Neiman Marcus Gets Sports-minded for Spring

Neiman Marcus, immersed in the world of luxury since its founding 117 years ago, is getting deeper into the world of sports.

Last year, for one of its over-the-top “fantasy gifts” offered each year for the holiday season, Neiman’s partnered with Ralph Lauren, the official outfitter of Team USA, on a $210,000 experience at the Olympic Games happening this summer in Paris, and Neiman’s Las Vegas store staged events tied to the Formula 1 race in the Nevada city. For Super Bowl LVIII, Neiman’s brought athletes to its Vegas store to mingle with shoppers, and this summer, the St. Louis store will host a NASCAR activation celebrating the local race.

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Now Neiman’s perpetuates the sports related storytelling, kicking off on Wednesday with a very sports-minded campaign for spring called “Quest for the Best.”

“There’s a double entendre,” said Nabil Aliffi, chief brand officer for Neiman Marcus. “It’s about trying to be your personal best but also finding the best products from the around the world.”

It’s not about selling baseball gloves or dumbbells, or even hyping activewear. It’s about cloaking its designer fashions and selling channels against the backdrop of the spectacle of sports. The campaign’s visuals reflect athleticism, self-expression and personal style with backgrounds that inspire movement juxtaposed with Neiman’s picks for the season. The fashion leans into what Neiman’s sees as an increased demand for American sportswear.

The new issue of The Book, Neiman’s magazine filled with content, storytelling and fashion spreads, features models and athletes wearing Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera and Amiri, as well as Helmut Lang, Simon Rocha, Givenchy and Zimmermann. The 2024 Neiman Marcus Award honorees — Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior, Daniel Roseberry of Schiparelli and Simon Porte Jacquemus — are all spotlighted in The Book.

Also singled out in “Quest for the Best” are four world-class athletes from different sports and one sports executive: Ralph Lauren Olympic brand ambassador and top rock climber Brooke Raboutou, NBA point guard Kelly Oubre Jr., Olympic breakdancer Victor Montalvo, record-setting U.S. track star Athing Mu and Dallas Cowboys’ executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones. (Neiman’s is based in Dallas.)

All 36 Neiman’s stores will host panels, activations and brand partnerships, and present campaign-related window displays. The campaign is shot by photographer Arnaud Lajeunie and styled by Katie Burnett.

Athletes and what they’re wearing will be front and center at the Paris Summer Olympics, which runs from July 26 to Aug. 11 and has LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton as one of its main sponsors.

“The spectacle of sport is the perfect backdrop for fashion storytelling,” Aliffi said. “Fashion and sports have an intertwined history, and we are seeing that intersection peak today with athletes becoming the newest style stars in pop culture. We are riding that trend.”

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