Fashion/football brand collaborations
From hattricks to theatrics
From hattricks to theatrics
Drama and theatrics are something that football and fashion have in common. It was only a matter of time before they intertwined to take both industries by storm. Fashion is all about marketability and staying on top of trends - what better way to do that than to use football as branding.
It definitely has been fed in by the rise of Athleisure and the implementation of sports in streetwear. Brands like Adidas,Nike and Puma - over the last 15 years have moved away from the sole market of functionality in running and basketball trainers, and have grown significantly in casual clothing e.g the massive boom of the Nike tech which swept through London. Decades of designing football jerseys has evolved into standalone fashion campaigns and collections, outside of the clubs. These sportswear brands have had huge collaborations with brands like: Kith & Adidas, Puma & Coperni, Wales Bonner & Adidas.
PIET for São Paulo Fashion Week SS25
These collections bridge sport and fashion together. Many fans look to their favourite teams and athletes for styling inspiration. As the fashion football industry continues to evolve, brands like Adidas and Nike are well positioned to maintain their leadership position through strategic collaborations. By staying ahead of trends and identifying emerging talent, the brands can continue to create products that resonate with customers on a deep, emotional level.
The most explicit step toward this push has been by Crystal Palace Football Club as they became the first Premier League side to appoint an in-house creative director to oversee its seasonal off-field collections and all future fashion partnerships.
Collaborations between football clubs and high-end fashion brands have redefined football merchandise. Luxury labels like Louis Vuitton and streetwear giants like Off-White have teamed up with clubs to produce limited-edition collections.
These collaborations seamlessly blend the worlds of luxury and sportswear, transforming club merchandise into must-have fashion pieces and allowing them to create new layers of meaning and connection for both club and fashion brand.
Off-White for AC Milan’s 125th anniversary
The collaborations merge the luxury of fashion with the freedom and wearability of football, to create a new subgenre under both industries that redefines on and off field partnerships. Recent collaborations include:
Emirates/Arsenal
Off white/A C Milan
Labrum London/ Arsenal
Zegna/Real Madrid
More recently fashion brands have moved directly to the source: football clubs