Manchester City recently announced a new multi-year partnership with Italian fashion brand, C.P. Company. The partnership will celebrate the shared relationship between the city of Manchester and the Italian brand, established in the 80s through authentic engagement with Terrace Culture.
Having style fashionwear partners in football is not out of the ordinary for football clubs these days, and Manchester City have enjoyed a partnership with renowned Italian fashion brand Dsquared2 since 2017. Now, following on from that, they’ve announced a new partnership, this time with another powerhouse of the lifestyle fashion scene in C.P. Company. As the Official Style Fashionwear Partner of the Man City men’s first team, C.P. Company will design an exclusive range of fashionwear to be worn exclusively by the team players, coaching staff and executive management when travelling for UEFA Champions League away fixtures, in addition to a number of other matches.
On first glance, it looks like a routine partnership, with both sides benefitting. And while this is obviously true, further analysis shows that for C.P. Company, it’s an opportunity to reconnect with the “casuals” subculture that was so prevalent in English football in the 1980s; it was as part of this movement that the brand was first brought to prominence on English shores, where passion for sport and Italian design was passed down from generation to generation.
This can be seen by one of the first items produced as part of the partnership: the signature Goggle Jacket. Launched in 1988, the Goggle Jacket is C.P. Company's most iconic and recognisable garment, a staple of functionality and design uniqueness thanks to the integrated lenses in the hood. “The aesthetic symbolism of the C.P. Company Goggle Jacket has become an icon for football fans, a project where sporting aspiration embraces and keeps its roots alive,” explained Lorenzo Osti, President of C.P. Company.
Further than the direct connection to Terrace Culture that’s at the heart of the partnership, C.P. Company will also have one eye on the Premier League side’s reach in the Asian market, as they themselves look to expand their brand appeal in the East. It’s a no-brainer in that sense: never underestimate the power of Haaland, De Bruyne and even Pep repping a brand logo as they traverse the globe. Easiest. Marketing. Ever.
But while that sub-plot will hold a certain attraction, the driving force behind the partnership – at least in its first year – will be the links back to Terrace Culture, and you can expect C.P. Company and Man City to lean into that hard. It's an ethos that the press release announcing the partnership exemplified when it said, "Despite the 1,750 kilometres separating Bologna and Manchester, both cities resonate with the same indomitable spirit. United by a rich industrial heritage and a deep connection to music, they represent the dreams and aspirations of entire generations. Together, they celebrate the past while looking to the future, embodying a perfect fusion of history, subculture, and passion. The shared legacy of the Goggle Jacket and casual culture seamlessly links these two vibrant cities, creating a narrative that transcends geography and connects the global community of football fans."
Expect some proper Casuals vibes in the coming Man City x C.P. Company collection.
