Belstaff to Dress France’s OGC Nice Soccer Team
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LONDON — Belstaff is revving its engines with two professional team collections planned, and a debut summer capsule collection set to drop this week.
The British outerwear brand has become an official partner of the French professional football club OGC Nice, and will dress the team, known as Les Aiglons, or the young eagles, off the pitch. An announcement is expected today.
The brand is preparing an OGC Nice collection that will be worn by the players and staff of Les Aiglons during all official events. The branding will be visible at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, as well as at the Training Center and Academy.
The co-branded collection will be presented in the autumn.
“With our shared drive, ambition to succeed, and passion for adventure, we know we can achieve great things together,” said Jean-Pierre Rivère, president of OGC Nice.
Belstaff chief executive officer Helen Wright said the brand was “proud to support (team manager) Patrick Vieira and OGC Nice as they challenge for the top in the seasons to come.”
The team and Belstaff both have the same owner in Ineos, the British chemicals group, founded and owned by the billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Belstaff will also dress the team of the new Grenadier 4×4 utility vehicle that will be unveiled this week by Ineos Automotive. The team includes the vehicle’s designer, engineers, test drivers, ambassadors and sales staff. Building the Grenadier from the ground up had been a long-held dream of Ratcliffe’s. The car, inspired by the old Land Rover Defender, will be sold to the public.
This week, Belstaff also plans to launch a mid-season summer collection using lightweight yarns and fabrics. The collection is being launched direct-to-consumer as of Friday, July 3.
Belstaff’s creative director Sean Lehnhardt-Moore said the brand wanted to provide customers with “the structured and wearable styles that underpin Belstaff’s history in lighter weight, lived-in fabrics.”
Pieces include the Recruit Overshirt, which has been cut in an unlined, leather-backed suede; the Baywood Parka, made from a flyweight taffeta nylon; and the Mabel Jacket, which was inspired by classic jean jackets, in unlined, premium leather-backed suede.
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