Italy Leads the Pack: AC Milan and Armani Reignite “Made in Italy” Style

Few partnerships capture Italian craftsmanship and sport like AC Milan’s collaborations. The club’s timeline showcases partnerships with Giorgio Armani, Off-White, Diesel, Harmont & Blaine, Castelli, and Puma, bridging formalwear, streetwear, and performance design. Armani’s alliance with AC Milan follows his longstanding history with teams such as Juventus, Napoli SC, and the Italian national team, reinforcing his role as Italy’s unofficial “designer of sport.”

Meanwhile, New Era, Gattullo, Tucano Urbano, Movitra, and NOVE25 introduced Milan-made accessories and eyewear, giving local brands a global stage. Compared to Off-White’s avant-garde aesthetic or Puma’s technical edge, these independent Italian labels root the partnership narrative in heritage and craftsmanship.

From Rome to London: European Teams Rewrite Sportswear Codes

AS Roma’s partnership with Fendi (2022-2024) defined the luxury-meets-locker-room era, with monogrammed outerwear and tailoring replacing traditional tracksuits. Adidas’s new 2024 Roma kit collaboration extended this blend of couture identity and athletic performance. Similarly, Arsenal’s 2024 Labrum × Adidas capsule injected African heritage prints into modern football wear - marking one of the first Premier League collections built around diaspora storytelling.

Across the Channel, Tottenham Hotspur’s 2023-2025 collaboration with Kiton brought Neapolitan tailoring to the Premier League, reflecting a quiet luxury movement within football culture.

In 2025, FC Barcelona announced Los Angeles–based luxury brand Amiri as its new formalwear partner, introducing sleek tailoring and contemporary Californian aesthetics to the club’s off-pitch image. This partnership underscores how top clubs are turning pre-match appearances into fashion statements - blending transatlantic style influences with global fan appeal.

The New American Playbook: NBA and WNBA Go Designer

In the United States, basketball continues to anchor the fashion-sports dialogue. Off-White × Chicago Bulls (2023) and Thom Browne × Cleveland Cavaliers (2018) turned pre-game tunnels into runways, while Tiffany & Co.’s 2022 tie-up with the Cavaliers elevated the championship aesthetic with crafted jewellery.

The women’s league followed suit: M.M. LaFleur × New York Liberty (2023-present) brought professional elegance to WNBA fashion, while Martine Rose × Nike for the US Women’s National Team (2023) reframed women’s football kits with gender-fluid design language. Each of these collaborations reflects fashion’s increasing commitment to inclusivity and cultural relevance.

Formula 1 Turns into a Luxury Catwalk

Once defined by technical sponsors, Formula 1 has become a prime arena for style storytelling. Tommy Hilfiger × Cadillac F1 (2025-present) and Giorgio Armani × Ferrari (2021-present) illustrate how American and Italian design houses are embedding fashion into motorsport branding.

Puma’s multi-year collaborations with Mercedes AMG (2023-2025) continue to blend performance gear with streetwear appeal, while Adidas’s new 2025 deal with Mercedes F1 signals a generational shift as teams seek lifestyle relevance beyond the racetrack.

Historically, these moves follow icons like Sergio Tacchini’s Toleman F1 (1984) - proof that fashion’s fascination with speed never fades.

The Luxury Powerhouses: Dior, Gucci, and Balenciaga at the Helm

Among luxury maisons, Dior’s partnership with PSG (1989-2018; revived 2021 and 2023) remains a benchmark for sustained brand-team alignment. Similarly, Gucci × Juventus (2024) and Balenciaga × Manchester United (2024) epitomise fashion’s current obsession with cultural dominance through sport.

These projects differ from traditional kit deals: they focus on off-pitch luxury dressing, tapping audiences who consume fashion as entertainment. Whether through Dior’s precision tailoring or Balenciaga’s subversive silhouettes, football becomes a global fashion stage.

National Teams and Identity-Driven Collaborations

National teams increasingly collaborate with luxury labels to express national pride through design. Emporio Armani’s formalwear for Italy’s men’s team (2019-present) continues to define timeless elegance, while Prada’s 2023 collaboration with China’s women’s national team linked technical sportswear with minimalist aesthetics.

Similarly, J.Lindeberg’s 2023 partnership with Sweden’s national teams illustrate how Scandinavian minimalism and Spanish tailoring merge sport, heritage, and identity in modern performancewear.

From Stadium to Street: Why These Collaborations Matter

The convergence of sports and fashion is reshaping both industries’ value propositions. Luxury brands gain access to massive fanbases and youth culture relevance, while sports teams elevate their image through craftsmanship and design.

According to a 2025 report by Deloitte Sports Business Group, sports-fashion partnerships now contribute up to 15% of a club’s non-matchday revenue, demonstrating tangible business value beyond visibility.

Whether it’s AC Milan’s lifestyle collections, Juventus’s luxury capsules, or Manchester City’s C. P. Company tailoring, these alliances prove that modern fandom is as much about aesthetics as allegiance.

Conclusion

From Fendi and Off-White to Giorgio Armani and Tommy Hilfiger, fashion-sports collaborations have evolved from sponsorships into storytelling ecosystems. The 2024-2025 cycle alone spans around 40 active partnerships across football, basketball, and motorsport, each blending heritage, innovation, and global marketing appeal.

As Gen Z and Gen Alpha continue to merge lifestyle, culture, and sport, these collaborations signify more than fashion - they represent the democratisation of luxury through shared emotion, collective pride, and the universal language of style.

Cover Image: NBA.