THE RING to the RUNWAY: Combat sports appearing in fashion and runway shows.
By Ouday Ramdoolar
As a boxer who’s into high fashion, it is always a little treat for me to see boxing and other combat sports appear on the Runway. The juxtaposition of both industries always makes for entertaining and insightful experiences worth watching every time. From themes of perseverance to the primal attraction of combat athletes, the aesthetic draw of combat sports is apparent when the graceful world of fashion crosses its path. What also compelled me to write this article is my acute knowledge of both industries and my dissatisfaction with the current commentary I have noticed, which shows a lack of nuance and is lost on reporters who don’t follow combat sports or train in them, as seen in the shows I will discuss. In this article, I have compiled a list of runway shows and honourable mentions of times combat sports have appeared on the runway, with my opinions, observations, and appraisals of these shows in chronological order.
John Galliano A/W 2004 Menswear
First, we have the John Galliano Autumn/Winter 2003 menswear show. The seating arrangement forms a horseshoe around a setting that is a combination of luxuries, urbanised street areas and a storage space. This setting creates this theme of intrusion and rebellion that contrast each other, amplifying the model’s presence on the runway.
The models in the show range from a more manly, brutish appearance from the cuts and bruises with combat sport kits under heavy jackets and jeans. To a more feminine, lavish bondage appearing models with full makeup on, fur hats and button-up shirts. A common motif I see throughout this show is the juxtaposing of textiles like fur, fight-kits and fighter apparel, being on opposite sides of functionality, and extravagant makeup looks from Beats to SFX cuts and bruises, two looks that either draw your attention or make you want to see through your fingers. The overall atmosphere of the runway feels like being thrown into the lucrative and intimidating rackets of an underground fight club surrounded by the ring leaders, fighters and moguls.
A subtheme commonly discussed in the show is its clear parallels to the movie Fight Club (1999, Dir. David Fincher), a social satire on rigid and ironic structures of masculinity. In this runway, Galliano challenges masculinity on both sides of the spectrum, exploring “the dark side of masculinity”, reflecting on expectations of what a man is supposed to wear, constantly bridging the line of romanticism and brutality in menswear. The opposites forces the audience to observe masculine-dress from multiple angles, making us wonder “what truly defines what we value as a society in a man’s appearance, do we want them to be polished, feminine, prince-like or to be rustic, dirty, dangerous…”
Galliano has never shied away from controversy in his career, barely scratching the surface of one of them. Regardless of his other works, this show has forever changed my perspective on fashion commentary and how it speaks to me as a viewer. I really enjoyed this show and overall appreciate it more than I’d originally hoped before writing this article.
Jean Paul Gaultier Autumn-Winter 2010 Menswear
Jean Paul Gaultier also plays with the theme of combat sports, but instead, he brings us up out of the underground and into the glory and professional world of professional match-making in boxing.
The models are styled in clothing commonly seen in the professional boxing space. Boxing gear, Boxing wear, suits, knits and leather of promoters and adjacent apparel of a boxing team, tailored suits and some fighters with bruising similar to Galliano’s runway in 2004.
From my notes on this runway, it seems that JPG is celebrating and combining the many looks of boxing in one show, mixing and matching looks and silhouettes to what is available to him at his disposal as a designer while working with the limitations and opportunities of the combat sport. To celebrate the various looks of boxing, from the glamorous highlife of the highly paid prize fighters and promoters to the dangerous, muscularity and dangerous looks of the boxers.
The runway surrounds an elevated boxing ring where two female kickboxers are fighting. Below and around is the runway for the male models, juxtaposing the assumed gender roles in this context. Assuming women “should” be on the runway and the men “should” be in the ring.
Although JPG quotes “It’s about combat, combating boredom, combating the reigning depressive state,” I believe there is more to the show than what he states.
In the early 2000s, women’s combat sports were on the rise, and just before the turn of the decade, was when women’s sports were slowly becoming more professional and more organised.
In 2004, the critically acclaimed movie Million Dollar Baby was released (Dir. Clint Eastwood), which follows a female boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald, on her journey to becoming a world champion. The movie ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture, leaving a Boxing glove sized impression on pop culture.
In 2009, Katie Taylor and other female boxers performed in front of the Olympic commission for the inclusion of Women’s Olympic Boxing, which subsequently led women to compete in Olympic boxing.
At this time, the rise of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), and female fighters such as kickboxer Hollie Holm becoming welterweight champion. And boxer Amanda Serrano, making her Professional Debut, all pointed to a positive rise in feminism and popularity and a step for equality in women’s sport. The female fighters on display there, to me, is JPG celebrating this win together and not just fighting boredom but fighting inequality too.
It disappoints me that this aspect of the show has been overlooked, to the best of my research ( that isn’t behind a pay wall). Not much was discussed about this part of the show.
COUCOUBEBE75018 2025 “TESTOSTERONE”
Although not traditional, this had to be one of my favourite shows with combat sports because it takes us as the audience right into the sports arena where COUCOUBEBE, SAFEJAWZ, HEXAGONMMA, and Pyotr Pavlensky put together a real full-contact mixed-martial art Exhibition! The models were professional French combat sport athletes, fighting in an octagon adorning COUCOUBEBE new collection “ TESTOSERONE”,
COUCOUBEBE clothes is an avant-garde punk-inspired clothing brand spawned in 2016 by Creator Kanoush. Known for their subversive fashion, they are no stranger to performance and attention-grabbing marketing. The brand identifies itself with political art adorned all over its pieces by prints and patches in punk-style patch-mania, and is known for its incredible craftsmanship, which you can see being tested by multiple trained professionals striking and grappling with the garments.
The pieces themselves are covered in prints which question institutions such as the police, the plastic surgery industry and the government.
Overall, an exhilarating exhibition from the team of brands to be able to perform a grand spectacle to promote Kanoush’s work. In collaboration with the other companies and parties sharing the attention, birthed a creative, exciting piece of performance art was born, blurring the lines between Violence and art.
Dsquared^2 Spring/Summer 2025 RTW
This runway brought to us by Dean and Dan at DSquared^2 plays with the theme of “maximalist multiplicity”, balancing edge and elegance in this show with combat sports at the helm, mixed with traditional Dsquared style, Raunchy and Sexy, inspired by the kink scene, looks to contrast the sportier elements of the show.
As described by WWD.com as just “wrestling”, to me, it seems that more elements are inspired by multiple combat sports. especially with the final look containing a full face boxing headguard and multiple looks adorning striking sport-inspired clothing such as vests, boxing boots, boxing kits and championship belts. In typical D’squared2 fashion, it brings a raunchy and vibrant twist to all runway shows, which always draws eyes every year.
Overall, this show was fun, sexy and cool in usual Dean and Dan fashion, always keeping fashion hot and fun while paying homage to more esoteric themes, keeping casuals and critics alike happy. Although on the combat sport side of things, not the most nuanced, seeing the pair envision combat sport through their eyes is fascinating and relevant enough to make an appearance on this list.
Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme 2026 Autumn Winter
Last but not least, Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme 2026/27 A/W. Yamamoto creates a minimal and simple runway but speaks volumes in nuance and depth through his subtle details in the show.
The models walk a straight runway with 2 installed double-end boxing bags, a few meters apart and opposite sides, which they interact with as they walk the runway. Some models punch the bag, some ignore and some caress. The models are messy and spiky, as if walking against a heavy windstorm. Most looks designed by Yamamoto here are men’s work-wear and military wear with a baggy fit, wider in the middle and cropped at the bottom. Dishevelled, muted, depressing, rigid.
Digging deeper from the surface, Yohji explains the show represents the collective state and dissatisfaction of current worldly events. The models represent the people who appear tired and frustrated and at their wits’ end, using the prop on stage as a cathartic method of expressing vulnerability, anger and grief. The model’s clothing is designed to appear resistant, large and protective, while the model’s hair and hats appear tattered and affected.
The combination of the elements in the show represents resistance in times of struggle and choosing to make your own choices in the face of repression. Harnessing vulnerability through aggression and protection.
Though nuanced, the sub-themes of emotion displayed by Yamamoto aren’t unfamiliar to boxers who train. This runway made me reminisce about late nights home after taking out the day in training. Putting leather-to-leather to escape or to attack my emotions head-on. The look and atmosphere of the runway brought me to the feeling of catharsis, leaving my body after training while waiting for the late bus on a stormy night in Dublin. For boxers or for people who just hit bags, it’s good to get the feelings out of a bag.
In conclusion, Combat sports have crossed paths with fashion a lot in the last 2 decades. With themes entertained by designers such as primal attraction, perseverance, feminism and polarity of masculinity. These themes appear in our daily lives, which are often portrayed in the media as a fight or duel between the self and the obstacles in our way. Combat sports have represented perseverance over everything, which remains a crucial cornerstone in sports, culture and our lives.
I hope that in this article, you found it entertaining and interesting. The way that these 2 industries and cultures have mixed, regardless of the stark differences, they share many similarities. I took some time writing this, being my longest article yet, and a lot of my observations are based on that. If any observations or research I have done is infactual or misrepresented, please let me know. My secondary sources are limited, as many sources and articles are paywalled (Vogue…). If you know ways around, please leave some in the comments.
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Here are just some boxing pieces that I love that don’t have a full collection:
Honourable Mentions:
Rick Owens DRKSHDW Boxing Shorts
Anne Demeulemeester boxing boot
Adidas Santos Collaboration with Missy Elliot
RACER WORLDWIDE DUBSTEP BOXING SHORTS
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