Avid tennis player, Yesim Philip launched L’Etoile Sport in 2012 at Meadow Club, the super-exclusive tennis club in Southampton, New York. Since then, this innovative NY label has become the go-to sports luxe brand that serves up ultra-stylish and feminine performance wear, which is chic enough to wear on and off the tennis court and golf course.
With L’Etoile Sport on sale right now at BrandAlley, we wanted to catch up Yesim Philip, the label’s CEO and Creative Director, to find out more…
How would you describe L’Etoile Sport to someone new to the brand?
Beautifully made, chic sportswear for stylish and classy women. L’Etoile Sport is all about highly fashionable, highly functional luxury pieces that live up to our slogan, ‘Play all day’. Designed primarily for sport, our collections are sophisticated, elegant and comfortable, making you feel confident to wear them for exercising, followed by lunch at the sports club and then on to picking up the kids.
How did L’Etoile Sport come into being? Through a lack of chic tennis and golf attire available for women. I used to play professional basketball in Turkey and now play a lot of tennis and was tired of not being able to find any stylish apparel to buy. (I love Azzedine Alaïa as much as I love playing tennis!) So, realising that there was a huge gap in the market for women who play tennis and want to look good, I was inspired to design clothes for myself, focusing on comfort and functionality with style and it all grew from there.
What was your original inspiration for the brand? As famously quoted by Coco Chanel, “I invented sport suits for me. Not because other women were playing sports, but because I was playing them.” I found this really inspiring, because it really strikes a chord. My own background as a professional athlete has always influenced my designs. L’Etoile Sport styles are basically created for me, because I want to look good both on the court and off. My designs are also inspired by the legendary glamour of tennis wear from the past in my passion to keep alive the tradition of tennis as a fashion-forward sport.
How do you set yourself apart from other luxury sports brands? Our luxurious performance fabrics, sophisticated styling and flattering fits set us apart from others. We make clothes for real women, who love traditional sportswear with our signature modern twist that keeps our designs fresh. Our cuts are tailored to real-life skirts to create slightly-longer-than-usual tennis skirts with forgiving, body-conscious styling and glamorous silhouettes. We’re talking strategic zippers, lace and piping detailing that bring elegance back to the tennis court and golf course – all without compromising player performance, of course.
Where do you get your design inspiration from? L’Etoile Sport celebrates fashion, movement and feeling good in your body, so I try to incorporate trending runway looks and street styles into my designs for an active lifestyle.
What is the most common mistake women make when it comes to buying sportswear: Choosing patterned sportswear bottoms. Although they might look good on a model, they are unflattering on most women. Buying too tight is also a common mistake.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? Investing in good-quality clothes that last. I’m originally from Turkey, where there’s this great saying, which goes: “I am not rich enough to buy cheap clothes.” That’s so true!
What’s your proudest achievement so far? My three children.
What inspired your brand name L’Etoile Sport: L’Etoile means star in French, so I wanted to my brand to shine the brightest.
What’s next for you? To grow the brand from tennis and golf to include active wear, which we are softly launching this autumn on our website.
Quick-fire round – name your favourite…
Fashion Designer: Azzedine Alaïa
Artist: Photographer, Jenny Holzer
Colour: Black/white
Food: Mexican
Book: ‘Rules of the Wild’ by Francesca Marciano
City: New York City
Style: Down-town chic combined with up-town tradition
Drink: Margaritas
Essential comforts: Coffee, jeans and high heels
Want to turn heads on the tennis court? See more from L’Etoile Sport – on sale now.
