Anyone paying attention to the fight for women’s sports already knows that Riley Gaines isn’t backing down. And as the nation starts to wake up, she’s no longer alone.
The 12-time All-American swimmer and tireless women’s advocate has become a household name by doing something simple but radical: she’s speaking the truth. Now, Gaines is teaming up with XX-XY Athletics, the only athletic brand unapologetically championing biological women, to launch a collaboration that’s as bold and brave as she is.
The retro-inspired Be Bold collection is infused with red, white, and blue to showcase unapologetic pride in this nation. But the brand and the styles aren’t just fashion — they represent a cultural pushback. And according to XX-XY founder Jennifer Sey, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“The first drop launched on June 23rd, the anniversary of Title IX. So it’s a celebration of all that Title IX represents, the opportunity it presented for women and girls across the country,” Sey told The Daily Wire in an exclusive interview. “And it sort of highlights the fact that we need to continue to fight to uphold it. We’re not going backwards.”
Not long before the collection’s June release, the Department of Education ruled that the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX by allowing a biological male to compete on the women’s swim team, therefore robbing female athletes of records, awards, and their dignity.
The school was forced to apologize and restore honors to athletes like Gaines. Shortly after, the Supreme Court announced it would hear two landmark cases involving men competing in women’s sports. Sey said it’s all proof that the cultural tide is turning, and that this collection will help capture that truth.
“The world is shifting under our feet,” she said. “That’s in large part due to Riley’s work.”
Sey has a background in standing up for what’s right. A former elite gymnast and the first whistleblower in her sport to expose abuse, she spent decades at the helm of major brands like Levi’s before founding XX-XY Athletics in 2023 with a singular mission: to stand up for real women.
“I looked around at all the big brands pretending to champion female athletes, and none of them really did. They make money off of it, but behind the scenes, they treat women with astonishing disregard,” she said.
With Be Bold, Sey is hoping to turn that hypocrisy on its head.
The collection wasn’t just inspired by Gaines. It was built with her.
“She was totally involved,” Sey said of the line of fitness apparel. “The red, white, and blue color scheme? That’s all her. The name Be Bold? That’s how she signs her books. We leaned into her favorite pieces and her signature style.”
XX-XY Athletics
Gaines’s go-to item is the cropped performance tank, Sey says, stressing that all the pieces both make a statement and support real athletes who need their sportswear to work as hard as they do. These are high-quality items designed for female athletes who have both principles and high standards.
Another standout from the collection is the oversized concert tee, a nod to both Gen Z-approved oversized street style and old-school Americana. The back of the tee features the 37 words of Title IX, a fashionable protest.
XX-XY Athletics
And for the non-athletes, there are plenty of options for a more casual look, like a vintage-inspired velour tracksuit straight out of 1972.
“When I was on the national team in the very early 80s, velour tracksuits were our dress sweats that we wore to march out at major international competitions,” Sey recalled. “So we definitely allude to them with some of the styling…we definitely use 1972 as a grounding point.”
XX-XY Athletics
This collection isn’t just about Riley, nor is it just a fashion statement. It’s about offering a platform to female athletes who’ve been abandoned by major brands and sports teams too afraid to take a side.
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is we scoop up athletes that no one else will touch. We will platform and empower the female athletes,” Sey said. “So they don’t feel so alone. Oftentimes they’re the only ones on their team or in their community [speaking up]. But when they realize there’s this network of women across the country who are doing the same thing, it’s incredibly powerful to have that.”
XX-XY Athletics
Sey says Gaines will continue working closely with the brand to identify and support more athletes who have the courage to speak up.
“At the end of the day, we’re all about supporting female athletes. I mean, that’s what it comes down to,” she said.
XX-XY’s gear isn’t just for show. A runner recently completed the Boston Marathon in under three hours wearing one of their tanks. That same style shows up in the new Be Bold collection, but this time reimagined in patriotic hues.
The idea behind Be Bold is simple but subversive: give everyday Americans an easy way to express support for truth, fairness, and biological reality without having to say a word.
“The reason I started the brand, or at least part of it, was I felt like if we could create something really cool that was also world-class products, we could give people an easy way to sort of rep their advocacy,” Sey said. “The mainstream brands do this. Why can’t we do it?”
Sey, who’s been targeted by critics and called every name in the book. But she says the backlash isn’t stopping her.
“Noisy doesn’t mean right,” she said. “You’ve got to screw up your courage and stand by women and girls.”
The Gaines collaboration is just the beginning. Sey teased more limited-edition drops on the horizon, plus a deeper partnership with Riley that goes beyond just appearing in ads.
XX-XY Athletics
When asked where she dreams of seeing pieces from the Be Bold collection show up, Sey didn’t hesitate.
“We would love to see someone wear any item atop a podium at an NCAA championship,” she said, “Or walking into the Supreme Court wearing a Title IX tee, that would be amazing, right?”
As the legal battles heat up, broader cultural beliefs continue to influence how this topic is perceived in the general public. Sey says the silent majority is finally starting to speak up.
“You know, I think this movement for common sense is sort of billed as right-wing by the mainstream media. But the fact is, it’s not. It’s a really broad-based coalition. You can’t have 80% of Americans [agreeing] and have it only be the right. It’s just regular people.”
The Be Bold collection is available now at xxxyathletics.com.