Fashion & Wardrobe Design/Styling in Professional Wrestling Panel at SXSW 2025

Carly Earnest
SXSX 2025 - SJMC Student Media Coverage

(The following content is a preview of a SXSW 2025 panel from a member of the SXSW Content Team, a group of 26 SJMC students who will partner with SXSW marketing professionals to cover the event from March 7-15. This is the 10^th year of this collaboration between SJMC students and SXSW.)

Over the past several decades, the wrestling industry has been dominated by male characters, but recently, female wrestlers have been catching the spotlight. SXSW 2025 will feature the Fashion & Wardrobe Design/Styling in Professional Wrestling panel, introducing the behind-the-scenes world of designers who develop functional - yet eye-catching - fashion for these larger-than-life characters.

Troi Haynes (a freelance fashion stylist), Yolanda the Designer (who designed Cody Rhodes’ Wrestlemania 39 outfit) and Sarath Ton (who has helped turn Seth Rollins into a fashion icon) will share the SXSW stage with Candace Smith, an on-camera host and columnist for Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Although Smith has a deep love for fashion, she was raised in the world of entertainment. She now channels her love for wrestling into her career, highlighting its evolution and the growing recognition of female wrestlers.

“When I started wrestling in the indie circuit, there were girls there, but there weren’t a lot of us,” Smith said. “Since 2018, it’s grown enormously - the amount of girls that are into WWE, that want to watch the sports, want to watch the matches, want to interview and want to work within wrestling too.”.

Women in wrestling are being recognized more than ever, breaking barriers and proving their place in a historically male-dominated industry. Major promotions like WWE, AEW and Impact Wrestling have spotlighted female athletes with main event matches, all-female pay-per-views and increased championship opportunities.

The Fashion & Wardrobe Design/Styling in Professional Wrestling panel will open a new world of creativity and uncover how fashion fits in. Smith hopes it will also inspire young females with a passion for athletics to pursue a career in the wrestling industry. As a journalist covering the wrestling industry, Smith has had the opportunity to highlight the many ways wrestlers are expanding their careers beyond the ring.

“Writing each column is such a joy because I always have something to talk about,” Smith said. “Wrestlers nowadays are doing everything - so it’s not just the in-ring action. It’s really cool talking to a wrestler about their upcoming movie or television show or gaming - anything.”

This shift has been especially impactful for women, who are now gaining more recognition - not just for their athleticism but for their influence across multiple industries. Their growing presence in mainstream media further cements their importance in wrestling, proving that their impact extends far beyond the squared circle.

Fashion & Wardrobe Design/Styling in Professional Wrestling will be held from 4- 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 9th in Room 18AB of the Austin Convention Center.