Is there a market for a £360 replica football shirt? A luxury brand thinks so

It's almost the end of the season but fashion has other plans: earlier this month, Swedish luxury fashion brand Acne Studios launched a fake swimsuit football at £360. Although Nike's £124 England tops seem like a bargain, they're almost sold out.

Acne calls it a “logo striped knit tee applied ". , but for all intents and purposes, it's a football jersey. It includes the name of the label where a sponsor would be found; a small white and navy crest reminiscent of serial Swedish champions Malmö and comes in a pastel shade, which is appropriate given that Acne creative director Jonny Johansson has been recognized as the designer who popularized "millennial pink."

This is just the latest attempt by a runway brand to emulate the polyester styles of soccer 80s or 90s. Others are from Balenciaga's Soccer series in January (a loose 90s-style top, suggested retail price $1,400) and a similarly priced collaboration between Gucci and the Palace streetwear from 2022.

“Designers Like Martine Rose, we have been doing it for years, but it has really appealed to some of the big luxury brands,” explains Daniel- Yaw Miller, expert on the intersection of fashion and sports at industry site Business of Fashion. "[Sports] helps them identify and show that they are aware of things outside of the fashion industry."

But playing in a top that costs more than some subscriptions help me transform my game from park player to stylish playmaker? Football, like fashion, loves testers. And that's definitely my vibe: if you want someone running around looking busy and handing the ball right back to you, then I'm your guy. Or at least your third choice back. My football fashion sense also lacks style, more Keir Starmer at five than Jack Grealish for Gucci.

It's a little tight when I try it on and I makes it. on my way to the field for my Friday night game, but I'm less embarrassed than I feared, maybe because it looks like a real football jersey, but also because I can't see the giant ACNE STUDIOS detail sewn into the back, where a player's name would be.