We’re all overly familiar with the saying “football’s coming home”, but this is a case of style coming home, as the Italian Football Federation has signed a new partnership deal with Armani. The deal will see the Italian fashion powerhouse dressing the national teams for the next four years.
Under the deal, Armani will provide formal match-day wear to the men’s, women’s and under-21’s national teams in an all-encompassing agreement. Following the first trial run of the Emporio Armani collection at Coverciano, the central training ground and technical headquarters of the Italian Football Federation in Florence where the men’s senior national team had their team photo recently, the suits will officially debut on 23 March when the men’s team wear them ahead of facing Finland in their first Euro 2020 qualifier.
The men’s U21 team will then wear the collection at this year’s European Championship in Italy, and Italy’s women’s national team will follow at the Women’s World Cup in France this summer.
Giorgio Armani, founder and owner of Emporio Armani, said: “I am proud to collaborate with the FIGC and to offer our athletes my idea of soft formality, of elegant practicality. I have created a wardrobe that is coherent with my style, designed for athletes in constant motion. It is another way of bringing ‘Italianness’ to the world.”
The collection will consist of a suit, shirt, shoes and coat along with accessories such as an Emporio Armani bag, backpack, belt and glasses, and it's been described as being formal but comfortable, while also being usable in more seasons thanks to detachable interiors.
Previously, Armani provided formal wear to the Italian national team at the 1994 World Cup and the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, while they've also partnered with the English national team, Chelsea FC, Bayern Munich and Newcastle United.
The Italians in Armani. Seems somewhat… fitting. Do we want to see an Armani kit? Yes we do.
