Off The Court: Style of the WNBA is a new series highlighting women in sports and their impact on the global fashion industry.
In more ways than one, Brittany Hampton is on a mission. When I spoke with her over the phone, the Los Angeles-based stylist was running from store to store in New York City. Trailed by her assistant, Hampton was tasked with finding outfits for two clients, Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum and University of Connecticut jet setter Paige Bueckers, the latter of whom is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
“We did a shoot for Paige on Saturday,” Hampton told ESSENCE. “We have another fitting for another athlete tomorrow. Then because playoffs are happening, we are ‘to be determined’ whether Kelsey will be coming to New York to play the Liberty. We are on the ground running and pushing.” Ultimately, the Aces did compete against the Liberty in the playoff semifinals, and the Liberty advanced.
Hailing from San Francisco, California, Hampton, 35, is a wardrobe stylist and fashion designer. She previously served as junior creative director of NBA player Russell Westbrook’s clothing brand, Honor The Gift, and styled him and his wife Nina Westbrook as clients. Long before dressing elite athletes, she first styled test photoshoots for new talent in Ford Model’s women’s division.
On the heels of her big break, Hampton earned the opportunity to dress actors at children’s network Nickelodeon and eventually, became the head in-house stylist. Soon after, in 2014, Hampton made her television debut and won Season 1 of the reality competition series “House of DVF,” crowned with the yearlong role of Global Ambassador to Diane Von Furstenberg.
Hampton explains that fashion was a space she was born into. Her grandmother worked in the industry and imparted skills onto her. At 17, Hampton’s first job was styling at Banana Republic in-house as a visual merchandiser. When she was off the clock, Hampton would take the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to Los Angeles on weekends. It was her way of getting her foot in the door–and her dedication paid off.
To be frank, Hampton’s foot is not just in the door. It’s kicking down barriers to compel brands to see the value of young women athletes. She’s invested in creating a fashion-forward future for women’s sports, beginning with NCAA standouts-turned-WNBA rookies. With clients Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Nika Mühl, Hampton says her motivation for styling these Gen Zers is twofold.
At one point in our conversation, Hampton candidly shares a notion that sticks out: to this day, her primary goal as a stylist is to build her clients’ confidence. “It’s understanding who they are at a younger age, then the development of who they can become,” she said.
The stylist believes brands are slowly recognizing that if they can help in any capacity, then her clients can become compensated while furthering their visibility. Her role is to serve as a conduit who continues bridging the gap between female athletes and brands.
Below Hampton talked to ESSENCE about how her heritage informed her personal style, the greatest lessons she learned from working with Law Roach, and how she transformed one client into the WNBA’s best-dressed rookie.
What is your earliest fashion memory? I read that your Apo informed your love for it.
Yes, my Apo, which means “grandmother” in Tagalog, used to make wedding gowns in the Philippines. When she came to America, she brought that training with her. She used to run a foundation called Fashion Arts & Youth Enterprise (FAYE) in Daly City, San Francisco where she would teach younger girls how to sew. By the time I was born, I probably started sketching and drawing at the age of five, and she always told me that I could not sketch up a garment unless I made it as well. Then, on my father’s side, who is from Louisiana, [my paternal grandmother] also sewed for her 16 children. Fashion has always been embedded into my nature.
Growing up Black & Filipina in the Bay Area, how did you conceptualize your style?
I would say streetwear was it for me. I grew up in a household with my mother and her five siblings, so the four older brothers were my go-to—and I would steal their clothes. My uncles were the streetwear kids that went to Balboa High [School], so they were deep in San Francisco, specifically Fillmore District and Hunters Point. Streetwear culture was it. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, I developed that trait of understanding the hip-hop narrative and everything that surrounded it, especially the underground elements of the Bay, our music, and culture.
You’ve had a unique journey through the industry, from retail and reality television to designing, costuming, and more. What was the impetus for your pivot from commercial and editorial work to styling athletes?
The pivot happened with Russell [Westbrook]. The first time me and Russell met was around 2014 when he had his collection at Barney’s. He was Anna Wintour’s first athletic muse, per se, in a way that honestly, shifted the game. Because of that shift, we sat [at] a runway show and realized that fashion was a lane that athletes were going to turn to. Russell tapped me because he recognized the pivot.
When Russell started Honor The Gift, it started as a merch line. When he brought me in, we pivoted to cut and sew, along with bringing in women’s [clothing] and kidswear. I became his and his wife’s wardrobe stylist, so that was an internal family moment. Then they had their children, so I would help with the shopping elements of that. Next thing you know, it was like client after client after client.
Speaking of the now, it was the same thing. It was all very relationship-based. I was working at Honor The Gift and Paige Bueckers’ agent, Lindsey Colas, tapped me to style her for a Stock X campaign. That was three years ago, and it was a connection from the start. I always tell people that Paige kind of took me out of retirement. I was done styling. I was going back into the design world, and you couldn’t get me to style anyone anymore. But Paige asked, and it was something about her ask that I believed in. I believed in what she had and the passion she fueled in fashion and her own career.
I love that you’ve carved out a lane styling college hoopers with burgeoning careers, namely, UCONN Huskies Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Nika Mühl. You come at such a pivotal time when they’re figuring out who they are on and off the court, in and outside of the classroom. What does that mean to you, and why focus on this younger demographic as opposed to WNBA veterans?
Let me start by saying I think that it comes from me and my Nickelodeon days, where Young Hollywood was it—and it’s always been it for me. When I was younger, reading Teen Vogue was one thing where I was like, “This is where you build character.” It’s at that age. When I did decide to take Paige, Azzi, and Nika under my wing, it wasn’t money-driven. There are a lot of people that are like, “Oh, women’s sports doesn’t include money,” but for me, it wasn’t about that. I don’t take one dollar from Paige, and I think that’s a stance a lot of people need to understand.
I understand that there has to be a brand attached for me to do my job. That also stems from how much women get paid currently, and how much the youngins get paid. Rookies don’t get their dollars until the second or third contract. For me, it’s building their brand from start to finish. It’s understanding who they are at a younger age, then the development of who they can become. Seeing the excitement in their faces is honestly so heartwarming. I love just building them from the ground up and seeing what they love and what they don’t.
Among those three clients, how would you describe their respective styles? Could you explain your “high fashion, low fashion” pairing process when dressing them.
We can start with Paige. First, Paige is always going to be the masculine-feminine, the cross between the androgynous sportswear feel. She loves to cater to crop tops, because she’s got a body for days. So, she has that little masculine factor to her. Azzi, on the other hand, has that femme moment about her where she does like a lot of bright colors. She loves a fluorescent pink, and we love putting her in a skirt. Sometimes, you might see her in a pant, but that’s mainly because of [the] weather. It’s always so funny because she and Paige are best friends, they like to share clothes. The way that they’ll call me just to discover new ways to wear a cardigan is the best conversation that we can have. So they mix a lot.
Then, of course, you’ve got Nika, who is just the femme fatale. She’s a sexy, edgy, “put her in a heel, throw glasses on her” type of girl. She knows her stance, and she knows that she can carry herself with poise in any room that she walks into. It’s cool because when I first met Nika, if you look back at her Instagram, it was only her in a jersey. You never saw her for what she is now. Nika walks like a supermodel, which is why she owns the tunnel every single time she walks into it.
With “high fashion, low fashion,” it was Law Roach. I worked for Law and was his assistant after I left Nickelodeon. Zendaya was a baby then, so this had to have been 2013. The drive that Law had for Zendaya is the blueprint of what every stylist currently should have. He went through the no’s. He went through the guerilla styling—having to buy, then return—and do the actual due diligence behind styling her. He was like, “We can’t continue to put her in high fashion, because if we only put Z in high fashion, her actual fans, the people that are following her, and the girls that are admiring her aren’t going to be able to identify with her.”
For us, it’s that same type of feeling. Let’s look at Nika’s following. Let’s look at the girls that are watching for Paige. I tell Paige all the time, “Yeah, we could be Louis Vuitton Dawn, but not all of your fans can go and purchase LV right off the rack”. How do we get them things that are marketable and also accessible to them? It has to be accessible to the kids because that’s who follows you guys.
What’s the most valuable, resonant lesson you learned from working with Law Roach?
Honestly, it was to never quit and to keep going. One thing that resonated with me the most was the relationship that he and Zendaya had at that time. When we were sitting in living rooms, eating cupcakes, and doing little things, he constantly thanked her for even believing in him. That’s the moment that resonates with me the most. Even with Paige, Paige looks at me in my face and tells me every time, “I believe in you.” I’m like, “Paige, I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know. New York Fashion Week is going to be a lot.” I have my moments where I vent, and she tells me that she believes in me. For a younger person to look a vet in this game in the eye and tell me that? That’s the passion behind what we do.
Now, let’s talk about Paige’s all-white suit to the 2024 WNBA Draft that got her the nickname “unctie” on Twitter. Are you aware of the discourse?
Realistically, a lot of people were like, “Oh, she was dressing like she’s in Boys II Men, like a pastor, like Steve Harvey,” but it was her LeBron James 2003 NBA Draft moment. We understood the assignment. The assignment was “You are a guest. This is not your draft night, so you can’t come in a full-blown suit. We could take it down a notch.” She said, “I want to be in LV.”
I went to shop. We thought about some streetwear options, but something about the fully monogrammed satin shirt, plus the pants. It was a full moment. And I was like, “This is Paige Bueckers.” I don’t know what about it screamed her name, I sent it to her, and she took it out on the court at UCONN. She didn’t button a thing. She put it on. She was like, “This is what I’m wearing,” then sent me a photo. All that to say, we just knew that this was her LeBron moment. I mean, she’s the comeback kid, but this is just a taste of what you guys have to look towards.
Are there any WNBA rookies or NCAA women’s basketball stars you would love to style?
Oh, I want JuJu Watkins now. I am fighting for JuJu this season. Her high school dominance was one thing and now that she’s in her college career in the NCAA, I just think she’s become historic. Committing to USC and being in the Los Angeles area, I think that it’s a lot more about her ability to be marketable off the court. Beyond her on-court talent, she has charisma. She carries herself with a social media presence that defines a young Black woman and a determined athlete. I want to get my hands on her.
How did you feel seeing Nika earn the title “WNBA’s Best-Dressed Rookie” from GQ? In one year, she’s ascended in the fashion rankings, listed amongst Dijonai Carrington, Courtney Williams, and other players who consistently turn the tunnel into a runway.
It makes me so emotional. It does. I’ll tell you a backstory: she was so scared to reach out to me. It was the week before [the 2024 WNBA] draft, and she had nothing to wear. Paige and her were out one night, and Paige said, “DM Brittany.” It took everything in her might to DM me. The way that I read that message was so personal. It felt like a little girl reaching out to someone that she didn’t know was going to answer on the other end of it.
Even to this day, I am only here as a stylist to build their confidence, especially at the age that they’re currently at. They deal with so much as women in this industry and to just be that young, to be thrown into this whole world that they’re dealing with. For me, it’s providing the looks for her on a weekly basis that she knows she’s gonna fucking kill in—and she does it. After every game, she’s like, “Oh my God, the fans love it again, and they love it again!” It’s those moments when I’m like, “This is why we do what we do.”
Recently, it was announced that Off-White is the New York Liberty’s official “style and culture curator.” What does it mean to you as a stylist to see this investment in fashion and women’s sports?
We’re excited. To see Off-White was definitely like a teary moment, because we, my stylist colleagues and I, knew that we were a part of that. We were a part of taking the top tier designers and brands and giving their access to our clients, exclusivity to them and them only. The exposure that we were giving them, plus the exposure that the brands were willing to take and willing to market, I think that’s what ended up creating a lane for them. We’re still working at it; don’t get me wrong. Behind the scenes, we know that there aren’t always brands that are willing, but I think that it’s finally changing.
Speaking of the convergence of style, culture, and sports, you’re the creative strategy director of the new platform “TUNL.” Tell me more about what you’re building.
So TUNL is the intersection between sports and fashion, and what our founder Ashley [Champ] has done is create a lane and an e-commerce site that will be the translation between the two. What we want to be is an actual site that hosts the collaborations between the athletes and the brands. Whether it’s a brand, for example, that wants to do a collab with a particular athlete, they would come through TUNL, then we would host the merch on our site. Then, we would obviously funnel through that, so they can tag team with designers in our space and relationships that we have.
We’ve got everyone from like Jerry Lorenzo that wants to be a part of it, Lenny S who is Jay Z’s right-hand man at Roc Nation wants to be a huge part of it. Lenny hosted our first event. We’re going to continuously bring events to the big cities that are having major events, whether it’s Art Basel coming up or even an F1 pop-up event. There are a lot of things in the works that are happening, but I currently host all of the main product merch that we align with. So, TUNL merch is going to be accessible via the online portal system, and I created the first round of merch that was gifted during New York Fashion Week. And there’ll be a few more drops.