It is always interesting to watch the Lionesses when the whistle has blown on pitch time and various award ceremonies and Vogue soirées require their well-heeled attendance.
No wallflower, England goalkeeper ‘Queen of Stops’ Mary Earps pulled out all the stops last night (December 19), as she attended — and scooped up — BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2023.
Determined to stand out amongst the sporting circle, the Manchester United player arrived on the red carpet in an underwear-as-outerwear lace corset dress complete with high-rise knickers and a black floor length skirt: it was a far cry from her in-demand football jersey.
The subversive gown, which plays into the now concrete ‘naked dressing’ fad much loved by Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora, Kate Moss and Dua Lipa, is the work of David Koma, the Georgian designer who is based in London.
Best known for his stage designs for musicians including Beyoncé, Adele and Jennifer Lopez, the London Fashion Week veteran has made his name from fluro-sequin dresses, bold block colours and risqué cuts — Earps’ £1,460 choice is actually one of his more conservative designs.
"The gown Mary wore to her victorious evening is one of the key looks of my Resort 2023 collection, created to embrace the duality and contradictions of modern women," Koma says. "Underwear as outerwear is so popular because it’s a celebration of a woman’s sensuality and femininity."
The designer is a fan of the footballer, and says: "Mary exemplifies a woman of remarkable strength, success, and determination, seamlessly blending these qualities with femininity, beauty, and grace. Main character energy!"
A racy outfit might not rank high on Earps’ priority list today. The fan favourite player has found herself embroiled in a row over her win, with commenters bemoaning the loss of male sportsmen including jockey Frankie Detottri and snooker player Chris O’Sullivan.
Still, Earps has the royals in her corner. Prince William took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate her, writing “Hugely well deserved, Mary. Congratulations! W”. He has yet to mention her Beyoncé-approved style moment.
