Overview
Fashion and football have been inseparable topics for years. Players have long since become influencers and role models on their social media channels. The name David Beckham, for example, is likely to have a similar meaning in the fashion world as it does in football. He is considered one of the most stylish men in the world and was one of the first football personalities to set new trends. But in addition to footballers like Jérôme Boateng and Héctor Bellerín, clubs have also increasingly become an influential fashion element. Read here what is happening in the world of fashion and football.
PSG as a fashion brand
Paris Saint-Germain is one of the most traditional clubs in France. But at the latest when Nasser Al-Khelaifi joined in 2011 and the associated financial resources, a completely new development began. The investor and current President Al-Khelaifi released the Paris Club from debt and made millions available for transfers. Superstars such as Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva or Neymar were signed up to stimulate sporting success again.
A project that was quite successful in the next few years. Since the takeover, the club has won seven of eight possible championship titles from the capital. Serious providers such as Unibet Sportsbook see the Paris Club as the clear favorite this season as well. The championships were joined by eleven other titles. They won the French Cup five times and the League Cup six times. Statistics that can be seen.
In addition to the soccer field, PSG developed more and more into a valuable brand that has also conquered the fashion world. As an association of one of the most important fashion cities in the world, an understandable expansion. The club achieved its breakthrough in the fashion sector through cooperation with Hugo Boss and Levi’s. Ultimately, however, it was the collaboration with Nike’s brand Jordan that finally brought PSG into the fashion focus of the world.
Jordan itself has long been more than a sports label and is one of the largest lifestyle outfitters in the world. A field that had not been developed to date was football. Superstars and poster boys like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé fully corresponded to the brand’s target group. The crème de la crème of the celebrities suddenly wore the Paris jerseys. Influential stars such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Drake or Rihanna were spotted in appropriate jerseys. Football clothing is also being worn more and more in the fashion-conscious NBA world.
It is becoming clear that sportswear is gaining in importance in the fashion sector, but gamers are also often becoming fashion influencers and brand ambassadors. Personal branding is the most important thing behind the sport for many of them.
As a brand ambassador or on the catwalk
A name that should not be missing in this regard is Héctor Bellerín. Born in Barcelona, the 25-year-old Spaniard moved to Arsenal in London when he was young. Last but not least, the cosmopolitan environment of the metropolis has made him the style icon that he is now. Not only is his Instagram profile easily confused with that of a fashion blogger, his world is largely about fashion.
You can often see him in the front row of Fashion Weeks in Europe, in 2019 he even ran for a fashion label. Virgil Abloh brought him to the catwalk in Paris for his Louis Vuitton summer collection, where he presented a bright pink outfit.
Even if not many footballers can be seen on the catwalk at a fashion show, numerous table footballers are brand ambassadors for well-known labels.
The Brazilian Neymar is one of the best football players in the world. His fame makes him a popular partner for various brands. In the fashion sector he promotes the Italian brand Replay, with which he has already launched his own collections.
Similar examples can also be found among German footballers. Defender Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund and Toni Kroos from Real Madrid are ambassadors for Hugo Boss . The German label generally advertises a lot with athletes, especially in Formula E and golf they wear some of the most important personalities.
Even entire teams are equipped by the Metzingen fashion brand, including big names in European football:
- FC Bayern Munich
- Paris Saint-Germain
- real Madrid
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Inter Milan
The portfolio in the sports sector is accordingly significant and illustrates the presence of well-known fashion houses in football.
Fashion labels of the players
The connection between football and fashion is now so advanced that some stars have their own fashion label or work with greats in the fashion business.
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the most popular player on the planet. He has the most followers on Instagram and earns the highest sums in the football world through sponsorship deals. So it is not surprising that the flagship athlete owns his own brand CR7 . Pants, jackets, sweaters and underwear are part of the label’s range, but he also launched his own fragrances.
While the superstar has one of the most extensive brands among footballers, others specialize in various subcategories of fashion. Jerome Boateng, for example, owns the eyewear brand JB , which he sells in partnership with Edel-Optics. Whether sunglasses or reading glasses, there is a lot on offer for women and men. Incidentally, the vision aids are named after family members and close friends of the Bavarian star.
David Beckham, the “Sexiest Man Alive” from 2015, of course, can keep up. He doesn’t own his own label like his wife Victoria Beckham , but he had a prominent partner in H&M. The Briton brought his own collection of men’s essentials onto the market with the Swedish fashion house for years. The cooperation has since been terminated by mutual agreement. H&M wanted to appeal to a younger target group and will in future be working with the musician The Weeknd.
The fashion world and the associated lifestyle have therefore been closely linked to football for years. Own labels or working as a brand ambassador are becoming more and more important. It’s about the athletes’ own branding – indispensable in the age of Instagram and Facebook. Stars like Neymar, Ronaldo or Boateng are far more than professional footballers. You are an influencer, trendsetter and generate sales for fashion labels. For younger players in particular, presenting the world with fashion has become a matter of course and a hobby. The days when fashion played no role in professional sport or was even laughed at are history. Nowadays the industries go hand in hand.
