Dolce & Gabbana: Football Fashion Pioneers

The phrase ‘football meets fashion’ feels like a line that’s been written regularly for the best part of the last decade. Football clubs have been launching kits and lifestyle collections that feel more in line with fashion houses than the football clubs of old and fashion houses have in turn turned to football for their muses – regularly sending players down catwalks or involving them in campaigns. The two worlds have aligned. There was a time however in the not so distant past where footballers were derided for their fashion get-ups, attention mainly reserved for when there was something to ridicule: think David Beckham in a sarong or Ronaldo’s tight metallic shorts, as opposed to the way players' outfits are analysed and ranked today. David James and Pep Guardiola aside it is fair to say that footballers crossing over into the fashion world in a serious way was a rare occurrence.

One of the first brands to fully embrace the footballer as a fashion icon is Dolce&Gabbana. In the early 2000s the fashion house included numerous football inspired pieces in their collections, which became a hallmark of the Y2K aesthetic, as well as releasing several publications that placed the footballer at the centre of photoshoots and collections, all styled and shot by staples of the fashion world. Gone was the awkward, badly staged pose, in came the slick, artistically shot imagery that we see regularly today. Produced by Dolce&Gabbana in 2003, Calcio is a 195-page black and white photography book featuring numerous stars from Serie A of the time – shot by photographer Mariano Vivanco. The photos within its pages see the players treated more like models than athletes, capturing them in off-pitch mode, getting changed in changing rooms, suiting up and posing moodily as they show off their sculpted physiques, all in the signature Dolce & Gabbana style. A treasure trove of images of calcio heroes; from Christian Vieri brooding in front of the mirror in his underpants, a vest wearing Hidetoshi Nakata reclining on a velvet sofa to the devilishly handsome Alessandro Del Piero staring down the camera in a tailored overcoat, this book truly showcased the footballer in a way that hadn’t been seen before. 

D&G would also memorably go on to work with the Italian National team, taking it a step further by designing the teams’ formalwear and release a series of iconic locker room images for their 2006 World Cup campaign – Gattuso, Pirlo, Cannavaro and Zambrotta all oiled up to pose in branded boxer shorts. Another beautifully crafted book of photographs of the players to celebrate them winning that World Cup would follow, these resell for upwards of €150. D&G would go on to partner with AC Milan and Chelsea, where the tailored suits and stylish photos of players would continue. The culture of football continues to be a reference for the brand, with D&G branded high fashion interpretations of football jerseys available to buy as well as various other photographic football-specific publications being released, including 2013’s Lionel Andres Messi and Campioni: Dolce and Gabbana Football Players. This coming together of the two worlds has continued to grow, with collaborations between the world’s top clubs and fashion houses becoming a common occurrence. Footballers are being snapped up to be the face of fashion brands, just this week Jude Bellingham is rumoured to be imminently signing a lucrative deal with Louis Vuitton. Some would ask if we have reached peak “football meets fashion,” but with many Premier League teams recently posting adverts for Creative Directors, it feels like there is still more to come.