis Vuitton Dawn came correct in a trench coat from LV’s 2023 collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama covered in colorful polka dots. On the sideline for the game, surprise, more Louis Vuitton. Staley coached the Gamecocks to victory in a cropped monogram denim jacket, LV logo T-shirt, and a pair of the brand’s monogram denim Time Out sneakers.
Despite the incredible moniker that’s been bestowed upon her, Staley isn’t just rocking Louis Vuitton. Sometimes it's a black Gucci quarter zip or an incredible knit from the Italian luxury house that we wish we had in our own closet. She shows love to her hometown by rocking a Michael Vick throwback Eagles jersey. Other times it’s a distressed tie-dye cardigan from R13. Staley’s closet is deep. The possibilities are endless.
Staley isn’t just playing into some gimmick that the internet has stuck her with. The Philadelphia native has been fresh dating back to her upbringing in North Philadelphia. Like so many of ours, her fashion sense was born out of her love for sneakers.
“Growing up in the projects of North Philly, I was just so up on shoes,” Staley told Andscape in 2021. “I didn’t really care what I looked like from my ankles up, as long as ankles down were nice, new and clean.”
This sneaker obsession culminated in her own Nike signature sneaker. The Zoom S5 debuted in 1999 (Hey Nike, work on that retro, please), the same year she was drafted by the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting.
From player to coach, Staley has constantly been at the forefront of women’s basketball for decades. Now it’s time for Staley’s influence to extend even further beyond the court. Will we see Staley starring in Pharrell’s next LV campaign? We can only hope. Until then, she will be coaching on the sideline, swagger on a hundred thousand trillion.
