Kylian Mbappe, the 24-year-old French international footballer, has recently released his own collection with global eyewear brand Oakley. Already a Team Oakley player, the footballer's latest partnership includes his own "Signature Series" of branded eyewear. Mbappe's latest collaboration comes just months after he first inked a lucrative multi-year endorsement deal with Oakley.
A Rising Star
Although still relatively young, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward has had plenty of success – both domestically and on the international stage. Since he first joined the club six years ago, he was named Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season, where he scored 33 goals —the most in Ligue 1. Following this, Mbappe was top goalscorer again in the 2020-21 and 21-22 campaigns. His latest achievements include back-to-back Ligue 1 championships in the 2021-22 and 22-23 seasons. He was also part of the French team that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Given these impressive achievements, Mbappe is no stranger to big-time endorsements with Nike and EA Sports filling his illustrious roster of sports partnerships. He has also branched into the high-fashion world as a global ambassador for Dior. In this partnership, he represents men's fashion and the Sauvage men's fragrance line. This is on top of the deal penned between Dior and PSG. In this particular setup, the prestigious fashion house provides the team with exclusive tailor-made suits. With his own personal Dior endorsement, Mbappe joins the ranks of other big names like award-winning actress Anya Taylor-Joy and Chinese F1 racer Zhou Guanyu.
The Kylian Mbappe Oakley Collection
Released in March, Mbappe's signature collection combines the footballer's own style with the brand's iconic spirit. Oakley’s range of sunglasses are designed for both lifestyle and performance. An industry leader, Oakley eyewear is especially known for its durable, lightweight frames and polarised lenses with countless designs highlighting the versatility of fashion and function. Dedicated to delivering premium eyewear, Oakley also uses proprietary materials like Unobtainium and O-Matter. For his collection, Mbappe took these classic elements and gave them a bold twist.
In his four-piece collection, Mbappe has chosen a sophisticated brown and gold colourway. The HSTN models are available in sun and prescription iterations. Each pair is made from two-tone BiO-Matter frames and Prizm lenses for maximum comfort and colour enhancement. The other two pairs in the collection are the XS and XXS Frogskins. Built using the same Tungsten Iridium lenses, these models are also available with prescription lenses with varying frame colours. Unlike the HSTN models, the Frogskins are designed to suit children or those with smaller faces. Aside from featuring colours and pairings specially chosen by Mbappe himself, each pair also comes with decorative plates engraved with the star's initials. Currently, these Signature pieces are available anywhere Oakley is sold.
While sales reports have yet to be shared, this latest collection is expected to do well as Mbappe's past collaborations have performed successfully. For example, last year, Oakley released the Mbappe Deadbolts in the Frenchman's honour. A primer of sorts for future collections, including this Signature one, these limited edition Deadbolts were celebrated for their style and clever nod to a prior 1998 brand release, which also happens to be Mbappe's birth year.
Mbappe's Future Endeavours
Today, Mbappe is being courted by a number of clubs with Al-Hilal submitting a world-record £256m bid for the French forward whilst he runs his contract down his current club. While PSG are keen to sell Mbappe unless he signs a new contract, no deal with another club has been reached. Despite his future at PSG remaining uncertain for the time being, Mbappe is still considered a huge draw for companies. His Oakley collection shows that despite any on-pitch issues, he still remains one of the most influential athletes currently playing.
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