GOAL
Celia Balf
May 15, 2026 03:54 +06:00
Baggy jorts, jerseys and World Cup buzz: Inside Hollister and Kappa’s soccer fashion play
FEATURES
World Cup
As World Cup buzz builds, Hollister and Kappa are bringing soccer into youth fashion. GOAL spoke with Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s Corey Robinson on the collab.
The World Cup is still months away, but soccer’s cultural takeover in the U.S. is already underway. This summer, that includes Hollister. The Abercrombie & Fitch Co.-owned brand, better known for denim, fleece, swimwear, and California-inspired casualwear, has linked with Kappa on a soccer-inspired collection built around jerseys, track jackets, shorts, and the kind of match-day style that does not require someone to be a lifelong supporter.
At first glance, Hollister and the FIFA Men’s World Cup might not feel like an obvious pairing. But that is also the point. Soccer in the U.S. is no longer only being sold through stadiums, supporter bars, and replica kits. It is showing up through fashion, music, watch parties, travel and youth culture — and brands outside the traditional soccer space are moving quickly to claim a piece of that moment.
The question is not whether Hollister suddenly became a soccer brand. It is what it says about the sport’s growing cultural pull that a brand like Hollister sees a lane at all.
GOAL spoke with Corey Robinson, chief product officer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co., about why Hollister chose this moment to launch its Kappa collaboration, how the brand is thinking about soccer’s rise in the U.S., and why the World Cup is becoming as much a lifestyle opportunity as a sporting event.
Hollister x Kappa: 'The pieces feel authentic to the game'
The collection, Robinson said, came from Hollister’s own customers and their growing interest in soccer and the culture around it. Kappa was a natural partner, given its long history at the intersection of soccer, sportswear, and style.
“Hollister has been combining sport and fashion through collegiate football, F1, and soccer, among others,” Robinson told GOAL. “This partnership posed an opportunity to design a capsule that pulls from Kappa’s European sportswear heritage and Hollister’s fashion-first aesthetic, so the pieces feel authentic to the game but are equally relevant for everyday wear.”
Hollister x Kappa: 'We’re leaning into soccer as a lifestyle'
Athletes have long influenced fashion, but in recent years, tunnel fits, courtside looks, and match-day arrivals have become part of the spectacle. Around the world’s biggest soccer tournament, that creates an opening not just for players and coaches to make a statement, but for fans and casual viewers to dress for the moment, too.
That is where Hollister and Kappa see their lane. The collection is not built around traditional fanwear as much as the lifestyle surrounding the sport: watch parties, match days, travel and everything else that comes with a soccer summer.
“Hollister wants to show up as a brand that genuinely understands the culture around the sport, but most importantly, outfits our customers in a way that elevates their World Cup experience,” Robinson told GOAL.
Kappa gives Hollister instant credibility in that space, bringing decades of soccer and sportswear heritage to a brand better known for everyday lifestyle pieces. Together, the collaboration is meant to feel less like a costume for soccer fans and more like something people would actually wear while taking part in the moment.
“We’re leaning into soccer as a lifestyle, not just a sport, and aiming to be a brand that helps Gen Z make the most of match days, watch parties, travel, and everything that happens around this cultural moment,” Robinson said. “It’s about tapping into the global excitement of various tournaments in a way that still feels very Hollister: easy, fun, and made for real life.”
Hollister x Kappa: How fashion brands are showing up
“Fashion brands are increasingly treating these iconic, global sporting events as a cultural stage as much as a sporting event,” Robinson said. “You’re seeing more collaborations and limited collections that speak to fan identity just as much as performance on the field.”
That is where this collection finds its lane. Wearing your favorite player’s jersey while watching them compete still means something. It is part of the whole experience of being a fan. But there are also fans who want to show up in a different way, especially around a tournament as big as the World Cup.
Support can look like buying tickets, waking up early for matches, planning watch parties, or traveling to games. But fashion has become another way to feel closer to the moment, the team, and the culture around it.
That is the space Hollister and Kappa are trying to tap into: pieces that feel connected to soccer without being limited to the stadium.
“For us, the interesting space is where authentic soccer references meet everyday wear, allowing a jersey, track jacket, or pair of shorts to move from the stadium to the street,” Robinson said.
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Hollister x Kappa: Turning Hollister customers into soccer fans?
Whether someone is locked in on the FIFA Men’s World Cup or just wants to wear a jersey in a fun color, that is the space Hollister is trying to occupy. The collection is not asking every shopper to become a hardcore soccer fan overnight. It is betting that the culture around the game — the watch parties, the travel, the outfits, the social moments — can pull people in on its own.
“The collection is built to feel credible to people who already love the game, with clear nods to soccer culture and Kappa’s heritage, but it’s also designed so any Hollister customer can wear it simply because they like the fit, color or vibe,” Robinson said.
That may be the clearest sign of where soccer stands heading into the World Cup. The sport does not have to stay inside traditional fanwear anymore. It can live in a jersey, a track jacket, a pair of shorts or a baggy jort summer — and for brands like Hollister, that might be the whole opportunity.