Exclusive | Islanders games become new hot spot to make fashion statement as female fans flock to NHL
They’re in it from the blue line to the clothing line.The new cool-as-ice spot for cosmopolitan influencers and fashionistas is Long Island’s UBS Arena – where cheering on the hometown Islanders and donning orange-and-blue are in style for the season.Some 80 miles west of the high-society Hamptons, female hockey fans are flashing bold and loud looks while dodging ketchup and mustard stains in the process — as the rink becomes “their own runway,” said Holly Horvat, the wife of Islanders team captain Bo Horvat.“It’s no longer just about throwing on a jersey or sweatshirt,” she told The Post.“Girls are putting together full looks, incorporating team colors, accessories, boots, jackets and really expressing their own personal style,” added Horvat, who runs the boutique shop Statement Threads with Mammoth forward Vinny Trocheck’s wife, Hillary.Isles business operations director Kelly Cheeseman focused on getting the see-and-be-seen fashion-forward TikTok crowd into seats last year — like influencer Xandra Pohl and the snarky VIP List ladies — as the league is seeing an explosion in women’s interest.“The NHL this past year saw 30% growth in the female audience,” he said, adding that more will “organically happen” with the Islanders this year to appeal to that sector.Hockey social media has become about fit checks as much as body checks, too.“My entire feed now is just girls getting ready to go to a game, coming to a game, their experience,” said Marina Heinz, operator of locally popular “Isles Styles.”That shift was an ideal opportunity for 29-year-old Heinz – a fan of almost 10 years – to get off the bench and into the garment game. The Hicksville hairdresser launched her Instagram page at the end of last season to showcase her intersecting passions.
She happily dedicates her life to fine-tuning and customizing chic looks from rhinestone jackets to sneaker decals and Isles-embroidered pants to strut around ice level.“...