From David Beckham’s painfully-Y2K, smart yet casual rendition of footballer fashion to more recently, with Spanish footballer Hector Bellerín becoming a men’s style icon, players have always used clothes as a way to express themselves off the pitch. And designers have increasingly turned to football as a source of inspiration, and even to supply their latest campaigns.
The late Virgil Abloh served as one of the first designers to cross over into the world of football, creating a legacy of collaboration between sports and fashion that Off-White has maintained. Last year, the streetwear brand announced its partnership with storied Italian club AC Milan, serving as the team’s official “style and culture curator.” The Serie A giant isn’t the only football team to lean into the world of luxury fashion. Crosstown rival Inter Milan partnered with Moncler for a classy capsule collection, while Paris Saint Germain–home to megastars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe–wore Dior-designed looks during two of their most recent seasons. Even British designer Stella McCartney laced up her cleats for a limited-time jersey offering with Premier League runner up, Arsenal. Unsurprisingly, some of the world’s biggest brands have joined forces with some of the biggest teams on the planet.