Colm Dillane has built a sizable, global business with his KidSuper brand. But while he’s passionate about his collection, there’s one thing he’s even more passionate about: soccer.
That was the reason the designer decided to take a season off from the Paris Men’s Fashion Week calendar and instead show his spring collection in Miami during the World Cup.
“This is my Paris fashion show abroad,” he said during a preview with WWD.
A one-time professional soccer player who continues to be a rabid fan of the sport, Dillane said that while many brands have jumped on the soccer bandwagon this summer as North America hosts the tournament, his goal was to prove he’s the industry’s most dedicated, and knowledgeable, soccer fan.
So when he realized that the Portugal versus Colombia game was slated for Miami on the same day as his slot on the Paris calendar, he thought: “Maybe I can do it there.” His initial idea was to have his runway presentation double as the game’s halftime show, but that idea was shot down by the organizers. “There were so many reasons it was a no,” he said.
Undeterred, he did the next best thing, getting the green light from Nu Stadium, home of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF team. It was there that he held his most elaborate runway show yet on Thursday night.
Darian DiCianno/Bfa.com/Courtesy of Kidsuper
Titled “Resenha,” a Brazilian expression that loosely describes the conversations that happen around soccer, Dillane offered up 48 looks inspired by the colors and cultures of the countries participating in this year’s tournament. He said the idea was borrowed from his campaign for Bape, where grandmothers from the 48 countries participating in the World Cup were photographed wearing sneakers he designed. “It introduced me to so many cool, different people,” he said.
That showed in the eclectic casting for the collection, which featured a mix of loose yet structured tailored clothing, bold streetwear with an abundance of color and myriad patchwork pieces, and even Dillane’s take on Western wear, complete with jeans, a denim jacket and a cowboy hat. Womenswear was represented with several patterned floor-length dresses, some with cutouts and another with ruffles.
For the spring line, Dillane collaborated with more than 50 artists from around the world and also showcased some of his higher-profile tieups. They included a limited-edition capsule with McDonald’s centered around the World Cup; pieces from a special Mercedes-Benz collaboration; specially designed printed luggage from Beis, whose founder Shay Mitchell walked in the show; Bose, whose KidSuper custom-designed headphones made an appearance, and Hublot, whose timepieces were also incorporated into the evening.
The runway portion of the show ended with the models walking in the finale with children, a nod to the child mascot tradition embraced by many players.
While security concerns limited the number of people who could be in the stands, the stadium still allowed more than 2,000 spectators. In addition to the show, they enjoyed a performance by Dillane’s favorite artist, Sean Paul, who closed the show with a dance-worthy tune that led to an impromptu party on the runway where models, guests and even Dillane’s mother got into the spirit before a fireworks display ended the event.
