Major League Soccer is joining forces with stylist Courtney Mays for the release of its latest jersey collection with Adidas.
The sports league is teaming up with Mays, who styles several sports figures including Kevin Love, Chris Paul and others, for the campaign for the jersey collaboration. Mays, who creative directed the campaign and photo shoot, wanted to highlight the popularity soccer jerseys have among sports fans and fashion enthusiasts and show unique ways of styling the pieces.
“I’m always looking for diverse ways where sport and fashion can converge and I’m eager to partner with brands and companies that understand the ways that sport can be a platform to communicate style and vice versa,” Mays said. “What really made this project interesting was the goal of MLS to create looks that were attainable for the average consumer. We want to engage with both fashion enthusiasts, but more importantly, true lovers of the sport. That notion is hyper aligned with my personal styling ethos — create looks that are, yes, aspirational, but also relatable.”
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The campaign highlights the Adidas Archive Collection, which offers retro-inspired alternate soccer jerseys for several MLS teams including Inter Miami, the Portland Timbers, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, among others.
Mays enlisted real people in the campaign instead of models to further show how everyday people can wear soccer jerseys. She styled the jerseys with clothing from accessible brands such as Zara, H&M, Topshop, Cos and others. Additionally, the campaign features LAFC player Ryan Hollingshead and his family modeling the jerseys.
“Once we began this project, I would often see what I like to call ‘jerseys in the wild’ — people wearing jerseys in my neighborhood while grabbing coffee or a glass of wine with friends,” Mays said. “It became sort of a real life mood board for me. As I was preparing for the project, I realized that I was styling each jersey akin to the way I see a vintage T. Soccer jerseys are vibrant and colorful. They become the standout piece in your look. Similar to a graphic T, they can easily be paired back to denim, chinos or even a leather skirt.”
Mays highlighted two easy ways everyday people can style soccer jerseys. Her first suggestion was creating a monochromatic look that spotlights the team’s colors. She also suggested letting the soccer jersey stand out by pairing it with neutral-colored pieces.
The MLS Adidas Archive Collection will be available this month.
