Recently launched was FIFA 1904, the official license fashion partnership with VFILES and FIFA. The first capsule, the Rue Saint Honoré, introduces FIFA 1904 with a core collection tailored for both men and women, that pays homage to where FIFA, the international governing body of football, was established in 1904 on the Rue Saint Honoré.
Defined as “a modern uniform for life”, FIFA 1904 is inspired by the heritage of football, and translates the spirit and legacy of the sport into an elevated but accessible collection, described as “a kit designed for the pitch of life”.
VFILES was founded in 2012 by Julie Anne Quay, a former powerhouse fashion editor whose career highlights include V Magazine, Vogue Japan, Australian Vogue, and the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. Since its launch, VFILES has become a global pop culture, fashion, and music epicenter encompassing a social network, live experiences, merchandise, and original programming that connects a global youth community.
“Football is the biggest game in the world. It’s one ball and four posts, and that one ball can move an entire nation. It can make a nation laugh. It can make a nation cry. I think fashion needs to have a part in that magic — fashion as a brand, not just a marketing collaboration.”
~Julie Anne Quay
VFILES was largely responsible for launching the careers of such designers and labels as Shayne Oliver of Hood by Air and Virgil Abloh’s Off White. Countless other young fashion designers, photographers, models, stylists, hair and makeup artists launched their careers on VFILES RUNWAY. And in music, VFILES LOUD debuted and showcased previously unknown young musical talent like A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, YG, Young Thug, Brockhampton and many more.
Equal to her passion for fashion and music has been Julie Anne’s lifelong love of sport. She was a college tennis player, triathlete, and former Soul Cycle instructor for over a decade. In 2018 her family became minority owner of a football club in England which seeded the partnership with FIFA and creation of FIFA 1904.
I’ve known Julie Anne for almost 30 years. We recently chatted about this new partnership with FIFA, which for her is more than just another fashion x sport collaboration. We are “empowering fashion through football”, she says. “FIFA 1904 embodies the transformative and inspirational power of the most popular sport in the world.”
STYLE OF SPORT: I know what VFILES is conceptually, but I’d love to hear you describe it.
JULIE ANNE QUAY: VFILES was founded in 2012 as a democratic fashion community where you could say, do, and be whatever you wanted. It is opportunity. Be heard make noise. I started VFILES to showcase young talented people from all over the fashion community who might not have had a chance otherwise. In 2012, you had to have a golden ticket or know somebody to get into the fashion business. We wanted to break that ceiling. We shined light on Virgil Abloh, who was previously unknown, and Shayne Oliver of Hood By Air. A$AP Rocky played at VFILES store opening.
SOS: Wow… and that VFILES store on Mercer St. became a hub and incubator for so much young talent.
FIFA 1904: A PREVIEW OF THE COLLECTION THAT’S TO COME
JAQ: One of the biggest things that we did and will do again is VFILES RUNWAY, where we basically did crowdsourced fashion. We opened up an opportunity on the VFILES platform for people to submit their work. We’d put together a group of mentors who would choose the designs they thought were most commercial and most exciting to present on the runway. Mentors were Jerry Lorenzo. Virgil Abloh, Khloe Kardashian and Emma Grede, Dapper Dan, Nicola Formichetti, who is Global Creative Director at MAC now, but was Lady Gaga’s stylist then. We had so many mentors and people that we worked with to really celebrate young creatives in design and fashion, and also music. We had the VFILES LOUD platform which was basically crowdsourced music. The first winner of that was Brockhampton.
SOS: How did the partnership with FIFA come about?
JAQ: In 2018 my family became minority owner of a football club in England, Barnsley F.C., and I became very involved in the sport. I’m on the academic board of FIFA Diploma in Club Management. I do a lot of work with club executives from around the world. Through that, alongside with Barnsley I came to discover that football is not just the kit you wear on the pitch. When you work in football there are CEOs, Chief Brand Officers, coaches, ticket ladies, kit men, players before and after the game. There is very much an unwritten kind of uniform across football. FIFA 1904 is a celebration of that code and the football work force. As we like to say, “we may not all wear a number, but we all represent the game”. That’s what Fifa 1904 is.
SOS: Tell us a about what’s to come beyond the t-shirts and hoodies that make up the Rue Saint Honoré capsule.
JAQ: Right now what you’re seeing is a branding capsule. We’re planning to show our fashion collection in January as part of Paris Fashion Week. It’s being designed by Marcus Clayton who did Fenty for Rhianna. It is fashion — suits, trench coats, peacoats, cashmere. We call it attainable luxury. Because it is FIFA wanted to be sure everyone had access. The most expensive product is probably a $900 cashmere peacoat. A full suit is around $600.
SOS: What differentiates FIFA 1904 from other sport x fashion collaborations?
JAQ: There are so many marketing collaborations in sport, but we believe in the power of the IP holder. FIFA is the governing body of football. It is an incredible force for good. Football does unite the world. For me, FIFA and football represents opportunity, positivity, togetherness, community, and excellence. Football is the biggest game in the world. It’s the best game in the world. It’s one ball and four posts, and that one ball can move an entire nation. It can make a nation laugh. It can make a nation cry. I think fashion needs to have a part in that magic — fashion as a brand, not just a marketing collaboration. That’s why we have created FIFA 1904. We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring it to market and share it with everyone around the world.
