Among the moments that defined the summer of 2021 was talk of Jack Grealish’s flowing tresses – and bulky calves – as the country watched England battle for the World Cup title.
Now, Italian luxury brand Gucci is said to be after a slice of the footballers fame. The Athletic reports the England and Manchester City player is "on the verge" of signing a seven-figure deal with the fashion house.
It has been described as “unprecedented” for Gucci, which has so far stuck to pop culture celebrities like Harry Styles, Jared Leto and Lana Del Rey when it comes to brand ambassadors.
Recently they have been more experimental with their choices, recruiting TikTok train spotter Francis Bourgeois to model their North Face collaboration campaign in January, as well as attend and document their Milan Fashion Week catwalk in March.
But signing Grealish, who became Britain’s most expensive footballer when he moved from Aston Villa to Manchester City for £100 million in the summer, would mark a stark shift for the brand’s marketing direction. If completed, it likely represents a push on Gucci’s commercial side, which focusses on selling logo-heavy trainers, sweatshirts and leather goods, of which the footballer is already a fan.
It would also mark an upgrade in price and quality compared with the distressed flame print jumpers and camo cargo pants Grealish is currently promoting from his Boohooman X Jack Grealish collection. Not to mention an upgraded pay check, which will be more than four times greater than the £250,000 The Mail on Sunday reported Grealish was paid by Boohoo last August.
And it all remains a far cry from the romantic, whimsical and often androgynous clothes which Creative Director Alessandro Michele shows on the runway, promoted with quirky, mix-and-match styled campaigns, and engineers into viral moments - like when Harry Styles wore his blue lace dress on the cover on US Vogue’s 2020 December issue.
That might be set to change. Will Grealish be spotted in the next Gucci perfume advert, like Styles was the face of their Flora scent? It would be disconnected from the brand’s current aesthetic. But having forked out millions, Gucci may well want to get their money’s worth.
