When Bella Hadid and Justin Bieber recently stepped out in the same pair of Off-White x Umbro shorts, a youth soccer relic was thrust into the street-style spotlight.
Umbro, once a brand reserved for athletes, now has fashionistas clamoring for its sporty wares thanks to Virgil Abloh, designer behind the trendy label Off-White. For his spring 2017 men’s line, Abloh worked with Umbro on a capsule collection of co-branded tops, bottoms and shoes that mix a little bit of old with a lot of new.
“People who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s will best remember [Umbro’s] checkerboard shorts from soccer practice, and we hope to capture the nostalgia of that . . . while also introducing the brand to a new generation,” says Jamie Cygielman, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of Iconix Brand Group, the company that owns Umbro.
“It was the perfect union with Off-White’s streetwear-meets-runway aesthetic,” she adds.
Abloh riffed on the classic checkerboard print, using it as inspiration for a well-worn tartan plaid fabric that’s seen throughout the capsule — a grunge-inspired style cue likely borrowed from British rock band Oasis.
“[Virgil] mentioned being inspired by Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher,” says Cygielman. Onstage, Gallagher was known for pairing broken-in Umbro jerseys and athletic shirts with blue jeans.
Highlights from the collection include $600 coach’s jackets, $400 shorts and soccer pants going for a cool $1,089 on e-commerce Web site FarFetch.com. Despite the high price points, shoppers aren’t deterred from buying the expensive togs, which are selling out on some sites.
But for those who aren’t down to shell out thousands on sports gear, you can still score the original Umbro jerseys and shorts starting at $20 and $10, respectively.
“Umbro will always remain authentic to its roots as a soccer-first brand,” says Cygielman, “and continue to outfit players around the world.”