“People think it’s a lot more elaborate than it is,” says Tolami Benson, who, despite making headlines in almost every British news outlet (this magazine included) for the last month, insists that her string of model-worthy looks in the 2024 Euros stands happened pretty organically. “I don’t have a stylist,” she says. “Just a very honest girls’ group chat.”
All of her outfits thus far have been simple, sharp and versatile looks featuring the likes of cropped Prada shirts and Off-White tees, paired with her now-signature black sunglasses and some form of England merch. “I normally go from the office to games so you learn how to dress for both,” she adds. The office in question? A full-time media strategy role that she’s been continuing while on the road with England’s Bukayo Saka in Germany. When the tournament is over, regardless of the result, she’ll be heading straight back to the office.
But for the final game of the tournament (when England will take on Spain, and it might actually come home), Benson has enlisted the help of fashion designer and football enthusiast Hattie Crowther to create a special one-off piece. Crowther, who’s sustainable brand often upcycles used football kits, created a corset from a repurposed jersey for the Euros 2020/2021 Nike kit incorporating the number 87, Saka’s number for Arsenal during the 2018/2019 season. “I couldn’t imagine dressing anyone else for this match,” says Crowther of their collaboration. “My brand is inclusive and aims to empower everyone who wears it; Tolami embodies empowerment as a woman navigating the football world on her own terms, owning her identity, and forging her own path in creating her personal brand.”
Despite being a burgeoning fashion plate, Benson is steadfast in her self-effacing nature. “It’s not really about me right now,” she says, when asked about all of the attention she’s getting at the moment. “I’m just in tournament mode, just focused on the games.”
