Eileen Gu Has A Secret Instagram

…Walk a mile in my 2011 Lululemon leggings. These days, everyone’s buying their workout clothes secondhand. I do love the sentiment…repping low-rise, flared leggings like it’s 2009. However, real sweat-ers like me know used workout clothes can be dicey. What do you think?   

Friend of the newsletter and one of my favorite writers, Rodger Sherman, announced the launch of his new “much prettier” newsletter. Sorry, Substack, he’s a Beehiiv guy now, and he’s sponsored by Homefield.

Rick Ross has weighed in on Baldgate, saying Jaylen Brown’s fade is causing trauma throughout the league. He also suggested the two of them start a hair dye company together. A little contradictory, Mr. Ross. Plus, not everything is about Hustlin’. 

Drake Maye doesn’t have a lot in common with legends like Tom or Randy or Gronk. He still drives the same pickup truck he’s had since before he was in the NFL and he’s been with his wife since seventh grade. But he Maye have the same killer confidence and competitiveness.   

She earned 11 perfect 10s in college gymnastics, so it’s no surprise Jordan Chiles is earning perfect 10s on TV (and in our hearts). ESPN interviewed her to talk about her crushing it on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

Eileen Gu is one of our favorite winter sports athletes. She’s likely to be one of the most watched, followed, and cheered-on athletes at the Milan Olympics. And before she wins your heart over on the slopes this upcoming February, she’s got one task to accomplish: getting you to Beijing.

Spend a quick 15 minutes with her as she works out, eats, and chats with her mom on Uninterrupted’s OFF DAY. Also it’s worth mentioning that she’s only 22, but the camera already loves her (almost as much as she loves food), and she’s basically primed to be the perfect Good Morning America host someday. 

If you follow her on IG, you’re going to start understanding the importance of a good rice cooker. You might even be influenced to travel with your own rice cooker, just like Eileen. Or you could be like me and continue making stovetop rice and getting mad every time it sucks. Anyway, don’t bother looking for her secret food Instagram, which she confirmed does exist, but she doesn’t even follow on her personal accounts. (I don’t mean that—please try to find it and send it my way). And if you do go to Beijing, or you already live there, here is the official list of her food recs. 

As sports continue to intersect with fashion in new ways, and merch continues to take over the world, JT Made That is a brand you’re going to want to keep an eye out for. As a former USC baseballer turned fashion designer, his story isn’t the most typical, and that’s what makes him special. He’s created pieces for GOATs and baby GOATs alike, and now, he’s entering a new era by partnering with NCAA schools on full collections. Upon the release of his latest collections with schools like Stanford, USC, USF, and (later this week) UCLA, I wanted to chat with him about what makes his design process unique, who he’s inspired by, and which athletes are the best-dressed. 

AB: How did you get into designing sports fashion? 

JT: WNBA players got me into the space. I went to the 2021 WNBA All-Star in Vegas and didn’t know a single person. I met Diamond DeShields, and she invited me out that night with all of the players. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and a few Liberty players invited me to come to New York to make them some clothing. That’s the short version of where all of this started.

AB: Who is the best-dressed athlete and why? 

JT: Women’s: Diamond DeShields. Men’s: Russell Westbrook. Both for their willingness to experiment with endless different silhouettes. 

AB: Who are your biggest inspirations? 

JT: Greatness inspires me, that’s about it. Growing up in LA with big dreams, there's a mindset that is often referenced here from the city's most beloved athlete, Kobe Bryant. He left a blueprint for how to be great at what you do. I follow that as best I can.

AB: You and I have talked about cut-and-sew and your tactics for creating each piece. Tell our readers why your design process is unique. 

JT: It’s rare in the “merchandise” space, especially in women’s sports, to find brands that do everything cut-and-sew. It is a much longer, more expensive process than printing on blanks. My work is unique because of the focus that is put on the garment itself, as opposed to just the graphic design that is printed onto a blank. I make the patterns myself, I pick the fabric, I make the samples myself, things are measured down to the 16th or even 32nd of an inch. It doesn’t go to market until everything is perfect. Brands that use blanks do not need to do any of that.

And to be clear, graphics printed on blanks is absolutely a necessary part of merchandise, and there are some incredible brands that dominate that space. But as women’s sports grows, the variety of options for merchandise needs to grow as well. I am not a graphic designer, so the graphic element or print is never the main focus of my pieces.

AB: Who are some of your other favorite designers? 

JT: Jerry Lorenzo. Outside of him, I don’t pay much attention to what other designers or brands are doing.

AB: What's your dream project? 

JT: Short term: Creative Director of a WNBA team. Long term: Creative director of a major fashion house.