Andrea Pirlo's son to Launch His Own Brand

Andrea Pirlo’s son, Nicolò, has announced his first foray into the world of fashion with his new brand, Ventidue (Twenty-two in Italian). Since September of last year, he has spoken on his Instagram account about his desire to unite the worlds of fashion and football, his two passions.

Pirlo, born in 2003, may have been expected to follow - or at least try to - in his father’s footsteps as many sons of famous footballers do, but he has instead chosen a different path. He will no doubt have a headstart on others attempting to do the same thing - the 18 year old already has over 100k Instagram followers - thanks not only to his World Cup-winning surname, but the fact that Andrea Pirlo was recognised as one of the coolest and most stylish footballers of his time both on and off the pitch. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that his son would develop an interest in the sartorial world.

Pirlo spoke about his brand and objectives in an interview with @NSSSports. The name of his brand is a reference to his father’s career. “The idea was born from the fact that my father wore the number 21 throughout his career. 22 is one step further. Having experienced his career in sport as a fan, I would like to pick up his footballing legacy by taking the field in a different sector, that of fashion, in the search for a marriage between football and streetwear.”

One Step Further

Nothing more than the name has been released yet, so we’ll have to wait a while longer before we see the first pieces from Ventidue, but with the continuing trend of combining football and fashion, it seems like the perfect time to start such a venture. A few days ago, at Paris Fashion Week, we saw brands such as Off-White, BOTTER and David Koma incorporate football-inspired pieces into their high fashion collections and runway shows. We have seen countless collaborations between PSG and names from the fashion and streetwear worlds, while Umbro recently teamed up with Supreme. What will the young Italian bring to the table?

"The idea I most appreciated, in fact, was the 'Football, mon amour' collection by Nike x Off White, signed by Virgil Abloh. It is undoubtedly the attempt that comes closest to my idea. On the pitch, however, the most successful collaboration was the Adidas x Pharrell 'Human Race Jersey Collection."

However, we shouldn’t be expecting anything too similar to the likes of the Jordan x PSG collab from Ventidue. “I'm talking about clear references to football culture, and not necessarily a mere reinterpretation of the aesthetics of the game applied to streetwear".

Pirlo reached out to his followers on Instagram in December, asking them to join his team on the journey. “Send me your designs and ideas and we’ll take to the field together.” A very practical approach to take, considering how many budding designers, concept kit makers and fans of the sport/fashion crossover are present on the platform.

Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Dejan Kulusevski and Nicolò Zaniolo are among the pros already in Pirlo’s corner, and he does not rule out the involvement of athletes from other sports. "I am convinced that, in order to export a culture like football off the field, it is appropriate to involve all fans."

He makes it clear that although there will be a strong football influence on his brand, he sees his brand being seen off the field more than on it.

Nicolò Pirlo has everything in his favour; name, reputation, fanbase, timing and perhaps above all else in today’s world, social media presence. There will inevitably be a lot of talk about Ventidue, as well as the pressure of expected success that comes with being the child of a famous, successful parent. It will be interesting to see what Pirlo and Ventidue have in store for the world.

What do you think of Nicolò Pirlo’s decision to launch his own brand? Can you see it being a success? Have your say in the comments.