At age 14 Cindy Whitehead signed her name as “Andy” on the Manhattan Beach Little League roster so she could play on the boys baseball team. This was just the beginning.
At age 15 Whitehead took up skateboarding, a sport unheard of for girls at the time. By the time she was 17 the petite blond had turned Pro and was ranked the #1 female skater in the United States for pool riding and half pipe. To this day Whitehead holds the distinction of being the only female to be featured in the centerfold for a top skateboarding magazine.
After retiring from skateboarding at age 22, Whitehead wanted to fuse her love of adventure and athletics into a job she would love. She began by fashion styling and soon realized that it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do.
It was her athletic ability and experience that led her to create a niche for herself as a sports stylist. “I found there was a desperate need for sports styling and no one was doing it,” recounts Whitehead. “Most of the time advertising agencies would just send someone from their office with a bag of random clothes, but they had no idea how to put it together or what the real athletes were wearing. They had no idea of trends for different sports and geographical areas. I wanted to change that.”
Now the native Californian has earned her reputation as the world’s leading sports stylist. “Cindy is good at making things look real. We trust her to make something look authentic,” said Arty Tan, art director for Weiden & Kennedy who has worked with Whitehead on some of Nike’s advertising. “Whitehead is a stellar sports stylist due to her athleticism,” said photographer John Huet, who has worked with Whitehead on numerous advertising campaigns such as Nike, Asics, Avia, & Gatorade, among others.
Demand for Whitehead’s services, which include finding the most technically correct apparel and equipment for the appropriate sport, as well as making sure nothing finds its way into a photo unless it adds to the authenticity of the sport, are at an all time high with no signs of slowing. “Most companies are realizing the importance of sports styling,” Whitehead said. “Sports advertising is big business. You can’t drive your car or walk down the street today without seeing some kind of advertisement related to sports or with a
major athlete endorsing a product. Wear the wrong apparel in these ads and the audience knows it.”
Whitehead has styled such celebrated athletes such as Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Drew Brees, Mia Hamm & Peyton Manning and worked with top sports photographers such as Steve Bonini, John Huet and Walter Iooss. Her long list of clients include the NBA, Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, Gatorade and Coca-Cola.
Follow on facebook
At age 15 Whitehead took up skateboarding, a sport unheard of for girls at the time. By the time she was 17 the petite blond had turned Pro and was ranked the #1 female skater in the United States for pool riding and half pipe. To this day Whitehead holds the distinction of being the only female to be featured in the centerfold for a top skateboarding magazine.
After retiring from skateboarding at age 22, Whitehead wanted to fuse her love of adventure and athletics into a job she would love. She began by fashion styling and soon realized that it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do.
It was her athletic ability and experience that led her to create a niche for herself as a sports stylist. “I found there was a desperate need for sports styling and no one was doing it,” recounts Whitehead. “Most of the time advertising agencies would just send someone from their office with a bag of random clothes, but they had no idea how to put it together or what the real athletes were wearing. They had no idea of trends for different sports and geographical areas. I wanted to change that.”
Now the native Californian has earned her reputation as the world’s leading sports stylist. “Cindy is good at making things look real. We trust her to make something look authentic,” said Arty Tan, art director for Weiden & Kennedy who has worked with Whitehead on some of Nike’s advertising. “Whitehead is a stellar sports stylist due to her athleticism,” said photographer John Huet, who has worked with Whitehead on numerous advertising campaigns such as Nike, Asics, Avia, & Gatorade, among others.
Demand for Whitehead’s services, which include finding the most technically correct apparel and equipment for the appropriate sport, as well as making sure nothing finds its way into a photo unless it adds to the authenticity of the sport, are at an all time high with no signs of slowing. “Most companies are realizing the importance of sports styling,” Whitehead said. “Sports advertising is big business. You can’t drive your car or walk down the street today without seeing some kind of advertisement related to sports or with a
major athlete endorsing a product. Wear the wrong apparel in these ads and the audience knows it.”
Whitehead has styled such celebrated athletes such as Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Drew Brees, Mia Hamm & Peyton Manning and worked with top sports photographers such as Steve Bonini, John Huet and Walter Iooss. Her long list of clients include the NBA, Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, Gatorade and Coca-Cola.
Follow on facebook