The World Cup organizer has a “clean stadium” policy that it takes very seriously, even taping over Heinz branding on ketchup bottles at in-stadium restaurants, forcing players to cover the Beats logo on their headphones, and, biggest of all, taking the Levi’s out of the Levi’s Stadium. Or at least trying to. 

You don’t need to see the Levi’s name spelled out to know you’re looking at a Levi’s logo, so when the over-150-year-old denim giant covered its stadium’s logo in a white sheet, everyone still knew what they were looking at.

And Levi’s knows it.

The brand swiftly uploaded a video of the covered-up branding around the stadium to the trending “nobody’s gonna know” audio clip, which sits at 70 million views at the time of writing and has almost two million likes. Levi’s even swapped out its social-media profile photos for good measure, capitalizing on the accidental free advertising.

Then Beats by Dre played a similar trick. The audio company sent footballers a mysterious new pair of unreleased headphones to wear pre-game at the World Cup but FIFA ordered Jamal Musiala to cover the Beats by Dre logo on his headphones with a strip of tape before Germany’s 7-1 win against Curaçao. Undeterred, the Apple-owned brand immediately  swapped its Instagram profile photo with a piece of white tape covering the logo to match the headphones worn Musiala’s latest campaign shoot. 

Clearly, FIFA’s plan hasn’t worked, at least not as intended. 

If you’ve ever spent time scrolling through the content cesspit that is LinkedIn, you’ll know this to be a familiar story. As LinkedIn’s sharpest advertising minds like to remind everyone every Olympics, Nike has run a series of similar guerrilla marketing campaigns where its competitors spend hundreds of millions on being the event's title sponsor but Nike’s nifty ideas mean it garners the most attention, even inadvertently. At the 2012 London Olympics, for instance, the brand couldn’t mention the host city in its advertising as Nike wasn’t an Olympics sponsor, so it filmed promos in other cities called London around the world, from Ohio to Jamaica, and earned plenty of incidental attention anyways. 

Levi’s and Beats today are acting just as Nike did back then. Sure, they might not have splashed out on being an officially licensed FIFA partner, but that’s not the be-all and end-all. They have something other brands don’t: A truly creative idea. 

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

You won’t find any obvious diaper bags (or worse, backpacks) here. Instead, what unites these dad bags is a versatility that spans life stages. Turns out, that bag you’ve had forever might not have been designed with your toddler’s snack/sunscreen needs in mind, but you might be surprised at how well it rises to the challenge.

“Instead of buying something new, I was able to give new meaning to something I already loved,” painter JB explains of the bag he helped design himself. “There’s something special about carrying the same bag that once held paint supplies and now holds diapers and bottles. It feels like two parts of my life coming together.” 

Justin Boone, stylist

Go-to dad bag: My L.L.Bean x Tibi Tote, which I’ve had for about two years.

What makes it good: Its canvas material. Aside from leather, a heavy canvas is one of the most durable materials. It’s big and stylish, and it’s only going to get better over time. I’m not afraid of it getting dirty or beat up too much because I can just take the belt off and throw it in the wash.

What goes in it: What I carry really depends on the day, but I can guarantee I will always have some Coterie wipes, a few diapers, a small bag of snacks, and some toys. I also keep a pair of sunglasses, my camera, and a small traveler’s notebook with a pen. 

How you found it: This bag really happened by coincidence. I’d been eyeing it for a long time, but it was never intended to be a dad bag. Naturally, as a dad, most things I own have to be convenient and easy to transition between my personal time and family time. The more I used it, the more I realized it was perfect. 

Favorite place to take it: To the park, on our daily walks around the neighborhood, or on trips to the coffee shop. I can go anywhere and be confident that this bag can hold everything I need. 

JB, painter

Go-to dad bag: I actually designed this bag with my good friend Jordan Rossi who has experience creating his own line of bags. We originally made it for my work as an artist. I needed something durable, functional, and good-looking that could handle paint supplies, tools, and life in the studio. When my wife and I welcomed our son, Rain Miró, I realized the same qualities that made it a great work bag also made it a great dad bag. Now it carries diapers, wipes, and all the essentials of parenthood while still serving as my everyday work bag. I love that it reflects where I am in life right now: balancing art, work, and fatherhood in one well-worn item that keeps getting better with age.

What makes it good: It was designed around function first. Every pocket and compartment was created to carry tools, supplies, and the things I use every day as an artist. As it turns out, those same features work perfectly for parenting. The organization, durability, and flexibility make it easy to carry everything Rain needs. I like that it feels authentic to me. It wasn’t designed to be a baby bag; it was designed to be useful. It just happens to be equally good at both jobs.

What goes in it: More than most people would expect. On a typical day, I can carry diapers, wipes, a changing pad, an extra outfit, a blanket, and toys, and still have room for my own sketchbook, laptop, wallet, and keys. The best part is that everything stays organized. I can keep baby gear in one area and work materials in another so it easily transitions between family outings, studio days, and installation jobs.

How you found it: As my wife and I prepared for Rain’s arrival, I kept comparing other bags to the one Jordan and I had designed. Instead of buying something new, I was able to give new meaning to something I already loved. 

Favorite place to take it: One of my favorite things is taking Rain anywhere we can explore together: on walks around the neighborhood, to the park, to the farmers market, or just spending time outdoors. I also love bringing him to the studio. He’s still young, but it feels meaningful to have him around a space that’s been such an important part of my life.

Nick Dierl, founder, co-founder of Orienteer

Go-to dad bag: Montbell’s Pocketable Tote, size medium. I picked it up a little over two years ago at the Shibuya Montbell store.

What makes it good: It’s a straightforward but versatile tote. It’s super lightweight, the ripstop nylon stands up to the wear and tear of everyday use, and, crucially, it’s easy to clean with a wet wipe for the inevitable mess that you navigate running around with a baby.

What goes in it: It fits a lot, but it also limits how much I can carry at once, which has been valuable. When you first have a kid, it’s easy to fall into the trap of packing every imaginable thing any time you step out the door, but I’ve found it useful to have a bag that only fits the essentials. That being said, there’s a changing pad, wet wipes, a second outfit, an extra hat, sunscreen, some kind of blanket, and a water bottle in that bag at all times.

How you found it: I bought it before having a kid and used it as an everyday tote for a year and change before it became a dad bag. I found that a lot of the bags made for babies were either a little on the nose in that they screamed “new parent” or too big to be practical for everyday use. A regular tote doesn’t offer quite enough to carry all the essentials for a kid, but this one struck a nice middle ground between the simplicity of a tote with a few added features that come in handy.

Favorite place to take it: I typically go for a run with my daughter once or twice a week around the Hollywood Reservoir. When we do that, the bag goes into the running stroller in case we need to stop for some water or a quick change along the way.

Devin Johnson, artist

Go-to dad bag: I honestly don’t remember where I got this bag. I’ve had it since I was in college, and now it’s my go-to for strolls with our son, Simeon.

What makes it good: It’s funny how items can take on many lives. My connection over time with this bag has changed from young adult to full-formed dad mode. This bag went through a pilgrimage, kind of like me.

What goes in it: The usual culprits are a few milk bottles, snacks, baby wipes, multiple diapers, and plant-based formula for when mom is not around.

How you found it: Like I said, I’ve had it for a long time. I use it as an everyday bag, so when I take our son out, it’s what I’m most likely to grab. It’s kind of tattered and some seams are tearing, but I love the history and the character more than the brand itself.

Favorite place to take it: Simeon and I usually go for daily walks around the neighborhood and take a few laps around Irving Square Park in Brooklyn. I love taking a morning walk to get coffee at September. We sit outside and people watch.

Admittedly, the impetus for this particular pairing was interesting — creative director Nicolas Ghesquière was inspired by an LV trunk that Haring doodled over in 1984 — and I appreciate that the collab also included a multi-year sponsorship of The Frick Collection through 2028. But, really? Keith Haring? Again?

In just the last five years, Haring’s signature squiggly lines have been absorbed into collections by the likes of Primark, Pandora, Polaroid, Lacoste, Swatch, Tommy Jeans, and Reebok. The late artist has become the Rita Ora of fashion partnerships, appearing everywhere and losing nearly all relevance as a result.

This overexposure extends to a handful of other artists the industry can’t seem to quit, resulting in a rinse-and-repeat conveyor belt of stale collections featuring works by similarly overextended artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami, and KAWS. If I had to knock back a shot every time a luxury brand released a new capsule with one of these superstar artists, I’d be blacked out in a ditch.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The lineage of fashion designers finding inspiration in the work of young, fresh artists goes back a century, beginning with Paul Poiret’s collaboration with French painter Raoul Dufy on a swirling floral pattern for an evening coat in 1911 and carrying through to Elsa Schiaparelli’s creative collaboration with Salvador Dalí in the 1930s and Yves Saint Laurent’s translation of Piet Mondrian’s colorblocked works into a Haute Couture in 1965. 

These early examples provided a blueprint: designers worked with artists they admired, whose careers were just beginning to blow up. Marc Jacobs seemed to have gotten the memo when, in 2001, he tasked graffiti artist Stephen Sprouse with reinterpreting the classic Louis Vuitton monogram. The concept of an artist remixing a brand logo might now seem as status quo as shorts for summer, but at the time it was a shock.

If the 20th century’s dabblings by the likes of Laurent and Schiaparelli provided the foundation, Jacobs was the hinge, updating the artist collab for the modern era and, importantly, bringing Louis Vuitton billions of dollars and tons of cultural cache in the process.

But somewhere, we’ve gone astray. The formula for success has turned stale, with fashion houses now happy to just recycle familiar art by overexposed artists who, in many cases, died decades ago.

When Junya Watanabe teamed with global licensing agency Artetar for his Spring/Summert 2023 menswear show — a tribute to American Pop that featured everything from Warhol’s Marilyn and Campbell's Soup Cans to the distinctive Basquiat scrawl and, of course, Haring’s scribbles (plus some Honda and Coca-Cola branding) — it was visual overload. It was as if Watanabe got lost in a museum gift shop and had to design his way out. 

It’s logical for fashion houses to go the risk-averse route, and opt for big-name artists with instantly recognizable work (not to mention the eager, deep-pocketed artist estates backing the collaborations), but there’s a way to balance the familiar with the fresh. Kim Jones may have begun his seven-year run as Dior’s menswear designer with a massive 22-foot KAWS statue, paired with a reimagining of the house’s iconic bee by the pop artist, but he followed that up with a steady drip of surprising collabs with other underground artists, an approach he traced back to Christian Dior’s own interest in the arts. 

Jones’ collaborators included LA punk fixture Raymond Pettibon, Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo, and Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, whose silver Mylar “fembot” (and a $30,000 saddlebag) became the centerpiece of the FW19 show. The mix of major art stars and more niche names also carries over to Supreme, which has released product with Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, as well as lowkey art and fashion collective Bernadette Corporation.  

More recently, Rei Kawakubo’s COMME des GARÇONS Wallet sub-label released a collection with acclaimed painter Henry Taylor, featuring his iconic depictions of Black life in America, and it coincides with his first survey exhibition at Paris’ Picasso Museum. The brand’s founder, Rei Kawakubo, is already known for designing avant-garde clothing that’s essentially wearable art, but she’s also adept at spotlighting lesser-known artists; Wallet has previously released capsules with Diana Ejaita and Oscar Tuazon (and, sure, KAWS, too).

Some of my favorite fashion collections of the past five years have stood out because the designers not only found interesting artists to work with but also actively blended their creative vision for the clothing with the spirit of their artwork.

Jonathan Anderson has been at the forefront of interweaving art into fashion; his run at LOEWE was elevated by collections that tied in the weavings of Anni Albers and the ceramics of Takuro Kuwata, but also by a particularly enduring spotlight on queer artists like Richard Hawkins and Joe Brainard — not to mention his fantastic David Wojnarowicz-inspired collection for his own namesake label. 

Each of his collaborations has felt fresh in a way another Haring-slathered runway show just won’t, because there was a sense of discovery. I remember the sense of wonder I felt at seeing Raf Simons’ FW14 collection with Sterling Ruby when I was only just beginning to become aware of fashion and art. And there’s a freshness to be found more recently with shows like Dior FW21, which saw Kim Jones partner with surrealist painter Peter Doig to translate his buoyant color palette into the clothes, or Lemaire SS23, which featured prints by Noviadi Angkasapura and included a temporary exhibition of works by the Indonesian artist in its Paris flagship. 

When Anderson teased his first Dior collection with Warhol polaroids of Basquiat and Lee Radziwill, I squirmed, but when his runway recreated the parquet-lined floor of Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie museum and was hung with two understated paintings by the 18th-century artist Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin, I cheered the art-history twist (though I would’ve loved to see Chardin’s romantic still-lifes integrated into a dress shirt).

There are plenty of artists, both very much alive and long-dead, who have been overshadowed by titans like Haring and KAWS, yet have their own deep archives of works that would look great on a pair of pants or some knitwear. It’s well past time for the fashion industry to step out of its comfort zone, set aside the recycled reprints, and give some fresh talent the chance to make their mark.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

Short-shorts are cute and a bit promiscuous, but there’s a time and a place, and, let’s be honest, it almost always leaves your top doing the heavy lifting. Linen pants are breezy (in every sense), but don’t always deliver on the personality front. That’s where Purple Brand denim comes in.

Denim is often overlooked for obvious reasons this time of year, but it really shouldn’t be. As far as we're concerned, a baggy denim or a weather-appropriate jort is a summer no-brainer.

With that in mind, we dove into a denim-dedicated corner of the internet, Purple Brand, and pulled together their strongest jeans and jorts for the season ahead. Hey, more time for tanning.

Leg Day Legend

Jorts have been a hot topic for the past couple of summers. People either love them or despise them; there’s barely any middle ground. Once Gen Z decided long denim shorts were the move, the rest was history. People got so committed they booted every other short out of their summer closet. And honestly, once you’re used to the exaggerated length, going back above the knee feels like a betrayal. Add a touch of workwear, like these contrasting stitch black pair, and even the skeptics have to admit, these aren’t your average denim cut-offs.

Long Story Short

If you're not a shins on display kinda' guy. Wide-leg or a solid barrel fit denim as easy on the eye as this indigo pair, is still the easiest way to look like you made an effort, even more so when we’re talking washed indigo with lined pockets and a button fly – now that’s summer denim done right. Plus, no chance of the unfortunate tan lines that come with a cut-off alternative. Purple Brand knows the right pair of baggy jeans can truly take you from day plans to night out without missing a beat. Try rocking up to a fancy restaurant in a pair of Adam Sandler-esque jorts and see what happens.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping and subscribe to Shopper for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

Enter the Made in UK 991 “Summer Brights.” 

This isn’t just a sequel; it’s what happens when an icon gets handed the aux cord and plays nothing but summer bangers. Blue and punchy brights make this pair ready for beach days, rooftop nights, and every “I’m just running errands” moment in between.

The details? Premium suede, mesh for days, and that visible ABZORB cushioning that’s been making comfort cool for two decades. 

The 991 doesn’t need to scream for attention, it just knows it’s the blueprint. It’s a sneaker that can survive any trend cycle and still come out looking relevant, fresh, and more essential than ever.

In a world obsessed with the next big thing, this is New Balance reminding everyone that a real classic only gets better with time, and a little color never hurts.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

For such a quake to occur, however, the environment requires a certain mix of atmospheric conditions, say, fatigue, an inclination for rebellion, and, naturally, a generation yearning to establish its identity via its style. So when, on an undisclosed afternoon, on an undisclosed intersection of Dimes Square, the concrete foundation of the city began to rumble, its passersby, clad in flannel and irony-laden tees, froze as if in a tableau. With a formidable force that shook the Big Apple to its core, all came to a pause—all but the city’s youth that crawled from its faults and into focus. Captured by the exacting lens of Tyler Kohlhoff, the latest coming of the youthquake is here—and taking NYC by storm. The catalyst? None other than Coach, the New York-based leather house with a knack for fashioning Gen Z’s it-bags, and Brain Dead, the LA-based countercultural connoisseur. Expect nothing short of seismic waves henceforth!

Featuring ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear, and accessories, the collection (along with its multitude of references) is an eclectic’s paradise. Looking East to Tokyo and its street style that pulses with a vibrance so phosphorescent it rivals the city's signs of neon, the collection borrows that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Harajuku philosophy. Glancing back to the West to New York City, it toys with collectible souvenir culture and sportswear. “What excited me about this collaboration was the idea of creating an entire imagined world around it,” reflects Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers. In their world, Vevers and Brain Dead co-founder Kyle Ng became, as Vevers puts it, “obsessed with the merchandise from a fictional amusement park,” and “the idea of stylish super-fans collecting and personalizing pieces over time.” Whereas the shared consensus in other realms might decree that there’ll be no nonsense, in that of Coach and Brain Dead’s, nothing is off the table.

References run wild. Juxtapositions, even wilder. From graphics that teem with keepsake quirks to checks that offer a downtown bite to garments otherwise uptown-preened, bold is the name of the game. Bold hats, bolder embellishments, and, perhaps, boldest are its bags. Animalia with a stuffed-sentimentality and Brain Dead’s Logohead cast the mold for the season’s sweetest arm candy, while Tabbys wild out with 3-D pins of mascots from their imaginary amusement park. Charmed so heavily even Jane Birkin would gasp, these bags are for the lion-hearted. And though it may sound rather chaotic, it’s precisely that off-kilter energy that lends the collection its chameleonic aura, in which garments defy labels and bounce between subcultures. 

Reflecting on joining forces with Coach, Ng shares, “The customization that they've allowed us to collaborate on really speaks to the nature of our brand, as well as Coach. Brain Dead has always been a brand about self-expression.” Hence, the artifacts of personalization. Woven into the collection are the DIY tendencies of different subcultural scenes. Patches borrowed from the skaters; quaint crochets courtesy of the preps; buttons recycled from the punks—the list goes on! The unifying thread: self-expression in and of itself. 

“I think people are tired of things that feel too polished or identical,” Vevers notes. “What I love about this collection is that it celebrates individuality—the way people personalize things, collect things, and become emotionally attached to them over time. That spirit of optimism and self-expression runs through the entire collection.” Veritably so. With '70s silhouettes delivered through a '90s framework, bias-cut dresses and skirts, baby doll tops and dresses, and pleated skirts glow with the same glittering appeal as those passed down by a cool older sister. It’s a rite of passage: fashion as collection; collection as a curated development of identity. To collect is human instinct. To curate is a collective experience. Constructing a new image that reflects not just the self but also the shared moment is a deliberate act. But to accomplish that and to do so with style in spades, now that’s groundbreaking. Talk about a shake-up!

The Coach x Brain Dead collection is now available online and at Coach boutiques worldwide.

While its nylon utility pants are plenty functional, thanks to the quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant fabric and an adjustable elastic waistband, it’s the exact fit and feel of the legwear that’s really been poured over.

First, the custom fabric is woven in Hokuriku, a Japanese coastal region known for textile manufacturing to meet Aton’s desire for a “natural and delicate wavy texture,” before it’s hand-dyed by artisans trained in the over-400-year-old practice of narumi, which forms intricate tie-dye patterns through traditional folding and stitching techniques. 

The time spent on all this patient practice is impressive in and of itself, but it’d be wasted if it didn’t result in a more beautiful product. Fortunately, for all the fabric weavers and dyers who’ve dedicated their time to the utility pants, they are exceptional pants. The loose fit gives them an easygoing casualness and the delicate texture created by all that handiwork results in a softer look rare to find in weatherproof technical goods.

You could almost mistake these utilitarian pants for casual cotton slacks at first glance. And that’s the kind of fabric trickery Aton revels in.

The decade-old Japanese label’s range spans from slouchy tailoring to Vibram-soled leather flip-flops, but focus on its weatherproof gear and there are sporty windbreakers where the custom fabric’s nylon filament yarn is woven at the highest possible density creating a crispness foreign to regular nylon and airy nylon taffeta shorts designed to achieve the “luster and fullness of natural fibers,” according to the brand. 

And that’s the thing, these kinds of patient ancient techniques are typically used exclusively on natural fibers that take on subtle inconsistencies only possible through meticulous craft. But our most functional clothes should also be blessed with the beauty of handwrought inconsistencies, and Aton is making that happen.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

Quite naturally, actually.

Now, to be clear, Rocha has been designing menswear collections for years. It's just that the Spring/Summer 2027 catwalk provided the Irish designer her first opportunity to date for a presentation consisting entirely of men's looks.

Not that conventional norms surrounding gender matter much to Rocha.

"I design those [looks] with humans in mind," she said after the show. It's all about "putting emotion into clothing," regardless of the wearer's identity. Though she acknowledges that this was her vision of "a masculine wardrobe," she wasn't designing for men but for "characters."

Here is the dandy, elegant in his broderie anglaise shorts and ballet slippers. Here is the working man, clad in necktie, collared (and beaded) shirt, and a water-repellent track jacket with "turbo rosette" pockets. Here is the athlete, suited in a silk-blend jersey with silk organza feather boa to match.

The SS27 collection's press release notes that "codified nods to [Rocha's] world are reanimated, recontextualized and reconsidered for the male," hinting at the stylistic crossovers between her womenswear and menswear. But the mutability became terrifically apparent upon merely glimpsing the range.

Rather than crudely addressing convention, Rocha simply does her own thing. Frills and flounce for everyone!

More specifically, Rocha reinterprets ordinary garments as extraordinary separates, reconfiguring classic staples as exquisite everyday items. These embellished blazers, bags, slacks, shirts, and shorts may be baroquely detailed but their forms are ageless. Anyone could wear these items anywhere, assuming they have the swag necessary to be a true character.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

The high-end Italian outdoor label has just teased its Spring/Summer 2027 sneaker collaborations at an event at its new global headquarters, Casa Moncler, which includes a pair of Moncler Trailgrip Megalace boots by Rick Owens. And they’re arguably not even the craziest shoes in the lineup.

In preparation for next summer, Moncler also has collaborations with Clarks, Moon Boot, and Fragment Design in the pipeline, each of which is putting its own spin on Moncler’s outdoorsy sneaker range.

For Clarks, that means turning the Wallabee into a GORE-TEX trail shoe complete with Moncler’s sporty Trailgrip sole, kind of like the already-bonkers Clarks x adidas Wallabee ultraBOOST from last year but even more extreme. And one limited-edition release brings in Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Fragment Design to make it a three-part collaborative black Moncler Wallabee.

Moon Boot, meanwhile, smashes together even more disparate design cues by turning its big puffy signature snow boot into a suede cowboy boot. Then, it wraps the whole thing in two sets of laces: A thin pair of technical sneaker laces and a thicker pair that crisscross around the shoe. The latter is a similar effect to that of Rick Owens’ Megalace technique, but there is, of course, only one OG.

Owens’ signature Megalace shoes manipulate extra long laces into a pentagram through a series of metal hooks, a technique the designer recently revealed was inspired by Joseph Beuys 1965 performance art piece How To Explain Pictures To A Dead Hare. “It was one of the first art moments I encountered that formed who I am today," Owens said. "Isn’t it great to realize the power of what we retail subliminally? That mix of industrial construction, shamanistic ceremony bordering on pagan hallucination is still what keeps me going.” 

And now even his Moncler outdoor boot is infused with some of that shamanistic ceremony.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.

And if we're being honest, dads are harder to shop for than ever. I know this from experience. They've already bought the gadget they wanted months ago. They swear they don't need anything. Yet somehow they're still using the same briefcase from 2014 and wearing the watch they got for Father's Day two decades ago.

The best gifts aren't always the biggest ones. They're the pieces that seamlessly fit into the life someone has already built for themselves. The ones they reach for every morning without thinking. Fortunately, that's something Fossil has understood for decades.

For The Dad Who Treats Life Like A Business Plan

You know this Dad. His day starts before sunrise and somehow still doesn't have enough hours in it. His calendar is color-coded. His inbox sits at zero. He tracks his sleep, his workouts, and his hydration. He's the kind of person who calls self-care "optimization."

For him, everything has a purpose. The Fossil Machine Chronograph Navy Stainless Steel Watch mirrors his approach to life. Polished enough for client meetings and versatile enough for everyday wear, it's the sort of watch that quietly becomes part of the uniform. Because when your life runs at full speed, the best accessories are the ones that can keep up. Likewise, the Derrick Leather Wallet feels as if it were designed specifically for someone like him. Classic, slim, and endlessly functional, it's the type of piece that moves effortlessly from briefcase to back pocket without missing a beat

For The Dad Who Thinks Luxury Is A Personality Trait

Some people enjoy the finer things in life. This dad has built an entire lifestyle around them.

His summer plans somehow involve multiple summer destinations. And yes, he absolutely prefers sparkling water over still. He gravitates toward pieces that make an impression, not because they're flashy, but because they feel special. Life is meant to be enjoyed, after all. Right?

The Neutra Chronograph Navy Leather Watch fits seamlessly into that philosophy. It feels elevated without trying too hard, whether it's paired with a linen button-down on vacation or something more tailored back home. For days that call for a little more presence, the Everett Chronograph Stainless Steel Watch delivers exactly that. Bold, sophisticated, and impossible to ignore in the best way. Of course, this is also the dad who spends more on his dog's birthday than most people spend on their own. No judgment.

For The Dad Who Plans His Weekends Around Game Day

Every family has this dad. The one whose Saturdays and Sundays are dictated by game schedules. Mine had two tv’s going at the same time. One sport on top, another on the bottom. This dad is the first one outside when the grill comes out. The first one volunteered to coach. The first one insists that this year his team will win. But will they? He loves sports, but what he loves more is what comes with them. The traditions. The gatherings. The stories. The excuse to spend time with the people he cares about. That's why the World Flags Big Tic USA Watch feels right at home on his wrist. It's playful, spirited, and full of personality. 

No two dads are exactly alike, which is what makes shopping for them both difficult but worth it when you’ve found the perfect gift. But this perfect gift isn't about reinventing someone or projecting your style onto them. It's about recognizing them for who they are. And sometimes, all it takes is a watch, a briefcase, or a piece they'll wear every day to remind them that someone was paying attention.

Discover more from Fossil here.

The bandwagoners don’t tell the whole story, though. We wanted to hear from the football obsessed: people who live and breathe the sport year round. So, we tapped people in our orbit whose professions span music, sport, fashion, and design to get their perspectives on why football is the world’s game, and why so many people in the States are finally catching on.

Of course, some of it has to do with the coming World Cup. The event is on North American soil this year, with matches split between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Besides that, the US team boasts some impressive talent, from coach Mauricio Pochettino to Chris Richards, the sterling center-back from Birmingham, Alabama who plays for Crystal Palace in the Premier League. 

Richards, one of the 11 people we interviewed for this story, is relishing the opportunity to play in front of his home crowd. “At a time where the world is messed up, this is a big chance for everybody to see what it means to be together,” he says. “I’m glad that we’re able to do it on home soil.” We also spoke with American football legend Cobi Jones, in addition to fans and personalities attached to the game: everyone from comedian Adam Friedland to NBA player Adem Bona to Tora Northman, digital director of football-chronicling PLAYERS magazine. 

Throughout our conversations with this eclectic group of fanatics, one thing became clear: the sport may not dominate the cultural conversation in the US, but football is universal. Soon, people across the globe will live and die with every pass, shot, save, and goal. When a champion is crowned, many will go back to baseball, basketball, and football (the American kind). But for these 11, and millions of others, the start of the Premier League will just be a month away. 

Sage Elsesser (Navy Blue), rapper, producer, professional skateboarder

Team: Arsenal

How did you get into football?

I had a little schism where it was like, do I try to fulfill the dream of being a professional footballer? Or do I go down the road of skateboarding? I remember playing a match as a child, and I saw some kids skating at the same park. I was so distracted by them. I made a decision that weekend like, “You know what? I’m going to start skating again.” But football is definitely embedded in who I am. It’s the greatest sport ever. It has something special that’s kind of inexplicable. 

Growing up, my dad gave me Arsenal. He was like, “If you’re going to support a team, this is the team to support.” I was born in 1997 so I grew up in the Invincibles era. Thierry Henry was an idol of mine. I loved Nicolas Anelka. I just loved the Black players; that representation was needed in my eyes. I’ve been supporting Arsenal for 22 years. I got to experience the ultimate high, but it has also been tough. 

Do you have a favorite player? 

I have my moments with [Bukayo] Saka as I think most people do, but god, I love him. I love his character and who he is. He’s definitely our star boy. Beyond the fact that he’s an incredible footballer, I just love how he carries himself. I’ve never heard him say a cross word or cuss.

Where do you watch the games?

I’ve got a few friends who are huge Arsenal supporters. I’ll talk with them, but I’m not the guy that goes to the pub and hangs out. I need to be on my couch alone so I can yell at the TV and do what I need to do. It’s a very personal thing. I want to be here in my safe space.

Do you still play?

I find that anytime I play football, I hurt myself. Even when I’m just playing pickup. I’m a professional skateboarder, and I hurt myself more having fun on the weekend, kicking the ball around. I still love it, though. There’s a part of me that transports back to being a child. It’s really childlike. 

There’s always going to be the weekend warrior guy who’s going a little too hard, so you have to be really conscious of the people you’re playing with. I was playing with some of the Mexican dudes on Chrystie Street a couple summers ago, and that was really fun because they’re older guys and a lot of them will play midday. They play hard, but they’re not trying to kill you. 

Cobi Jones, LA Galaxy and USMNT legend

Team: LA Galaxy 

How did you get into football? 

I was the typical American kid who just enjoyed playing the game. There was no soccer on TV when I was growing up. You couldn’t watch Arsenal or Real Madrid. In high school, we all paid five or ten bucks and went into the back of a Mexican restaurant and they’re playing a UEFA match via satellite TV. That’s what soccer was back then. 

I was always one of the better players, but I was never the top player on any team. There were so many talented players in Southern California. And people develop at different times. I was never the superstar at a young age, but I had a passion for the game. I loved the game.

Growing up, I think there was one other soccer player in my whole valley who was Black. The first Black coach I ever saw was in college. Think about how strange that is. I was trying to survive and battle it during those younger years, but as I got older into my 20s and 30s — especially as people came up to me to tell me how I affected them — I appreciated it so much more. It can be taxing, but I think that comes with a job. It comes with being an adult. That was the norm in my family. My mom and dad are from the south, man. Mobile, Alabama is about as south as you can get. 

You played in the iconic first-year LA Galaxy kit, right? 

Yes; it’s one of my favorite kits. It’s iconic to the club and the organization, and it will always come back in some form. I loved my kit at Coventry City, the sky blues. And let’s not forget the US jersey. When the 1994 jersey was first shown to us, we were all like, “What is this? Are you kidding me? You guys got to change it.” You look back 32 years later and people are fighting to get their hands on it.

Tora Northman, digital consultant and creative strategist

Team: Liverpool, Barcelona Femení

How did you get into football?

My dad was a professional athlete. I think he wanted a son so the second I could walk he was like, “Here’s a ball, here’s how you kick it.” What’s beautiful about Sweden is that women’s football is so visible. Every single girl I knew played football for a local team after school from age five or six. It was very, very common for girls to play.

I’ve been following Liverpool my whole life; my dad is a massive fan. Growing up, I followed a couple of Swedish teams, but the Premier League is the one I continuously watch and follow.

What is football culture like in London?

It’s amazing. Even if you don’t care about football, you’ll always be around it. My friends and I meet at the pub and watch tons of football games. There are a lot more women’s games being shown at pubs, which is really nice. 

I play 11-aside games every Saturday in a pretty competitive league. My team is probably the least competitive because we’re the only team without a manager or a coach. We’re still a very good team, but we like to have fun as well. Most other teams have male coaches. All the referees are men. It’s really interesting to see that dynamic play out even at the grassroots level.

It’s grown into this amazing thing; elevens has become our bread and butter. We’re a women’s club with a men’s team, which I love. We also play a lot of mixed games with a men’s team and a lot of friendlies with other clubs across London. It’s so easy to play. I’m not saying that it’s easy to get really good, but it’s very easy to play. You just need a ball, and you don’t even need much space.

Adam Friedland, host of The Adam Friedland Show

Team: Arsenal 

How did you get into football?

I was on a gap year program, and half the program was from Northwest London. Half of them were Spurs fans, and half of them went for Arsenal. The Spurs fans talked as if they were Real Madrid. They’d be like, “Jermain Defoe is better than Thierry Henry,” just with their chest. So I chose Arsenal. Also, Arsenal was one of the best two teams along with Manchester United. United felt like the Celtics. Arsenal felt like the Lakers. I’m a Laker fan. I like crossovers and dunks. They had cooler guys.

What’s it like being a football fan in America? 

An American fan is lame. I have to justify it by being a snob, by understanding tactics and “juego de posición” and the Ajax philosophy that changed the game. It’s kind of like being a gay guy in the 1950s and you meet another confirmed bachelor and you start whispering. Being an Arsenal fan has made me a better person, though. If I was a Real Madrid fan, I’d probably cheat on my taxes and think I was going to live forever. This is a reminder: you’re going to die one day. Any time anything good happens, you’re reminded that death is imminent.

So you watched the Champions League?

Yes, and I’m exhausted right now. I can’t even think about the World Cup. I need to literally have one of those Mylar blankets around me after the Champions League final. When I start talking about it, I sound like an insane person, but right now it is an insane moment. I’ve been in ’Nam, in the Da Nang province. I’m still in Vietnam. I have malaria and trench foot.

This has been embarrassing. It’s been a humiliation ritual to talk about why I care so much about this sport. I should literally do anything else with my life. But I choose to do it. It’s my way to waste the precious gift of human consciousness.

Roger Bennett, founder and CEO of the Men in Blazers Media Network 

Team: Everton 

How did you get into football? 

I’m from Liverpool where football is like high school basketball in Indiana — it’s in the air. I remember my first match: April 1, 1977, going with my dad to see Everton play for the first time. The rivalry between Everton and Liverpool is a bit like Auburn and Alabama: The city is divided. Families are divided. In my family there are some reds and some blues. There is no explanation as to why you’re a blue or why you’re a red other than birth. When Everton and Liverpool play, it’s agony to watch because it almost matters too much. 

We’d be different people if we hadn’t chosen Everton. My dad once said, “We’d be awful people if we were Liverpool fans. All we’d know would be winning. We’d take everything for granted. What we have is knowing that life is hard, joy is fleeting.” 

How did Men in Blazers — which started as a podcast analyzing football and became a whole media network — get its start?

In 1995, the team I loved got into the semi-final of the FA Cup, a big game. I had 365 cable channels in Chicago, but none of them were showing the game. I had to call my dad to hold a phone up against the radio in Liverpool and ran up an enormous long-distance phone bill. 

In 2006, ESPN had invested heavily in the World Cup for the first time, but they had baseball commentators as the broadcasting face. When [one of the announcers said], “The world’s most famous football player, Charlie Beckham takes the field,” I just screamed. By 2010, though, ESPN had given Men in Blazers this new thing called the podcast, and we were able to weave together a community of Americans who’d fallen in love with the sport. The second episode, the guest was Liam Neeson. He wanted to talk about football. We realized in that moment that, A, there was an enormous audience, and B, there was an enormous desire. The conversation was rich and meaningful and beautiful and life-affirming, and everything we built has come from that moment.

What does the World Cup mean to you?

The World Cup is a storehouse of profound memories: joy, pain, glory, despair, every single human emotion. With the Super Bowl, 200 million people are watching. Five billion people are watching the World Cup. We just finished a World Cup in which Mbappe and Messi went on this personal jewel, and it was magnificent to witness. At the end, Messi was victorious. In that second, we watched one man stop being a man and become immortal. That’s the power. 

Chris Richards, center-back, USMNT and Crystal Palace 

Team: Crystal Palace

How did you get into football?

My first memory of falling in love with this game was the 2010 World Cup. I remember the US versus Algeria — the Landon Donovan goal at the very end. That was the moment I realized this was something special for me. Growing up in Birmingham [Alabama], the only way we could play good teams was going out of state. Every weekend we were in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi. We were all over the Southeast. They were long weekends because a lot of us couldn’t afford to fly. We were driving to all these places and getting back late to go to school on a Monday. My parents hate when I say this, but I remember getting these letters home from my club team saying that I had overdue fees. It’s crazy that the game that I was paying for now pays me.

When I was 13, I remember seeing the Premier League. I saw Manchester City win on the final day, and that was my first time being like, okay, this is sick. I was a big Ronaldo fan growing up, but it’s not like I had a favorite team. Once I started understanding what professional soccer was, the Premier League became the goal. I knew I wanted to play for the national team.

What was it like for you to get to that level of play?

My mom is white and my dad is Black, but I think the world perceives me as a Black man. I always felt like an outsider being a Black kid playing soccer. In Germany, I started seeing more people who looked like me. When I got to London, I really saw it. In Europe, everybody plays the sport. There’s a reason it’s called the world’s sport. 

[Playing soccer] felt like a chance for me to express myself, but it also put a lot of pressure on my shoulders growing up because I felt like I had to be a role model for other kids who looked like me. Once I started playing professionally, that pressure increased. Now, I love being somebody people look up to. That’s what I want to achieve with soccer. I want to be the reason a kid picks up a ball: because they see something in me that they feel like they have as well.

Mirko Borsche, graphic designer

How did you get into football?

The first time I encountered football was during 1984 for the World Championship. I think the first jersey I saw was the French one. I was begging my parents day in and day out to buy me one of these jerseys. I finally got one, and now I have four. I don’t think they’re all in my possession — it could be that one of my kids is running around with one of them. But there are four somewhere. I was always interested in football, and I actively played until the end of my 30s. After a certain age, you get injured all the time. 

What is football culture like in Germany? 

When it comes to the second- and third-division in Germany, it’s crazy. I really like that part of German football fandom because people still go to the stadium. You have a third-league game, which is, for example, 1860 Munich, you have 20,000 people in the stadium. This club is losing half the year, and people still come. That’s something special. 

Politics goes right-wing because people don’t talk anymore. They don’t meet in places where different opinions come together. It’s maybe one of the last democratic places where people from all levels of income, all political beliefs, all religious beliefs can have a discussion and have a good time together. We mostly meet people who have the same beliefs that we do. Then, we’re astonished when a right-wing party has more than 25% of the vote in an election. Things like this could be easily solved.

You’ve done re-designs for iconic football clubs like Inter Milan and Venezia FC. How did that happen? Was it always your goal to merge football and design? 

From 2014 or 2015 on, we worked with Nike, but we mainly did basketball and running. Then, one guy [from Nike] was asked if he knew agencies who could do a redesign for Inter Milan. And he thought of us. 

At the same time, another guy in New York was buying Venezia FC, and he asked one of his friends if he knew any agencies [who could work on a redesign]. Fortunately, that friend worked for Supreme. And we did drops for Supreme for years. 

So, both projects came to us around the same time: in 2021 and 2022. I was more than delighted. Working with Inter Milan was a “holy cow” moment.

Adem Bona, center and power forward, Philadelphia 76ers 

Team: Arsenal

How did you get into football?

I was introduced to Arsenal through my two older brothers. They’re crazy fans. During the time of Thierry Henry, that’s the only thing they put on TV. We either watched at home or at viewing centers; in Africa, there are viewing centers where a bunch of guys watch the games. We’d go and sit in front. We’re all tall, and there were always people behind us getting mad at us. We would argue with people all the way in the back. I remember that excitement, being passionate about the team. Today, my brothers and I are still fans. We conference call on game days. 

When I was at UCLA, I was more into the UCLA soccer team. We had an amazing women’s team, and we produced a lot of great players. Our men’s team was also pretty good. One of my friends from the UCLA men’s team now plays for the LA Galaxy. 

Are there a lot of fans in the NBA? 

There are a good amount of soccer fans in the NBA. Some of them played growing up. I keep tabs on Arsenal fans. I know Jeremy Sochan is a huge Arsenal fan; we watched the game together last year in Emirates. [Josh] Richardson from Miami is a huge Arsenal fan. Larry Nance, too. My teammate, Dominick Barlow, is a United fan. I don’t know why he supports them, but does. Joel Embiid is a Real Madrid fan at the same time as being an Arsenal fan. I fight with him. I’m like, “You can’t support both teams,” but he tells me he’s been supporting Arsenal since before I was born, so I guess he gets a pass. 

Felicia Pennant, journalist and SEASON zine founder

Team: Chelsea

How did you get into football?

I fell in love with football when I watched the Euro 2004. It was the summer I turned 13, and I was bored. I was like, “Oh, this is on.” I got really into it because it was the knockout stages, do or die. In the final, everyone said Portugal was going to win. It was in Portugal. They had the legend Figo playing. They had a very young Ronaldo; I think he was 17. But Greece came out of nowhere and won. It was this ultimate underdog story. Everyone was crying at the end and I was like, “Why are they crying?” Then something clicked in my mind: “This is a really strong emotion. I’m into this. Let me start following football.” 

I went to a school where my uniform was tudor, so it was quite distinctive. I was already very aware of how powerful clothing can be, what it can communicate and represent — how the history of something informs the present and the future. Then I went to Saint Martins and studied fashion history and theory. I met so many people there who were also obsessed with football. In England, it kind of slaps you in the face everywhere. Apart from the fact that I’m a woman, people are always surprised that I’m into football as a creative person. 

When did this modern football obsession with fashion kick off, in your opinion?

Beckham was the blueprint for how footballers were starting to commercialize their image and make money and make waves in fashion. I also loved the incredible David James Armani ads in the 90s, where he’s cast as more of a gladiator. You also have the moment in 1998 during that World Cup when David and Victoria went out and he wore a sarong. The British press slaughtered him for that. 

That was a turning point where you had someone who was unprepared to take risks being like, “This is what I’m going to wear.” In the Beckham documentary, when you watch him talk about how he was and how he saw things, it makes total sense. It was completely un-self-conscious. These days, footballers are very much curated and tailored. He just went out like that. It felt more authentic. 

Lukas Korschan, photographer

Team: Eintracht Frankfurt

How did you get into football?

Football is all I did as a kid. I’d go to the football grounds until the lights went on, and then I had to go home. Back then in Frankfurt, every football pitch was crowded. Winner stays on, so you had to win the games. Otherwise you’d sit there for hours waiting for your turn again. 

Another of my vivid childhood memories is going to the games with my grandfather. We walked to the stadium, and there was this one spot where you could see part of the pitch from outside. We would stand behind the fence and watch the game, just that one little corner. 

How did you end up photographing so many football players?

It happened very randomly. I never thought I could marry photography and football. But the aesthetics in football changed dramatically: There’s much more of a merger between those worlds now than there was 10 years ago. At least commercially. All these high-fashion brands have football players in their campaigns, and they sit front row at fashion shows. That wasn’t the case when I was starting out. The players are now much more interested in these scenes and want to be part of them. 

I’ve gotten to photograph my childhood heroes. When I was a kid, I couldn’t make a distinction between Mickey Mouse and a football player. They were all fictional characters that I watched on TV. It’s been funny to have it become my job. One of my favorites I’ve worked with is Zidan. I even named my daughter after him.

Demit Omphroy, artist

Team: Manchester United

How did you get into football?

My dad played growing up and in college. We had such a big football family. I remember him blasting a ball against this cement wall we had in our front yard, and I started chasing the ball and kicking it. I was about four years old. I loved it and wanted to play in an organized league, but at the time four was too young in California. I had to wait until I was five, and I remember crying about being too young to play.

But eventually you started playing. 

I played for a couple of years, and then I started getting scouted by these European academies. So when I was 15, I actually left high school to go to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal to play at their academy. After a year, I had a health thing come up and I had to come back. That prompted me to take a step back and say, “Maybe it makes sense to be here in the US, get an education.” I went to Berkeley, which was in my backyard growing up. It felt like a way to say, “Look, if football doesn’t work out, you have your degree, you have something to fall back on.” Ultimately, I ended up being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Everything happens for a reason.

How does football manifest in your life today?

From a discipline perspective, football taught me about work ethic and consistency. It also has different forms of expression and style. That’s from the player perspective. As a fan, football provides community. It’s always going to be a constant. It’s going to remain a form of connection with my family and my friends, and sometimes even a connection with myself. I’m really happy about that. It wasn’t always like that, especially when I stopped playing. There was a little bit of, “I’m upset with [football] right now.” After a couple of years, I let go of a part of myself with the game. But that allowed this newly formed love to start to grow again.