It has become a familiar sight before football matches, streamed live or shared on social media: players walking through stadium corridors, often dressed not in their playing kits but in something far more formal and stylish. These outfits, frequently supplied by luxury apparel brands, reflect a trend towards sartorial elegance off the pitch.
The recognition level of football players now often matches that of the fashion houses partnering with them. This season`s UEFA Champions League showcased this, with Hugo Boss dressing Stuttgart and Zegna outfitting Real Madrid. The connection was prominent in the final as well, featuring Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, clubs from two of the world`s fashion capitals. They likely arrived at the stadium subtly acknowledging their stylish roots, possibly wearing Dior for PSG and Canali for Inter.
While formal wear and sports might seem an odd pairing, luxury fashion brands have successfully integrated themselves into the professional sports landscape, years after NBA players started gaining significant coverage from magazines like GQ for their pre-game attire. This isn`t just about individual player expression; companies are forming official partnerships with sports teams, particularly in football, the most popular sport globally. These collaborations benefit all parties, offering significant financial incentives and the highly valued outcome of increased brand awareness.
Fabien Allegre, Paris Saint-Germain`s chief brand officer, explained to CBS Sports that this wasn`t merely about style, but “about expanding our universe, connecting the new generation of fans from different universes and creating those essential links to be recognized as an innovative brand.”
Sports: A New Domain for Luxury Brands
Traditionally, luxury brands focused on a very select, wealthy clientele. However, this strategy limits potential growth. Consequently, many companies have broadened their reach beyond a strict definition of luxury, expanding their customer base by opening stores in smaller cities and exploring new markets.
Thomai Serdari, director of the luxury and retail MBA program at New York University, noted that companies with capital-intensive structures “need to find a new area of growth.”
This is where popular sports teams and their extensive fan bases become valuable. Sports fans are ideal customers due to their psychographics – marketing that targets attitudes and interests rather than just demographics. Partnering with major sports teams during popular events is a way for luxury brands to access vast audiences. Many have already done so; Louis Vuitton has created trophy cases for events like the FIFA World Cup and the NBA Finals, while Burberry and Gucci have previously partnered with athletes such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Jack Grealish of Manchester City.
The financial benefits flow both ways. Luxury brands gain exposure to new demographics, while teams and players access new, creative revenue streams.
“I think a crucial part of the whole equation is the athletes themselves and how they are, in essence, placed in the front lines,” Serdari stated. Athletes, who might not previously have had access to expensive sponsorships, can find this to be an entirely new source of income. Beyond revenue, these partnerships allow athletes to express themselves and dress in ways that are both enjoyable for them and appealing to their fans, thereby strengthening their personal brands and connections with their audience.
Formal wear partnerships aren`t necessarily intended to drive massive sales of Dior suits to every PSG fan or Canali clothing to all Inter supporters. Instead, these deals play a significant role in brand-building, an increasingly vital marketing strategy across all industries.
Fashion as Part of a Wider Fan Experience
The integration of luxury fashion and sports is a two-way street. In our interconnected world, historic sports teams feel pressure to refresh their brands to appeal to their widest-ever global audience. PSG specifically embraced fashion for this purpose, interpreting the vision from president Nasser al-Khelaifi following Qatar Sports Investments` takeover in 2011.
“Our president shared a clear vision: To make Paris Saint-Germain a global brand both on and off the pitch, and for me, the objective was to be both a successful football club and a cultural brand in its own right,” Allegre recalled. This ambition led to unique collaborations, including a showcase at the famous Paris shop Colette, an appearance at Paris Fashion Week with Koche and Bape, and seven years ago, their significant partnership with Jordan Brand.
PSG`s collaboration with Jordan, the brand linked to basketball icon Michael Jordan and owned by Nike, is perhaps their most prominent move into fashion and arguably the most natural fusion of sportswear and style. Jordan has designed playing kits worn by the team in competition, alongside several athleisure collections. This partnership has made Jordan Brand and PSG somewhat synonymous, enhancing the club`s style credentials and finding an authentic connection between two fields that once seemed disparate.
“Fashion and sport are about the same things: Identity, emotion and movement. When they come together in an authentic way, it creates powerful things, stories that touch people,” Allegre commented. He added that lifestyle initiatives are a way to draw people into their world, even if they aren`t initially football fans. Sometimes, seeing a jersey in a concept store or worn by a player in a video game can spark interest. PSG also uses its influence to spotlight designers, stylists, and creative groups in various cities who share their values.
PSG`s fashion presence isn`t limited to Jordan. Their current formalwear partnership with Dior emphasizes Paris`s reputation as a fashion hub. This provides a different type of visibility in an industry where they have already established themselves.
“Paris Saint-Germain is the sporting soul of Paris. Together, we embody a certain idea of modern refinement,” Allegre stated. For the 2024-25 season, Dior has designed exclusive outfits for the team and staff. He sees it as more than just a suit, but “a posture, a way of representing the club at all key moments — whether at the entrance to the stadium or on the red carpet. The high standards of fit and detail echo what we strive for on the pitch: precision and excellence. It`s lifestyle in its own right.”
This innovative approach is especially beneficial for clubs like PSG, who may not have access to the lucrative domestic broadcast deals enjoyed by some European counterparts. However, any club welcomes additional revenue streams. The increasing frequency of formalwear partnerships in sports represents an impressive collaboration between two industries that previously had little overlap. Authenticity strengthens these deals, such as PSG`s with Dior and Inter`s with Canali, as the luxury brands are based in the same cities as the clubs, adding an unspoken layer to the match-day experience for fans.
Ultimately, this trend is a fresh perspective tailored for new audiences in a new era.
“The new generations who have taken us away from simply product consumption to a brand and experience consumption first,” Serdari explained. More people are inclined to enjoy watching a sport as part of a lifestyle experience. Within this context, they are more receptive to learning about new products from specific brands. Serdari attributes the start of this shift to Millennials, with Gen Z being particularly focused on the overall experience rather than just the product itself.
Dominic Ashworth