I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard football and fashion uttered in the same breath of late, which isn’t a problem – quite the opposite, if you ask me.
Well, in the midst of the largest ever World Cup tournament, here we are again, discussing the same topic, this time following the release of “Look of Football”, an editorial created and ideated by Marco Michalzik, which captures the aforementioned shift by treating the jersey not as a kit, but as a fashion object in its own right.
Shot through a high-fashion lens, the project – which was shot at Nike’s Elite Summit in Berlin last month – merges football heritage with contemporary image-making. Think dramatic directional lighting, cinematic shadow play, unexpected styling, and poses that borrow from the movement, tension and attitude of the game.
The result? Football gear reframed as something more expressive – part sportswear, part subculture, and a big editorial statement.
At the centre of the story are Nike’s Next Gen talents, emerging players whose presence brings a rawer, more instinctive energy to the project. Alongside Nike elite athletes including Julian Brandt, selected models complete a cast that reflects football in its many forms: performance, identity, style, attitude.
Photographed by Niclas Lenhard, “Look of Football” is a sharp visual study of where the modern football aesthetic now sits – not just worn, but styled, performed, elevated and, increasingly, understood as culture.
