If you are a soccer/football fan who was paying close attention in 2021, you may have noticed your favorite team’s players are now a lot more stylish off the pitch. That is ,if you are a fan of Paris Saint-German (PSG) or Inter Milan (Inter). PSG entered into a two year partnership with Dior, making the luxury brand the official tailor of the team. Inter partnered with Moncler, now their official formal wear partner. In both deals, major fashion houses have paired with the major teams in city of their headquarters. Both deals will include co-branded collections featuring the logos of the luxury brand and the team. It begs the question, why.
Writing in their announcement of the deal, Inter says, “The union perfectly encapsulates Moncler’s mission to go beyond luxury and fashion to explore new settings, forging a vital link between two iconic brands that call Milan home.”* For Dior’s part, this is the first time they have partnered with a football club. My thoughts are that these partnerships allow the parties access to market segments they typically wouldn’t access. Essentially, for the brands this is marketing through sport, as the luxury houses are able to use the athletes to carry their brands in front the sporting world, including those who look up to the athletes and want to emulate their behaviors. This also allows teams to elevate their appeal in the eyes of wealthier potential clientele.
It is important to point out these collaborations have come about in a time of a lot of recent “hacking.” In the fashion world hacker projects are collaborations between brands, where they create co-branded collections that call on the codes of each house. Think of North Face x Gucci, Skims X Fendi, Gucci x Balenciaga, and the multiple collaborations between brands and influencers. It’s been said that team work makes the dream work. It remains to be seen whether this trend of brand partnership will continue with other teams and leagues following suit.
For more information, see the Paris Saint-German announcement of the deal and *Inter Milan’s announcement of partnership with Moncler.
A Wren Says 