DROP KICK: As France gets ready to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Ami is dropping a limited-edition collaboration with French rugby player Antoine Dupont on Monday.
At 26, Dupont, who plays in the scrum-half position, is considered one of the world’s top rugby players. As captain of the French national team, he led France’s squad to a number of victories, including winning the Grand Slam at the 2022 Six Nations championship.
For Ami founder and creative director Alexandre Mattiussi, teaming up with the athlete was a way to celebrate the game’s friendly values and spirit. “Rugby is a sport that wholeheartedly mirrors the values of Ami: it advocates friendship and inclusion, respect and team spirit,” he said.
Mattiussi pointed out that the number of items in the capsule – nine in total – matched his lucky number and Dupont’s shirt number on the field. The tournament is slated to run between Sept. 8 and 28 in various French cities.
Dupont said Mattiussi and the brand had “integrated [him] at the heart of the project, giving the word collaboration its full meaning.
The rugby man’s number 9 is also Mattiussi’s lucky digit.
Darren Gwynn/Courtesy of Ami Paris
“Rugby brings people together, it unites them, it teaches and encourages solidarity, integrity and loyalty,” said the sportsman, who also stars in a campaign shot by South African photographer Darren Gwynn, a regular collaborator of the French fashion label.
Available in ivory and navy, the Ami Paris x Antoine Dupont capsule will priced between 130 euros for a cap up to 480 euros for a coach jacket. It will be available from Monday on Ami Paris’ e-commerce platform as well as select points of sale in France, the U.K. and Japan.