Soccer X Fashion: Fashion Inspiration from the Pros
by Raffaella Vogt
The Game Plan
On and off the pitch, visual identity has become an increasingly prominent factor in soccer. With influencer culture spreading across the sports scene and younger athletes entering professional leagues, personal expression and trendsetting are becoming increasingly popular. As a result of their hefty paychecks, contracts, and signing bonuses, young athletes have been taking their money and throwing it into their wardrobes. In the sports world, luxury fashion meets street style, as these international athletes infuse their cultural identities and upbringings with their high fashion.
The Warm Up
The kit is one of the most important visual monikers of soccer as a sport and cultural movement. The kit is a uniform made up of the jersey, shorts, socks, cleats, and any additional accessories worn on the field. Initially, kits were practical, made of heavy cotton with long sleeves and a baggy fit. In the 70s and 80s, clubs like Ajax, Liverpool, and AC Milan began experimenting with colors, patterns, and fabrics that sharpened their look. When Nike, Adidas, and Umbro entered the market, wide-scale distribution from the professional and public world occurred, and kits from clubs at all levels became well known abroad. By the 90s, football shirts had gone mainstream and gave birth to “casual culture” and “blokecore” as stylistic aesthetics. Stone Island, Adidas, and C.P. Company were born from fans who cared as much about how they looked as who they supported.
Underneath the colorful kits, the physical attractiveness and charisma of the athletes on the field led to many soccer players starring in modeling and brand campaigns. A notable fashion figure and ex-footballer is David Beckham, who made waves in the 2000s for his charm, good looks, and fashionable style. Today, notable young footballers such as Jules Kounde, Memphis Depay, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford are the waypoints of male soccer fashion. As with most modern sports, collaborations are at the center of marketing and building
The Kickoff
Marcus Rashford, Barcelona’s newest golden boy, and Jaden Shaw of NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) top dogs Gotham FC, were two of the biggest inspirations for the colors, compositions, and structure of the shoot and styling. Out of the many soccer players to choose from, these two stood out for their innovative, personal, and unique approaches to their style, on and off the field. Jaedyn Shaw is known for her use of color, draped silhouettes, and relaxed attitude, which blends femininity and streetwear. She adds feminine expression to traditionally masculine styles, like streetwear, breaking the rules of the aesthetic.
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Marcus Rashford has always had a sharp eye for fashion. Rashford launched his first performance and lifestyle collection with Nike, developing Elite, Pro, and Academy versions of Mercurial Superfly football boots and other lifestyle products. Throughout the collection, Rashford added inspirational text onto the garments to push young athletes to chase their dreams and believe in themselves. He sees the pieces as things that can transport athletes to new heights and help them start their own careers. His collaborations with other companies strive to accomplish the same goal. Rashford has also collaborated with Burberry, which inspired the use of capes and suits and clean yet exaggerated, weird silhouettes to capture the movement and action of the game in photographs.
In Play
With this shoot, the goal was to work from the athlete’s perspective. Photographing as they move and play, the athletes are able to show their skills and take the lead. Dribbling, shooting, and diving brought the energy and power that would take place during an actual game, combined with the movement of fabrics, formed the intersection of style and play. Working with athletes is always going to be different than someone actively in the art or modeling world.
For the creative vision, the challenge was a minimal budget and sustainability. Using Shaw and Rashford as benchmarks, the models brought the visual ideas to life. Zach, the goalie, with his dives and jumps, brought the movement of the cape to life. For Shaw, Emma brought to life the intersection of femininity and athletic wear with the sports jacket, lace, and skirt. Maren depicted an androgynous blend of the two. Making a wire bodice to layer over a button-down was an exercise in how to bring a vision to life and problem-solve with limited resources. When you’re watching a soccer game, it’s never going to be monochrome. When you mix the vibrant kits with street wear, the darker colors and styles begin to take over. To strike the perfect middle, the outfits were styled around a base color to work from. Pink, pops of color, multiple colors, and stripes.
The Final Whistle
Soccer as a sport pushes the boundaries of the physical, mental, and technical thresholds of its players. The fans who style their favorite teams’ kits or simply appreciate the style fuel the effort, determination, and passion that goes into the spirit of the world’s favorite game.
From Manchester to Morocco, soccer isn't just style; it’s the spirit of the game.
Credits
Starring: Matt Rios, Jeff Xu, James Brunson
Photographer: Nina Corso
Stylist: Acacia Blyth
Creative direction: Nicole Xiao