Kappa's beautifully moreish season goes from strength to strength as the brand have unveiled another stunning capsule collection for AS Monaco. Infused with the most delicious of retro vibes, the "Kombat XX" collection marks the 20th anniversary of the original Kombat jersey that the club wore in their 1999/00 league winning campaign.
The original Kombat jersey was the first tight-fitting jersey in the world of football, created to stretch 40cm longer than normal jerseys so referees could spot shirt-pulls on Monaco players, as well as providing a light and comfortable fit. Of course, the tech went on to feature on the Italy National Team kit too as a landmark innovation in football kit history. That's your backstory, now it's time to admire this eloquently re-worked retro collection from a brand that are hitting all the right buttons this season.
The anniversary shirt, which headlines a complete lifestyle collection, will be worn on pitch when AS Monaco host Angers in the Ligue 1 clash at the picturesque Stade Louis II stadium tonight (Feb 4). Monaco's home ground played host as the perfect backdrop for the "Kombat XX" lookbook as Kappa reinterpreted some of the brand's most iconic ensembles in the early 2000s to deliver a collection that is drenched in throwback goodness that sits all too relevantly in a thriving streetwear-influenced football market.
The shoot, directed by photographer Jérémie Mazuka, was done with the young players of AS Monaco, a generation born between 1998 and 2001, as a nod to Kappa's first spell with AS Monaco. Abdou Salam Ag Jiddou, Giuseppe Iglio, Maxence Toutain, Gobe Gouano and Moussa Sylla, all players of the reserve team coached by David Bechkoura, posed in front of the lens inside the stadium as well as in the streets of Monaco to highlight this new collection inspired by the iconic outfits worn in the early 2000s by Ludovic Giuly, Marcelo Gallardo and David Trezeguet. Two-tone collars, embroidered logos, as well as the iconic and the timeless Kappa banda, are featured on all the pieces in this lifestyle collection, which includes two jerseys and a tracksuit. Good luck picking just one.
The original inspiration for the Kappa "Kombat XX" collection was taken from the kit and tracksuits worn by the 1999/2000 squad (below). Oversized logos, XXL shirts all round, and some very familiar faces that would go on to make their own respective marks in football history.
Shop the full Monaco "Kombat XX" retro collection at prodirectsoccer.com from February 7.
