Milan shirt becomes 8bit thanks to Koché and PUMA

Following the success of last season, when Milan and Koché presented a capsule collection at Paris Fashion Week, this year the Rossoneri will also wear the French maison's creation on the pitch, in a jersey that takes up the 8bit video game theme. The Rossoneri's famous vertical stripes get a retro makeover on the new PUMA jersey, dissolving into visible pixels in the upper part of the jersey, while fading into a graphic pattern in the lower part. The game shorts have also received the same treatment, while all details have been updated in gold, from the company logo to the sponsors. The only element that has remained unchanged compared to the other jerseys of the season is, of course, the Italian shield in the centre of the chest.

"Pixels are the atoms of digital images. They can be reminiscent of 8-bit games, nostalgic graphics from the early years of the internet and they can take a contemporary form in the form of crypto-punks who are at the heart of today's pop culture," said Marco Mueller, Senior Head of Product Line Management Apparel Individual at PUMA. "The idea behind the jersey print is to bend the pixels into a perspective that pays homage to the iconic stripes, but at the same time break up the pixels to blend with the black of the jersey and create a stylised digital look and feel." The jersey is available in two versions. The Authentic jersey is made from ULTRAWEAVE performance fabric and DryCELL technology for maximum breathability, making it the lightest and most comfortable jersey ever made by PUMA. The Replica version is made from 100% recycled polyester and features DryCELL technology to keep skin dry and comfortable for the full 90 minutes and beyond, regardless of time, pitch or location.

The jersey demonstrates once again Milan's fashion sensibility, sealed by the agreement with OFF-WHITE as Style Partner, which pushes the Milan team into an increasingly international dimension. This vision was reaffirmed last night when the Milan, PUMA and Koché jersey was presented in a special pop-up shop during Milan Fashion Week. The perfect opportunity to reflect on the recent touches between the two worlds with Valerio Rocchetti, AC Milan Ecommerce, Retail & Licencing Director. "The line between football and fashion is getting thinner and thinner and the two worlds are becoming more and more intertwined. As a club, we are fortunate to be able to draw on the strength of the city of Milan - one of the fashion capitals of the world - and we have the opportunity to increase the relevance of the ACM brand outside of our core football audience."

But the new kit's contamination is not limited to fashion and the pitch; it also enters the realm of video games thanks to its innovative partnership with Rocket League, one of the most critically acclaimed sports games of our generation. From 8 March, AC Milan will be the first European football team to be present on the platform, opening up to a younger audience. "These are products that appeal to a younger, more international audience (especially in the United States), where the fashion element and the angle of the jersey itself are of greater importance," continues Rocchetti.

The new AC Milan x PUMA x KOCHÉ Fourth Jersey will make its debut on Sunday 26 February at 20:45 when the men's first team takes on Atalanta in Serie A at the San Siro. AC Milan's women's team will wear the new jersey in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against AS Roma's women's team. Brahim Diaz, who was also here at the presentation of the new jersey, confirmed: "When I first saw the jersey, I thought our fans would love it: It's super cool and very modern. I think it will be great to wear it on the pitch on Sunday".

The AC Milan x PUMA x KOCHÉ collection is available from today, 23 February, at AC Milan stores here, PUMA stores, online at PUMA here and KOCHE.fr, here.