Hollister is not the only Abercrombie & Fitch division to lean into sports.
While its older sibling is the official fashion partner of the NFL, the Gen Z-focused Hollister has zeroed in on college athletes, who have been featured in its ad campaigns. But now the retailer is taking that relationship further by launching a limited-edition collection of hoodies codesigned by six athletes from some of the biggest rivalries in college athletics.
The athletes include Colin Simmons (University of Texas), Julian Humphrey (Texas A&M University), DJ Lagway (University of Florida), Tommy Castellanos (Florida State University), Carnell Tate (The Ohio State University) and Bryce Underwood (University of Michigan).
The players were recruited to work with Hollister’s in-house designers to create their own Feel Good Fleece product. They hand-selected every color, silhouette, fit and graphic along with applications and stitching. And the six visited Hollister’s home office in Columbus, Ohio, to don their creations in a combined photo shoot.
Content, which includes behind-the-scenes images from that shoot, will appear online, in stores and across Hollister’s marketing channels.
And the athletes had a blast trying their hand at fashion, they said.
“My mom is always reminding me how my career brings some exciting experiences off the field,” Lagway said. “This has definitely been the most unique. I never expected to design clothes like this. I’m proud of my design and hope the fans like it too.”
“I came ready to design. I had a vision,” Castellanos said. “Vintage, baggy fit, cool details. The Hollister team made it really easy and fun. When I got to the shoot it was cool to see my idea actually on a hoodie. And they styled it real nice too.”
“I love clothes. I love fashion. And I love football,” Simmons said. “Getting to bring it all together is really dope. I’m picky so I knew exactly what I wanted my design to look like. Hollister made it happen.”
The collection will launch just ahead of key rivalry games that traditionally take place the weekend after Thanksgiving.
“Over the past year, we have had student-athletes featured in our campaigns, but this marks the first time they have been part of the design process,” said Corey Robinson, chief product officer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “As we head into one of the most exciting weekends of college football, we wanted to give these athletes a front-row experience into how we create our product, ensuring each piece reflects their genuine style. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season’s biggest rivalry games and engage student-athletes in a new way.”
In addition to the codesigned collection, Hollister offers more than 130 officially licensed products from 50-plus schools and universities including fleece, T-shirts, sweatpants, flannels and outerwear. They range in price from $29.95 to $160 and are available in select stores and online.
