French luxury has kicked off the fashion action for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France, as Louis Vuitton and Ami each unveiled projects with sporting legends Dan Carter of New Zealand and France’s current star, Antoine Dupont.
At Vuitton, the house has launched its debut Malle Vestiaire – or wardrobe trunk – with Carter. A long-time Louis Vuitton house ambassador, Carter worked with artisans at the maison’s famed workshops on one-of-a-kind bespoke trunk, designed and crafted to hold the rugby icon’s precious sports equipment and memorabilia.
The wood frame and black and silver monogram covered trunk is finished with classic closures and rivets. Its color evokes the name of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, while the exterior is finished with logo references to Dan’s career: from DC10 (referring to his player number) to 1598 (total points he scored in international rugby).
“I was very lucky to work alongside Vuitton to design this truck. They took on a lot of my feedback about the design, size, and but most importantly the different compartments to display the sports equipment,” explained Carter in a snappy video.
The trunk holds a selection of Carter’s prized mementos, including three World Rugby Player of the Year awards; three Rugby World Cup medals; his two 100th-test caps; three jerseys he wore at Rugby World Cups; “retirement” boots and another pair he wore during a Rugby World Cup. Along with copies of his book, The Art of Winning, and the LV monogram rugby ball he first created in 2019.
“This Malle Vestiaire holds all the memorabilia that symbolize the amazing memories I have of playing professional rugby, while also paying tribute to Louis Vuitton’s renowned art of travel. I really can’t think of a better way for them to be displayed than in this beautiful trunk,” Carter added.
Regarded as probably the best out-half ever, Carter is the highest ever points scorer in test match rugby; three-time International Rugby Board Player of the Year; and twice voted New Zealand’s sexiest man. Towards the end of his career, Carter played three club seasons for Racing Metro in Paris, where he became a familiar figure at top level fashion shows.
The new Malle Vestiaire is already available on the website, though no price is currently listed.
The Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday, September 8 when France plays New Zealand in the Stade de France in Paris. The final will be staged on Saturday, October 28 in the same stadium. The 10th Rugby World Cup includes 20 teams with four favorites: holders South Africa, hosts France, three-time winner New Zealand; and top ranked team Ireland.
Elsewhere in Paris, Ami has teamed up with the explosive playmaker of the French national team, Antoine Dupont.
The captain of the French national team, Dupont has been named a joint record three times as the player of the Six Nations tournament, Europe’s de facto championship.
With the cool French marque, the stocky scrum half stars in their capsule campaign Ami x Antoine Dupont wearing a series of boxy cut worker jackets, unisex hoodies and rugby style striped shirts priced respectively at €480, €350 and €440.
Small and incredibly dynamic, Dupont’s try-saving challenge on Irish winger Mack Hansen this January is regarded as the tackle of the century. Besides Ami, Dupont has endorsed brands like Adidas, Peugeot, Tissot and Land Rover.
His Ami linkup collection is on sale now on Ami’s website, and exclusively in boutiques in France, Japan and the UK.
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