It may seem like a big jump from Gucci to the hardwood court, but that’s the path Maria McClay took when she founded 9 Commons last year.
The one-time general manager of Northern Europe and associate vice president of retail for Gucci Europe, McClay decided to pursue her passion by launching a business dedicated exclusively to women’s sports.
The launch collection dropped Friday and is devoted to the Indiana Fever, the WNBA team famous for one of the sport’s biggest stars: Caitlin Clark. It includes T-shirts with the brand’s slogan — All In on Women’s Sports — as well as hoodies, shorts, sweatpants, socks and hats with graphics and the Fever logo. Prices range from $24 for a T-shirt and $32 for socks to $50 for the hats or tote and $175 for the hoodies.
A hoodie from 9 Commons’ Indiana Fever collection.
Courtesy of 9 Commons
The collection was designed by Kat Hoelck, a Parsons-trained fashion designer, and is intended to merge sport and style. It features long-staple cotton and bold graphics that are intended to transition from street to stadium.
The capsule is available to purchase on the Fever’s e-commerce site, in the arena and on 9 Commons’ website.
“Early on, people encouraged me to broaden the focus to include men’s sports,” said McClay. “But when you truly believe in something, you don’t dilute it. 9 Commons was built to go all-in on women’s sports, and that conviction shows up in every piece we design.”
As part of its commitment to women’s sports, 9 Commons will reinvest 9 percent of all annual net proceeds to help expand access to sports for under-resourced girls.
McClay said she’s currently negotiating with other professional teams and colleges for the rights to additional merchandise. “Our intention is to grow so we can continue to raise the visibility of women’s sports teams,” she said.
