What exactly is a football club? What’s the purpose of its existence? What function do they serve? Well, these might seem like a series of weirdly pointless questions. Perhaps they are pointless. But, not in the way you think. Modern football clubs are everything— major cultural institutions to a playground for billionaires, a vehicle for sports washing, and even a luxury fashion brand. However, there’s also no refuting that not many clubs embody this multifaceted definition like Paris Saint-Germain, a club funded by the never-ending wealth of the repressive Qatari state.

Thanks to the insane cash injection from Qatar Sports Investment, PSG is no longer a club that yearns for an identity. While playing football and aiming for a trophy are standard goals, PSG has also had its sights set on the business of fashion. It helps that they are based out of Paris, the fashion capital of the world, and have Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as the faces of the club.

From collaborating with the rock outfit The Rolling Stones to signing up with Christian Dior, PSG has always shown great willingness to go the extra mile. The watershed moment for the confluence of football and fashion arrived in the summer of 2018/19, when they added a dash of street culture to their jersey by signing up with Air Jordan.

The famed Jumpman logo next to the club’s badge struck a chord with everyone—big stars to the fans— helping them solidify their claim as a number one streetwear brand for football fans. Travis Scott and Justin Timberlake were seen in the iconic PSg X Jordan gear, and the likes of Neymar and Mbappe wearing this jersey on a weekly basis made it everyone’s favourite football jersey. Both these footballers have attained a cult symbol, with every little antic and style statement being noticed and copied by their huge swathe of footballers.

For a club that loves high performance as much as style and elegance, having Jordan on the shirt was more than just a marketing gimmick; it also became a symbol of the club’s ethos. They have been a constant presence at catwalk shows in Paris, with everyone from Manish Arora and Levi’s to Koché and Golden Cabane collaborating with the club.

Their penchant for streetwear has made them a favourite sporting brand for high-end fashion. Christian Dior signed up for a two-year deal last year to design the club’s official wardrobe, which will be emblazoned with an emblem on one side and the brand’s logo on the other. Before Dior, PSG was associated with another high-fashion group, Hugo Boss.

In 2018, PSG collaborated with a premium streetwear brand BAPE to release a line of tees, hoodies, and other accessories.