Bernadette McNulty takes a look at the tangled history of two great cultural forces

Sport and fashion might seem like odd bedfellows. Sport, after all, is obsessed with function; fashion, the perfection of form. Sport enacts timeless rituals of human competition; fashion creates transient looks and styles which it then destroys. But as a new exhibition at the V&A argues, in the modern age the two have become inextricably entwined.

With every wardrobe in the country containing at least one pair of smelly trainers and baggy tracksuit bottoms, it’s hard to argue with historian Elizabeth Wilson’s claim that sport has been the single biggest influence on fashion in the 20th century.

As the above image - from Italian Vogue and featured in the exhibition - shows, the influence of the sporting aesthetic on fashion has led to unisex clothes that are looser, more comfortable, more colourful and easier to wash.

The world of sport has also been changed by its ever closer flirtation with fashion. While it’s unlikely that Madonna’s choice of high-heeled trainers will be on show in Beijing this month, you can bet that style won’t be left in the locker room.

Inspired particularly by the on-court look of Venus and Serena Williams, expect to see a sea of rainbow-coloured Lycra and flamboyant accessories among the go-faster stripes whizzing around the track.