Lindsey Vonn is a woman on a mission.
After retiring five years ago following a rash of injuries and surgeries, the decorated ski racer, who will turn 41 in October, is determined to make the U.S. ski team for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.
And she’s well on her way, finishing in the top 10 of three World Cup races last year, a ranking that would qualify for the team if she’s able to repeat this season.
If she makes the team and manages to medal, she would be the oldest ski racer of either gender to achieve that milestone. But, as she told The New York Times’ Bill Pennington: “It’s become kind of normal to see men as successful as athletes in their 40s,” she said, citing Tom Brady and Lewis Hamilton as examples. “It’s happened a lot on the men’s side. That really hasn’t happened on the women’s side.”
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But while Vonn continues to prepare for what would be her fifth Olympics, that doesn’t mean she’s turned her back on her extracurricular activities — notably her longtime partnership with Head.
Last year the sportswear division of the brand revealed that it was developing a luxury performance collection with Vonn. The company has provided her with ski equipment since 2009 and in 2020 partnered with her on a sportswear collection called Legacy. That relationship expands this fall with the launch of Vonn.
Roman Stepek, vice president of global for Head Sportswear, said that “the ultimate goal” was always to create a standalone collection under Vonn’s name. And it definitely won’t hurt the launch now that the skier is in the news again as fans follow her journey to the 2026 Olympic Games.
The debut collection will feature around 25 styles for women that blend cutting-edge technical materials with luxurious fabrics in a modern style. There will be two ski pants, two ski jackets, as well as vests and layering pieces.
The palette will center around natural tones such as off-white, navy, black, green, burnt orange and a light violet, he said, and the silhouettes will be both contemporary and athletic. The brand will have its own logo and the launch will be supported by an image campaign and a dedicated marketing strategy featuring Vonn front and center.
“Vonn has a clean, understated luxury look,” Stepek said. The collection is made from Italian materials and produced in Europe. Price points will range from $350 to $600 for layering pieces and $700 to $900 for pants, to $1,490 to $1,800 for jackets.
Distribution will be high-end ski stores, 80 percent of which will be in the U.S. and Canada and the remainder in Europe. Head is working with Diewertarbeit GmbH, led by Marco Lauer, for its international distribution. Lauer is also the agent for Loro Piana’s high-performance line Sease.
Stepek said that Vonn was involved in the creation of her collection and will be featured in its ads, but Head knows that her primary focus will be on making the Olympics, so gaining access to her will be challenging. “This season, it’s not so easy, but she’s the main face of the line,” he said.
Over the course of her career, Vonn has won 82 World Cup races and three Olympic medals. For many years she was the country’s most decorated ski racers until Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed her record in 2023.
