Jules Koundé could be arguably termed as the most commanding figure in the Barcelona backline. However, off the field, it isn’t easy to assert whether he’s a professional footballer or a model fashionista.
Customarily, players are expected to enter the stadium premises before a match wearing the club’s official merchandise.
However, FC Barcelona has diverged from this convention by granting their players the freedom to dress in their own choice of personal clothing. The players have taken advantage of this opportunity and how.
From Araujo to Lewandowski to De Jong, when the players enter their dressing room in the Spotify Camp Nou, it’s like a fashion parade.
However, if someone were to catch the most attention of the fashion police, it would definitely be their French center-back Jules Koundé.
When he enters the hallway with his braided hair combined with dapper clothing, shades, and his side purse, you can’t overlook the defender. Whether it’s pure vintage fashion, combining a jacket with shorts, or a style straight from the movie ‘The Matrix,’ Koundé has never failed to make a fashion statement.
But not many people are aware that the French defender is so into fashion that he owns his own clothing lineup.
The fashion brand was launched in the year 2020. He is the co-founder of the clothing brand that has a very unique and catchy brand name – HFP (Homies From Paris).
This streetwear brand venture is a joint collaboration with renowned designer Goba Noel. The duo also opened a pop-up store during Paris Fashion Week.
The brand is based in Paris and aims to provide unique urban designs at sustainable pieces.
Blending delicate fabrics and precise cuts with a raw streetwear aesthetic, the brand caters to both men and women, with a primary focus being on comfort.
The brand’s logo ‘HFP’ appears on most of their clothing, showcasing luxurious streetwear staples such as graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, jackets, and cardigans. But what stands out the most are their eye-catching designs coupled with poppy color palettes.
And speaking of Homies From Paris, you will never guess who the brand ambassador is.
It’s not from the Blaugrana team, but two players from Real Madrid—Touchameni and Benzema.
But we can cut Koundé some slack here since in 2020, he had no connections with Barcelona whatsoever. Whereas Benzema and Touchameni played alongside Koundé in the French National team. Touchameni even played with the defender during their early developmental days at Bordeaux. So, it somewhat makes sense.
And when it comes to promotion, who wouldn’t want to be associated with Karim Benzema?
And of course, Koundé has always been there to market his clothing line via his Instagram and Twitter accounts. If Jules Koundé promotes a fashion brand on an Instagram account with 3.9M followers or is frequently captured donning the HFP overalls in the Camp Nou hallways, the brand is bound to get the limelight.
And since the brand came into the limelight, many celebrities have been captured wearing the urban fashion brand.
Prominently, Benzema was pictured in Dubai rocking a crisp-white HFP top, while Tchouaméni was seen with Koundé during an NBA game wearing HFP clothing.
A recent photo of Touchameni has also surfaced, capturing the midfielder donning their black hoodie and trouser overalls released a couple of months back, with the tagline ‘still social distancing’ printed on the back of the hoodie.
Not just the brand ambassadors, the clothing line has been popular among other prominent football stars as well.
Recently, Griezmann shared a photo with Koke that revealed the ‘HFP’ logo from underneath his robe. AC Milan shot-stopper Mike Maignan is another baller who’s worn HFP as he attended the brand’s pop-up store launch during fashion week.
The Real Madrid winger Rodrygo was also spotted wearing HFP overalls while he took a casual stroll down the streets of Madrid.
People have taken to the posts to comment and show their appreciation regarding HFP’s classy design and dapper outlook.
The HFP overalls can be availed from the pop-up stores in Barcelona and can also be ordered online via their website.
But just a reminder, the clothing brand is not that pocket-friendly to own.
For context, a basic nylon jacket will cost up to €125,00, and if you want to pair it with the matching nylon shorts, it will cost an additional price of €105,00.
Speaking of shirts, a lace shirt in their website is priced at €80,00, and combining it with lace pants will add an additional €120,00. Moreover, a cardigan’s price will rise up to €115,00, even during a sale.
So, if you have that much money lying around for clothes, investing in HFP clothing is not a bad option. It is more of a statement in fashion rather than your everyday clothing. If you want to be as stylish as Koundé, HFP is surely the way to go, but it will come at a price, and a hefty one at that.