PARIS — Italian luxurious menswear model Zegna has named Ousmane Dembélé its new world model ambassador, scoring its first partnership with a soccer participant within the runup to the World Cup.
Winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, awarded annually to the very best participant on the earth, Dembélé guarantees to be one of many stars of the match kicking off in the USA on June 11.
However first, he’s gearing up for an additional main sport: the ultimate of the UEFA Champions League on Saturday, when his workforce Paris Saint-Germain faces off towards Arsenal within the hope of snagging the title for the second consecutive yr.
Dembélé was again in coaching this week after recovering from a calf situation, and in good spirits regardless of a heatwave that knocked out the air-conditioning on the Lutetia resort, the place he met with WWD to debate his partnership with Zegna.
The participant, who at 29 is collaborating in his third World Cup, hopes to carry residence one other trophy after France gained in 2018 and was eradicated on penalties towards Argentina within the 2022 last.
“Taking part in a World Cup is the holy grail for a soccer participant,” he mentioned. “After all, I’m hungry. I actually need to relive that 2018 expertise as a result of coming residence with a World Cup is an incredible feeling, so we’re going all-out. There are some good groups competing, however we’re going to do every thing we are able to to achieve the ultimate.”
Ousmane Dembélé in Zegna.
Pierre Mouton/Courtesy of Zegna
Lately, the French nationwide workforce’s arrival at its coaching camp in Clairefontaine has changed into the soccer equal of the NBA tunnel stroll, with gamers utilizing the picture op as a showcase for his or her private type and model partnerships.
“It’s like trend week,” Dembélé mentioned. “At first, we might simply present up and probably not discuss it. Step by step, folks began actually dressing up, generally in outlandish seems to be. Now, everybody feedback on one another’s outfits and we do a good quantity of ribbing. It’s change into a spotlight for lots of people.”
By his personal admission, he’s not as adventurous as Jules Koundé, a fellow Adidas model ambassador who’s equally comfy in Prada or Willy Chavarria. “He’s unbelievable. He’s primary by way of seems to be,” Dembélé conceded.
“I’m no type skilled,” he demurred, confessing that he seems to be to his longtime finest buddy Moustapha Diatta for trend recommendation. “He’s actually tuned in to all that, however I’m rather less adventurous.”
Having made some regrettable errors when he was youthful, Dembélé has discovered his go-to model in Zegna, the place he grew to become a buyer throughout his time in Barcelona from 2017 to 2023. “It advanced naturally,” mentioned the participant, who leans towards quiet luxurious. “I’m not that into bling and flashy logos. Zegna is inconspicuous, like me.”
Underscoring his belief in creative director Alessandro Sartori, he wore a custom-made Zegna tuxedo accessorized with a white ceramic Richard Mille RM 72-01 look ahead to the Ballon d’Or ceremony, arguably the largest night time of his profession thus far.
Ousmane Dembélé
Courtesy of Zegna
The outfit featured a black shawl-collar silk and wool blazer with satin particulars, paired with wide-leg trousers, worn over an ivory high-collar silk shirt. “I like sporting a bow tie, however we thought the shirt seemed higher with out it, and I like the way it turned out,” he mentioned.
Dembélé seems to have sparked a development. “I noticed lots of people sporting the same type on the Cannes Movie Competition,” he famous. “However that swimsuit is mine,” he added with amusing.
The PSG ahead joins Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and Hong Kong singer, dancer and actor William Chan among the many ranks of Zegna ambassadors.
“As the primary footballer to hitch the Zegna household of passionate and dynamic personalities, Ousmane embodies willpower, resilience and respect for truthful play — making him a task mannequin on and off the pitch,” the model mentioned in a press release shared completely with WWD.
It seems being nicely turned-out additionally boosts confidence whereas enjoying. “In my early days in Rennes, I had a coach who would at all times say: ‘For those who’re not any good, it is best to a minimum of look good,’” he recalled. “Even when we’re simply in our official Nike French workforce equipment, we attempt to step out in type.”
Whereas Dembélé grew up admiring gamers like Steven Gerrard, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi, who later grew to become his teammate in Barcelona, the primary soccer shirt he ever wore was David Beckham’s. “He actually revolutionized every thing, as a result of I watched his documentary on Netflix, and he was into trend from the beginning,” he noticed.
As his stature has grown inside Paris Saint-Germain and the French nationwide workforce, Dembélé has change into more and more assured in his type decisions. “I’m advised I’ve plenty of aura,” he mentioned. “I had a really profitable yr final yr, and we picked the best garments to mirror that.”
Ousmane Dembélé sporting Zegna’s Triple Sew sneaker.
Pierre Mouton/Courtesy of Zegna
