GERMAN luxury fashion house Hugo Boss is no stranger to the world of sports and has a knack for signing on international sports personalities for their marketing campaigns. Best example is the partnership with McLaren that dates back to 1981 to create a collection specially engineered to meet the stringent needs of Formula One racing and team clothing for work and travel. Former world champion and driver for McLaren F1 team Jenson Button fronts the seasonal campaigns for Boss McLaren collection while German superstar golfer and 2014 US Open winner Martin Kaymer has been the face of their Boss Green line of contemporary athletic wear that fuses smart sportswear performance with classic golf style.
In 2013, Hugo Boss signed a three-year partnership with the German Football Association (DFB) to become the new official outfitter of the senior team and the Under-21 team. Oliver Bierhoff, national team manager for the DFB, said: “Hugo Boss is a brand with worldwide recognition and this agreement sees two top teams come together in their respective areas. The feedback from the players has been very positive”.
Thanks to David Beckham and, lately, Cristiano Ronaldo, footballers today are becoming fashion style icons beyond the football fields. With Hugo Boss as their fashion outfitter, the German national football squad (or affectionately known as Die Mannschaft) and its sports management team were decidedly dressed for success heading into the 2014 World Cup tournament in Brazil last month.
For a start, the dynamic, young players, comprising World Cup’s best goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Mario Götze, among others, are smartly dressed in a dark navy three-piece Boss suit in a blend of new wool, mohair and elastane to ensure comfort and easy movement in the hot Brazilian climate.A signature sleek cut channels a cool, contemporary semi-formal look that is compounded by a youthful styling with monochrome layering of pure cotton denim shirt, a dark-blue knit tie and a pocket square in a light denim.
When travelling between venues, a casual ensemble of grey knitted cardigan in the finest Merino wool and dark blue trousers is teamed with a dark-blue shirt, a matching pocket square and a dark-blue knit tie for a smart yet relaxed modern look.
Bierhoff and team head coach Joachim Löew, on the other hand, wear a tailored three-piece dark blue suit by Boss Made To Measure with a checked shirt, polka dot tie and pocket square for a more authoritative look that is finished elegantly with brown suede belt and shoes.
The three-piece suit is also prominently featured in the latest Boss Autumn Winter 2014 menswear campaign featuring young actor Scott Eastwood, the son of the legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood.