When fashion meets football: the new trend of luxury labels collaborating with clubs

There has always been a strong synergy between fashion and sports, particularly when it comes to football players.

Young, athletic and with huge spending power, once they hit the big time, many players waste no time in gearing up in the finest togs from the world's biggest brands.

Think of the sartorial style of Britain’s David Beckham, who has garnered a reputation for always being well turned out, while the natty high-low wardrobe mix of Spain's Hector Bellerin has earned him many accolades. The off-duty snap of Presnel Kimpembe is well documented, while fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba is known for his love of Gucci and Supreme x Louis Vuitton.

Further north in Europe, Icelandic player Rurik Gislason’s sharp dressing is the only thing more distinctive than his long locks, while ex-Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg took it one step further and even modelled for Calvin Klein.

It is little surprise, then, that major fashion houses are always on the lookout for new ways to cement the bond with high-profile, successful and influential players.

Since taking over the menswear reins for Dior, designer Kim Jones has made some bold moves, the most recent of which is to design off-field looks for French football team Paris-Saint Germain.

Home to Lionel Messi and Neymar, the famed PSG – as it is affectionately known – calls the French capital home, making it an ideal candidate for the Paris-centric house of Dior.

With only a few kilometres separating the new Dior headquarters on Champs-Elysees and PSG's home ground at Parc des Princes, this is something of a meeting of minds.

Covering both casual and more formal looks, Jones has mixed the darkly elegant palette of Dior Homme with the football club's colour, even coming up with a new tone of navy for the project.

Players will now be able to don a zip-front Harrington jacket, a knitted sweater and a polo shirt, all embroidered with the club badge and the initials of Christian Dior.

As part of this look, players will wear Dior Explorer Derby shoes, stamped with the Dior Oblique motif.

For formal occasions, Jones has created a look of a cashmere coat, a jacket with matching trousers and a shirt. For the feet, there is another pair of Derby shoes, this time the cap toes, and in a hidden touch, Jones has embossed the insole of each player's shoes with his jersey number in silver.

To complete the look, there is a reversible blue-and-black cashmere scarf, a Dior Saddle bag in calfskin, and a tie woven with the Paris-Saint Germain logo. Dior will dress the players for two seasons.

The maison is not the only one dressing footballers recently, either.

Italian wool specialist Loro Piana has created off-duty looks for fellow Italian club Juventus. Leaning into its signature palette of soft earthy neutrals, the new Piana looks combine a deep terracotta knitted top with trousers in dark taupe.

Echoing Piana's aesthetic, the overall mood is laid back, effortless, yet extremely well put together.

Creating two suits for each player, these will vary in weight to cover warmer and cooler weather, meaning the players will be covered whatever the season.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, meanwhile, has been made a custom-tailored suit, with extra thermal regulation and stretch, to cater for those long hours spent on the side of the pitch.

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