This is the New France Away Kit.

France footie is going high fashion with its new national team away kit. When we first saw this photo, we found it rather exceptional. The fact that a creative talent no lesser than Karl Lagerfeld took it was a surprise, but makes sense. Above and beyond the perfect styling, the photo of French player Alou Diarra is exceptional because it so convincingly straddles a line between a completely posed, staged moment (Diarra simply standing there, staring at the ball hung by fishing line), and a moment of real action, frozen (Diarra actually juggling the ball on his forehead). It’s just plausible enough to be both, which creates a surreal duality that imparts a little magic to an otherwise simple moment.

The jersey itself is a simple stripe, but not just any simple stripe.


Nike’s in-house design team designed the jersey, and Nike describes it as taking “strong visual cues from the ‘marinière,’ a piece of French history since the last century, and now a timeless French style icon. The marinière first appeared as the uniform of sailors in the French navy in the 19th century and was first seen in civilian wardrobes in the early 20th century. Soon, it would become a symbol of French culture, adopted by free‐spirited individuals in France and beyond.”




And the marinière is hot right now—just ask Jean Paul Gaulthier, who the Wall Street Journal says started the current cycle of popularity with his fall 2007 runway shows. Read more about that and see a slideshow of stars wearing the shirt throughout the years.

French football’s current interpretation of the Gallic rooster:




The kit “embraces Nike’s Considered Design Approach,” and the jersey is constructed of 96% recycled polyester (derived from recycled plastic bottles) and 4% organic cotton. It sports the subtle, sophisticated details you’d expect from a Nike design:




So, France, you’ve got a great kit, now just don’t embarrass your country again.



—Via Dezeen