From mashing brands together to presenting concept designs for the like-minded, we caught up Mbroidered for SoccerBible Magazine Issue 5 ― a man on a mission to manufacture fresh moves within the football industry.
Federico Maccapani is someone who has stuck a well styled fork in the road of football and challenged those behind the scenes to think differently. Soaking up the swell of DIY culture surrounding football loving sneaker heads, his work merges the world's of high-end fashion and football to create a superb collection of concept designs.
Your love for illustration and design started in football. What are your early memories of the passions colliding?
"My earliest memory of me designing soccer kits was when I was eight years old. That season Inter bought Ronaldo, and that – along with Nike becoming the club’s new sponsor – was what made me more interested in soccer. I remember designing the kits on A4 blank pages, then folding them in half, stitching them together and creating little catalogues."
Can you remember your early football shirts? What were they like and how do they compare to football shirts of today?
"Yes, the first jersey I owned was the Inter one when it was sponsored by Umbro and Fiorucci. The materials were definitely different back then, less transparent and the fit was a bit larger. Another that stands out is the Kappa one – blue with yellow stars on the shoulder. That was pretty iconic. Also the Italian National Team kit by Nike was pretty cool too. I remember the design at the time was a bit less intricate than nowadays, giving that extra crispy look."
Sneakers and fashion are crossing more and more into the football world. How do you assess the football-fashion-design landscape right now?
"Football has such a huge audience, everywhere in the world. It’s about time to break some boundaries and change the way we look at soccer. Sort of the same way we look at basketball jerseys and shoes as lifestyle products."
Your “What If” series has gathered a lot of attention. Talk to us about how that started.
"My "What If” series is exactly what goes through my mind. I am trying to make things that don’t exist in real life, things I’d like to see produced. Everything started when I saw the Real Madrid jersey designed by Yohji Yamamoto x adidas. I feel that that collection, boots included, is definitely what sparked my attention. Do the math and think about how many sick soccer kits and boots can be designed for all the teams around the world. "
The collaboration with Le Ballon combines the love of football and design well. How did that project come about?
"The guys at Le Ballon approached me a couple of months ago to be one of the people featured on their website homepage, and was eventually asked to collaborate with them and design the jerseys for the France Soccer Team project they were working on. Everything happened really organically, and I feel that you can definitely see the combination of our design aesthetics in the final products."
For the full interview, pick up your copy of SoccerBible Magazine Issue 5 here.
