The NFL, presumably having seen the success NBA players have had breaking into the style world, are now making a push to do the same. The NFL has shot New England receiver Julian Edelman and Green Bay Packers wideout Jordy Nelson for its first official men's campaign, WWD reports. Both receivers will also design limited-edition caps for New Era that will be released later this year.
The campaign's main focus is to highlight how the league's official apparel, merchandise, and accessories can be worn in a stylish way. To achieve this look, the two wideouts have been styled in non-NFL clothing, showing how the merchandise can be worked into everyday outfits. Styling was done by Jace Lipstein, founder of the menswear blog and brand Grungy Gentleman.
NFL fans have apparently been disappointed by the range of NFL apparel available to them. "We often do focus groups and one of the things we heard from our male consumers is that they want stylish clothes that can be worn outside of game day," the NFL’s vice president of consumer products, brand, marketing and retail Natara Holloway told WWD.
Nelson notes that his favorite brands are Rag & Bone and John Varvatos and is pumped about the NFL's newfound interest in style. "I think it’s a great idea that the NFL is trying to get into the fashion game," he tells WWD.
To this point, the NFL hasn't had as much success making its players fashion icons. The one big exception is Victor Cruz, who has starred in campaigns for KITH, Givenchy, and Gap.
