NORMAL — An essential part of the gameday experience for Alabama A&M women’s basketball Head Coach Dawn Thornton is feeling good and looking better.
This season alone, she has garnered more than 7 million views on Instagram on her gameday outfits.
With the rise of popularity and celebration of women’s sports, coupled with her trailblazing fashion sense, it comes as no surprise that Thornton will join BeautyCon’s “Play the Game, Get the Look” BeautyCon panel conversation Saturday at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
This is the 55th anniversary of Essence magazine and the theme for this year is “Made Like This.” BeautyCon strives to celebrate beauty in all its diversity, focusing on the voices and stories of women from the South who are shaping the beauty landscape and challenging outdated, one-dimensional standards in the industry.
Thornton does just that, portraying who she is both as a coach and an emerging fashion icon.
“My style is definitely an extension of who I am,” Thornton said. “It’s confident, intentional and sometimes a little extra, in the best way. Thats how I coach, too. I’m big on presence and energy and your preparation is your separation.
“Confidence is not just taught, it’s modeled, and I want them to always see that in me.”
Her daring fashion choices also reflect how she wants her student-athletes to show up in the world.
“I want my players to know that it’s okay to stand out, to take pride in how you show up, and to lead with confidence on and off the court,” she said. “I want them to know they don’t have to dim their light to lead. There is strength in owning who you are.
“If I can show up in a bold outfit and still handle business, it gives my players permission to bring their full selves into whatever space they walk into.”
Thornton believes showing up authentically herself helps challenge and redefine traditional expectations for coaches.
“I think just being visible and authentic already challenges a lot,” Thornton said. “There is this idea that coaches, especially black women, have to look or act a certain way to be taken seriously, and I don’t subscribe to that.
“I show up as myself fully and I coach with passion and excellence. That alone shifts the narrative.”
The “Play the Game, Get the Look” panel conversation will explore beauty trends that have originated on the court and influenced black culture, and how looking and feeling good contributes to a winning mindset.
For Thornton, her game day looks are the visual representation of her mental fortitude.
“Game day is a whole vibe, and my look is part of the energy I bring,” she said. “Sometimes the goal is to make a bold statement, and other times it’s just about feeling grounded and confident in my own skin. Either way, we treat it like part of the game plan.
“How I show up visually matters just as much as how I show up mentally.”
Essence Fest and BeautyCon starts Thursday and will continue through the weekend, with sessions and programming from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Tickets and more information can be found here.
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