What’s the difference between a tunnel walk and a catwalk?
Not much — at least according to Zara Tisch, the designer behind the sports-inspired label Terez.
On Wednesday afternoon in Chelsea, Tisch debuted a runway collection just before the official kickoff to New York Fashion Week.
But Tisch’s designer logos weren’t Louis Vuitton or Dior. Instead, Tisch dropped a high-fashion homage to Gotham sports culture featuring streetwear-inspired apparel for the Giants, Jets, Knicks, Yankees, Mets, Buffalo Bills and NY Liberty.
Held on a catwalk that looked like a basketball court, the show fully embraced Big Apple pride with looks devoted to hometown teams — and models who moonlight as iconic New York sports WAGs.
Runway strutters included Ali Brunson (wife of New York Knicks MVP Jalen Brunson), Marissa Ayers (girlfriend of Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart) and Katia Lindor, wife of Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Ayers told The Post she has been eager to “tap into modeling.” The Terez presentation marked her second runway show, following her debut at Miami Swim Week.
“This is a dream for sure, being in my first New York Fashion Week,” Ayers said. “I’m honored to be included and represent the Giants and it’s a good step in the right direction to have a female-founded sports brand.”
Ayers added that she’ll be rocking several Terez outfits from the show to upcoming NFL games, and wore a Giants varsity jacket on the catwalk.
Katia Lindor, wife of New York Mets star Francisco Lindor, said that ever since Francisco was traded to the Mets in 2021, she began experimenting with her gameday look with New York fashion at the forefront.
“Coming to NY, I found you can do anything you want when it comes to fashion. It’s a place of creatives and artists,” Lindor told The Post. “Some games I dress up more, other days I want to wear a sports cap and sports clothes. Anything works!” she added — though she admitted her “dressier” looks were reserved for the playoffs.
How does Lindor feel about being one of the famous New York WAGs (wives and girlfriends) who’s always spotted in the stands? She told The Post that she was proud to bring “an element of fun, fashion and chic to something predominantly male.”
Lindor noted that by pairing with Terez, she was also highlighting the many women running businesses centered around sports and sports fandom.
Tisch created Terez in 2008 after she couldn’t find cool pieces to wear to local games.
The line exploded this summer during the Knicks’ jaw-dropping championship season, which gained Tisch the ultimate model — actress and basketball superfan Anne Hathaway, who wore the label’s Garden Galaxy collection to the playoffs.
Tisch emphasized to The Post her desire to shift away from standard “fan-wear” toward high-style sportswear for women.
“You shouldn’t just wear merch in the stadium or the arena,” she explained. “It’s here to stay outside of sporting events.” To keep the looks trendy, Tisch takes cues from ’90s streetwear for her NBA line and nostalgic 1970s jerseys for her NFL collabs.
Despite being part of the prominent Tisch family, the designer admitted that a fancy runway show wasn’t really on her mind — at least, not until friends and fans asked why she’d never considered it.
“I was working so much,” she admitted. “I didn’t think I’d have time for a show!”
Ultimately, she caved to the pressure — and realized she could represent a new kind of fan fashion that spotlit New York in a stylish, unexpected way.
“This category is going to have a lot of longevity,” Tisch said. “So it’s time to show the world.”
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