Words by Axel Metz
The new Juventus boss has partnered with Italian brand Brunello Cucinelli for its latest Autumn collection.
Few footballers carry the gravitas of Andrea Pirlo. Famed for his ability to dictate the speed of play on the pitch, Il Maestro encompassed the relaxed but nonetheless elegant traditions of Italian culture by bringing those values to his game, picking the lock of Europe’s most water-tight defences and cementing his place as one of football’s finest midfielders.
It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that Pirlo is as nonchalant off the pitch as he is on it – and it’s an attitude he brings to his wardrobe. As the newly-appointed boss of former club Juventus, you’d think he’d fall victim to the tracksuits, puffer jackets and ill-fitting cardigans of his contemporaries – or, indeed, Julian Nagelsmann-esque attempts at high fashion – but Pirlo’s nature has never been one of conformity.
Many commentators have associated the Italian’s style with the term “sprezzatura”, a word coined by Renaissance writer Baldassare Castiglione to describe “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.” A quick google search of Pirlo’s street style lends truth to that connection; he remains, just as he was on the pitch, one of football’s coolest men.
The same google search will most likely explain why Brunello Cucinelli, the luxury Italian menswear label, has partnered with Pirlo to front its latest Autumn collection. Founded in 1978 in Umbria, Cucinelli has become known for its craftsmanship and understated, sophisticated design – features, unsurprisingly, of Pirlo’s game.
Speaking to MR PORTER, he described the appeal of collaborating with the label: “It’s a brand that I really like – the simplicity of the items and the soft colours. I really like the style. It doesn’t create something too eccentric.” Eccentric, Mr. Pirlo is not, and recent shots from the pair’s campaign suggest the partnership is a match made in tranquil, vineyard-laden heaven.
To get your hands on the brand’s new cashmere-heavy wardrobe will likely set you back the weekly salary of, say, a football manager (for context, Jeff Bezos – the world’s wealthiest person – wears Cucinelli sports coats), but there’s no denying their choice of celebrity endorsement is a fitting one.
Whether Pirlo can apply his footballing philosophy to a Juventus side in need of inspiration remains to be seen – but at least his players can rest easy knowing their manager walks the side-line with style.
On the subject of luxury, read how Casablanca made tennis style cool again.