An expert interview with Sophie Palmer, a stylist and buyer at Net-a-Porter, on fashion in sport. Led by Athlete in Residence Rosie Viva.
As part of our Athlete in Residence series, we are highlighting key topics at the intersection of movement, lifestyle and wellness to cultivate important discussions among Team Pruzan. Earlier this year, our Athlete in Residence, Rosie Viva, sat down with Sophie Palmer, who works as an evening and bridal buyer at Net-a-Porter, and had a discussion on the influence sport plays in the fashion industry.
Sophie: Well, hello, Rosie, and thank you, Pruzan, for having me. I am Sophie. I'm a fashion buyer at Net-a-Porter. How I got there—I remember having an internship in the Burberry buying office when I was 16. Completely by chance, I met this woman, and being 16 and quite plucky, I introduced myself while on holiday in Morocco. I just remember seeing all these women in sky-high heels, impeccably dressed, and I was like, this is where I need to be. Fast forward 10 years—after leaving uni, I got an internship at Selfridges, where I stayed for two and a half years. I’ve now been with Net-a-Porter for four and a half years, and I’m very lucky to be buying and working with one-of-a-kind, top female ready-to-wear brands. I'm now buying evening and bridal, which is a very pretty, very high-price-point world.
Sophie Palmer on her wedding day.
Rosie: My next question was gonna be, as I know that you also enjoy styling, so I was gonna say—what is your approach to styling?
Sophie: So for me and for my personal style, it is very much like wardrobing mainstays. Whether that's like an amazing black Blazé Milano blazer, this gorgeous Totême silk shirt that I’m wearing, or, you know, an amazing pair of denim. For me, it's got to be timeless, it's got to be well-made, it's got to live in your wardrobe for years—a lifetime—and be cross-styled. I once remember reading something someone said, like, “You hang whatever you buy on the edge of your wardrobe and you think about it, and if you can't find like three different ways you would wear it, then it's gotta go.” So yeah, I'm not a big fan of fast fashion—it’s got to last forever, it's got to be good quality, and it's got to go with a lot of different things in your wardrobe.
Rosie: I have an additional question. What is the most prized possession in your wardrobe, which you've had for the longest amount of time?
Sophie: That is a really good one. I think one of the first things I bought with my Net-a-Porter discount—and as staff, that is one of the big perks—is a Salon blazer, and, well, whilst that has been in my wardrobe for four years, I know it's gonna be there for many more. I also love some of my bags. I have an approach to bags which is, “I'll probably give my future Gucci Jackie to my children” because that's not going out of fashion anytime soon.
Rosie: So, my next question, obviously with Pruzan, is, as it's a running brand, and you probably see me wear it in both running with you and day-to-day. But, how do you feel about sports influence on fashion, in ready-to-wear especially?
Sophie: Yeah, I love the sporty influence on fashion. I feel like there was a huge shift during COVID and a mass casualization of the industry—but in the whole world, you know. Going to an office nowadays, everyone’s wearing flat shoes, everyone's wearing trainers; gone is the day of the heel, which, quite frankly, I'm thrilled about. But, you know, there are different things like the tennis skirt and Wimbledon and box pleats—I’ve seen so many box pleat skirts in this last market, and then you get films like Challengers that have a huge influence on bringing the tennis core back in. I think varsity also has huge traction in the industry. Gigi Hadid's brand, Guest in Residence, has the varsity stripe jumper as one of their key items. Loewe did a really cult striped polo last season as well, so there's a lot of sporty influences. I think now more than ever, after COVID, comfort is key, and you know, we're all quite thankful about that. So, I'm all for sports influence on fashion.
Rosie: Yeah, I've definitely integrated sportswear into the office. I don't know whether it's allowed or not, but it's working, and it means I can walk to work, so I'm very glad about that. You just mentioned Gigi Hadid's brand, but if you could name one brand where they've really brought in that sporty look which you love, or which you like to buy regularly, which would you recommend to go to for that style?
Sophie: That's a really good question. I think it would be Loewe. Now, I'm not saying I can afford to buy the brand, but being a pure onlooker and buyer of the brand for many years when I was buying in the power department, they always do really cool knits with sporty influences. They also did quite a cool football short three seasons ago, so I feel like they're always on the money with that kind of sporty but very chic look.
Guest in Residence shop on Bond Street, New York City
Rosie: I know now that brands often collaborate with one another and bring over one style to somewhere new, so is there a collaboration which you've maybe had at Net-a-Porter that you would say has been a highlight for you to oversee?
Sophie: So, I'm a huge Gucci fan. I think they’re really at the forefront of whether it’s extended sizing and, you know, really embracing curve, or whether it's like these huge commercial brand collaborations. I remember when they did Gucci x North Face, and it was a huge moment—they even did a Gucci tent, and it was just completely bonkers, and everyone went nuts for it. So, I think that was an amazing one. Loewe x On Running has been so successful as well. So, for Gucci, that was like the catalyst, and then you've had like Gucci x Adidas and everyone else who has jumped on the bandwagon, but honestly, the consumer loves it.
Rosie: Yeah, and I guess trainers are such a strong area where these brands make those collaborations. I know with Gucci and Adidas, we hype shoes.
Sophie: We were talking the other day about what's gonna be the next Samba, and who knows?
Rosie: Birkenstock maybe? Who knows.
Sophie: With the sporting world, are there any athletes whose style you’ve become aware of because of their style, who you would highlight?
Sophie: You know what? A lot of the younger athletes are coming up with a very sporty style, like Coco Gauff, who is quite branded and nice and sporty. I’m sure some of it is due to paid brand partnerships, but the sportswoman whose style I love the most is Maria Sharapova. I just think she's so chic, and she’s always just got this back-to-wardrobing style. She's always dressed so chicly, whether that's out and about or on the red carpet. She’s always wearing beautiful tailoring or really cool double denim, but is always very low-key and very elegant.
Maria Sharapova on March 2, 2024.
Rosie: That's like the Williams sisters when they always used to wear their jewellery to tennis. Me trying to wear my earrings to yoga, and I'm like, hmm, probably not. For anyone watching, we run together because we have a shared love of long-distance running. When I was training for my first marathon this year—I did the London Marathon—and Sophie, without training, joined me on one of my 26k runs and had so much energy. So, Sophie, what made you get into long-distance running?
Sophie: So, when I was in uni, I played a lot of lacrosse, and in my last year of uni, one of my best friends and I started doing a lot of long-distance running. We used to call it ‘rant and run’ because we would just meet up, run for miles, and just set the world right. She and I still meet up at least once a week in London before work, and we will go for a run up Primrose Hill or around Hyde Park or down the Thames. We’ll just rant, clear our heads, and then have a really nice long coffee, and we're at work by 9 a.m. Honestly, it makes us feel like superwomen, so for us, it's like a therapy session all-in-one before 9 a.m.
Rosie: Did you like it when you first started running at uni, or has it been something that you've grown to love more and more?
Sophie: Do you know what? I have this theory, and I tell my friends it—running is the worst thing in the world when you're not fit, and then it’s the best thing in the world when you are. So, if you just push through that barrier—and I've yo-yo’d between being running-fit and not running-fit—but if you push through, and for me it's like a 20-minute barrier, I feel like I can run forever, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
Rosie: Well, I'm sure there's lots of keen runners who like to hear that, because I definitely go in waves. So, with your work, you have to travel a lot for different fashion weeks. Some weeks I'll call you and you'll be in New York, some weeks I'll call you and you'll be in Milan, and sometimes you’re in London. But with that sort of lifestyle, where you're constantly having to get flights, deal with jet lag, how do you try to keep your fitness up and your mental health as a result?
Sophie: Yeah, it always is running because you can squeeze it in whenever you have a small gap in the morning or in the afternoon. In the evening, I love running around cities—it really helps me get my bearings, especially when I was just starting traveling, and you only need to pack a trainer, a sports bra, and some leggings, and off you go. It just keeps my head clear and helps me feel so much more energized than I would otherwise feel.
Rosie: I agree with that! I used to struggle with jet lag so much, and now if I just get up and do a run—even if I was in New York last week, and it was 4 a.m. UK time, but I went out for a run, and I was like, “This feels like going out clubbing, but instead I’m getting ready for my day!”
Sophie: Oh my god, I love a run in New York. I feel like getting up at 5 a.m. and just going for a run along the water is so nice and just refreshing.
Rosie: So, with my last question, we like to end interviews on quick-fire questions. For anyone London-based watching and wanting to know your top fitness classes, is there a favorite class you attend in London?
Sophie: Oh, I have two. I've just started doing weight training at my gym in a class called called ‘March On’ because I used to find that I was doing lots of cardio and not really building strength, but it's a really lovely, safe, supportive environment, and I love it. My other one would be reformer Pilates. I go to Karve on High Street Kensington, and Belinda is my instructor. She’s absolutely brilliant and very tough.
Karve Club lagree reformer pilates studio.
Rosie: And obviously, you’ve run a lot of marathons and half-marathons, so if someone is training for their first marathon, what would be your key piece of advice?
Sophie: Yeah, so I did marathon training with my fiancé. Having a running buddy is honestly invaluable for those like 5 a.m. starts, and the only good thing about running together as a couple is that we crossed the finish line to the second together, so there’s no argument about who finished first!
Rosie: That's amazing. And then lastly, I know that you’re a big reader and podcast listener. Is there a recent book or podcast you’ve loved and would recommend?
Sophie: I am podcast-obsessed, especially in the morning. So, I love ‘The Story’ by The Times and ‘Today in Focus’ by The Guardian; those are like news and investigative journalism. But I also love things like 'Serial', ‘How I Built This,’ and Grace Beverley's podcast ‘Working Hard, Hardly Working,’ where she interviews some amazing female entrepreneurs.