Fashion Football

The Muse

A creative strategy was devised to launch a new menswear brand dedicated to the strength of football and the dynamism of fashion, inspired by the football athlete as the epitome of a modern-day, healthy, and disciplined individual.

A local ‘everyman’ player was discovered who embodied the values this new brand aspired to. Gianluca Cordella played a central creative role, both as inspiration for the new brand and as a footballer; a traditional number 8 - a team player, brave leader, and relentlessly committed athlete.

Frequent training sessions were observed, and interviews probed his passion for the game. He was invited to a private training session in the iconic San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, where a photoshoot was art-directed to capture the nuances of his personal fitness routine.

The resultant images were published as ‘Il Mio Centrocampo’ (‘My Midfield’) and became the reference for all future men’s collections and general brand strategy. An international campaign was launched in all major fashion magazines to announce the brand’s muse.

The Icon

This new commitment to football required an emblem to be used to launch the new wave of men’s collections. A figure was created to define an ‘ideal’ universal midfield footballer. Physique and movement were carefully interpreted to express determination, power and agility to represent the new brand; ‘Bikkembergs Football’. 

The Message

The new ‘football fashion’ concept and brand was launched as part of Dirk Bikkembergs S/S 2002 collection at the first ever fashion show to be held in a football stadium. Press and buyers were offered a copy of ‘Il Mio Centrocampo’ and the newly released Vogue Sport whilst the players trained on the pitch. The show began when the players emerged from the locker rooms ‘post match’ wearing increasingly formal outfits. 

Dirk Bikkembergs announced that the emblem represented his future in fashion “Sport in general, and football in particular, represent the language of a genuine and positive way of life”. Dirk Bikkembergs was acknowledged as the originator of ‘Football Fashion’. Soon, highly respected footballers began wearing the collection as casual dress, such as Michael Ballack, German national captain and UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year at his official unveiling at Chelsea FC. Inter Milan invited Bikkembergs Football to produce their official club uniforms, modelled here by Thomas Helveg, Iván Córdoba and Javier Zanetti. 

The Collection

Due to the popularity of the branded t-shirts, a full collection of apparel and accessories was developed and released as elevated essentials for young athletes, post-match leisure wear and football-inspired sneakers. 

The collection extended to include women’s and junior ranges. The success of these collections resulted in over 3 million branded garments produced during 2003-2007. A limited edition capsule collection of tech-training wear was developed in collaboration with Umbro. 

The Team

To fully ‘enter the field of play’ and create technically proficient performance teamwear, I began working with a local, amateur football team; Polisportiva Forsempronese. A completely new visual identity was created, inspired by local heraldic graphics, the towns distinctive bridge and through close collaboration with the club and players to design ‘match-fit’ technical outfits and footwear. Retaining team colours, but everything now emanates to, and from, the heart/crest. This dynamic geometry was carefully transcribed directly on the body like a couture garment. 

Every outfit was then individually tailored to each player’s individual shape and performance requirements.

Following a ‘total design’ approach for FC Fossombrone’s stadium, bus, merchandise, website and head offices, the club went on a press and pre-season tour of Northern Europe to unveil the new kit. Samsung became the official shirt sponsor. 

The Boots

The limited-edition, tailor-made football boots were particularly popular with the team and had found their way onto the feet of several high-profile European players such as French Internationalist and FC Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly and Italian Internationalist and Juventus FC defender Giorgio Chiellini, who became ambassadors for the boots.

Following player’s feedback, discussions began on how the boots might be further developed and released publicly. They were rebuilt and refined in collaboration with Nike Football to produce a much lighter, stronger and more streamlined version. A new series of custom outsoles allowed the boots to perform on soft ground, firm ground, astro turf and indoor surfaces. Tech Packs were produced for all branding and colourway specifications.

The final boots, called ‘Tirosegno’ (‘launch a signal’) were released in a special edition colour-way; neutral with reflect-a-lite technology embedded in the upper to shine during floodlit evening games.

All supporting touchpoints to ensure holistic storytelling to showrooms and select retailers were designed and produced, including custom promotional display stands to emphasise their lightness and balance, along with all packaging and visuals.

The official launch was held during Pitti Uomo, Florence, in 2008. A pitch-black warehouse which housed 100 pairs of spot-lit Tirosegno boots began to echo the sounds of 100 football player’s studs when suddenly the floodlights revealed 100 footbal-lers wearing Tirosegnos and tuxedos who descended the stage to mingle with the crowd of press and buyers in a cocktail reception. 

Tirosegno boots were championed by Giorgio Chiellini at the 2008 Euros and represented football and fashion, along with the FC Fossombrone kit that inspired them, at the The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2024.

Dirk Bikkembergs