With the NBA finals overlapping with the World Cup, beginning in just a few days, this is shaping up to be the most sports-heavy summer in recent memory.
And the vibes are high! The energy is palpable! Everywhere you look in New York, there’s a sea of blue-and-gold Knicks merch! We’re starting to clock soccer—er, football—jerseys make their way onto the backs of the general populace. Sports! They’re happening, and they’re everywhere.
You don’t need us to remind you that the connection between sports and fashion is also at an all-time high. This is hardly a one-way love fest, where fashionphiles longingly admire the athletic prowess of these demi-god competitors. The athletes themselves have become in-demand models and spokespeople for the biggest luxury brands on the planet. Now, they are just as likely to sit front row at a fashion show as they are to be spotted on the field.
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More than that, they’re proving to be tapped-in shoppers that could impress even the most seasoned Vogue editor. In fact, during their trip to the U.S. for the World Cup, the French National Team—known as “Les Bleus”—showed off a bag collection that had us saying, well, “Oh la la.” Not just because we were so thoroughly impressed (because we were) but because they used their capacious carryalls to flex a little bit of additional national pride.
There was defender Jules Koundé, who toted a Louis Vuitton monogrammed duffel, followed by forward Ousmane Dembélé, who sported an Hermès Haut à Courroies—sometimes referred to as an HAC—in black leather and big enough to carry a stowaway. The latter bag dates back to 1892, and was originally conceived for schlepping equestrian gear, but has fans in men from David Beckham to Travis Scott.
Dembélé’s teammate, midfielder Rayan Cherki, was also on the HAC tip, though his was smaller and rendered in creamy beige. Perhaps the top prize belonged to Marcus Thuram, who carried a bright green Chanel bag from a 2019 collaboration with Pharrell. (Which, according to a listing on Grailed, will set you back a mere $15K.)
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