At 43, Ronaldinho made his comeback this Saturday afternoon. However, it was not on the turf of a stadium that the Brazilian football star was noticed, but during a fashion show, that of the American Colm Dillane which was held in the post- noon in Paris on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week dedicated to the fall-winter 2024-2025 men’s collections. Via his label Kidsuper founded in 2018, the New York cool kids designer wanted to pay tribute to Brazil’s world champion (in 2002) by inviting him to walk in his very last fall-winter fashion show.
A few seconds before the show ended and to the surprise of the guests, the living legend of international football appeared in a huge beige faux fur coat, enhanced with a set of printed blue denim, slightly tinted glasses on the nose. Ronaldinho, smiling and animated by a pumped-up audience, even gave different looks as a greeting. “Come on, get up, I managed to bring Ronaldinho back for a Kidsuper fashion show,” added Colm Dillane at the end of the show, visibly happy and proud to have brought his idol. Ronaldinho’s presence was the high point of a transportive show, which mixed various performances: violinists playing live the soundtrack of the parade or classical dancers performing grand prix jumps on the podium.
“The idea of a young person who believes that anything is possible was and is the basis of KidSuper,” Colm Dillane said of Kidsuper. A statement that seemed to take on a particular flavor today. The name Kidsuper, a nod to schoolboys who don’t care about anything except what they are passionate about, also took on a special meaning thanks to the presence of Ronaldinho. At Kidsuper, the joy and good humor are palpable and communicative: “I really believe that being passionate about what you do has a ripple effect on people. Kidsuper is the absence of limits, it is giving free rein to one’s creativity by drawing inspiration from the intrepid spirit of youth. We are still true to our roots: my art, football and the energy of New York City,” Colm Dillane told me.
An eclectic collection including pieces in collaboration with the NBA or Canada Goose
In his new winter wardrobe, the American explored the concept of string theory. “A theory which assumes that the world is made of tiny vibrating strings in the form of atoms, electrons and quarks,” said a memo to the show, “written by (Colm Dillane’s) father.” Even on the podium, the artistic director surfs on the famous (but never proven) string theory like this final look in which the black knitted jacket unraveled live as the model advanced, preceded by long threads blacks stretched. On the decor side, the ceiling of the old post office of the 9the arrondissement, where the parade was held, was strewn with long white knitting threads.
Generally speaking, the rest of the Kidsuper locker room was nonetheless without any notable surprises. Colors and attention to prints remain the main signature of the American, who, it seems, has taken a liking to leather bags carried by hand and available in all formats since his time as co-director of Louis Vuitton in January 2023, during this same men’s fashion week. The few new additions to the collection included pieces in collaboration with Canada Goose – down jackets – or the NBA basketball team, the Brooklyn Nets – leather bombers. “We are going to inaugurate our headquarters in Brooklyn, a big step forward for us. It will be a mix between a Kidsuper store, cafe, art gallery, recording studio and much more. We poured our hearts into this project last year, and seeing it come to life is going to be extraordinary,” concluded the artistic director.
