MCM, Bayern, adidas and “good design”, according to Dirk Schönberger MCM’s Chief Brand Officer also spoke to us about what he learned during his time at the Three Stripes and the relationship between fashion and women’s football

MCM, adidas and Bayern Munich have unveiled a capsule collection that brings together three German identities and takes football from the pitch into everyday life, with travel as the connecting thread. The project forms part of the celebrations marking MCM’s 50th anniversary. Founded in Munich in 1976, the brand is also building on the partnership announced in July with the Bavarian club’s women’s team, for which it serves as Official Travel Luggage Partner.

MCM’s signature cognac colour and cream leather details define the Ottomar Weekender bag and Stark Backpack, accompanied by unisex and women’s jerseys, full-zip jackets, wide-leg tracksuit trousers, joggers and footwear. The campaign launching the collection followed the players during a tour of Tokyo, moving between traditional architecture and Japanese gardens.

Explaining how these elements found their balance within the collaboration is Dirk Schönberger, MCM’s Chief Brand Officer and a former creative director at adidas, whose experience gives him a unique perspective on the different worlds involved in the project. We spoke to him about the decisions behind the capsule, as well as how to reinterpret tradition, the emotional connection between brands and their audiences, the expressive possibilities of women’s football and the role fashion can play within the sport.

Three identities, a precise sense of balance

It all began with the idea of “bringing together three distinct worlds and creating something that felt authentic to each of them”, Schönberger explains. “Travel is an integral part of an athlete’s life, and these pieces connect that sense of movement with the identities of MCM, adidas and Bayern in a way that feels authentic to both worlds. (...) adidas brought its performance expertise through a lifestyle perspective, Bayern its strong football identity, and MCM its own design language and approach to craftsmanship. The challenge was finding the right balance without compromising any of those identities.”

That balance is also tied to the contexts in which the products will be worn. “We wanted to go beyond traditional football merchandising and create pieces with a clear point of view: something that would work in a sporting context while remaining relevant in everyday life.” It is in the meeting of these different contributions that Schönberger identifies the project’s true essence: “Collaboration becomes interesting when different perspectives come together to create something new.”

For the palette, the initial reference came from the maison’s archive. “Cognac is an essential part of MCM’s identity, so it was a natural starting point.” However, the three brands involved “have very distinctive visual codes”, and bringing them together meant considering their presence - without allowing it to become overpowering - as well as their proportions, ensuring that each was given the right amount of space. “The most interesting discussion was around balance”, Dirk confirms, “how much each identity should come through and where a more restrained approach would have greater impact. For me, good design is about knowing what to emphasise and what to leave out. The result had to feel unmistakably connected to all three brands while still offering something new and unexpected.”

To understand how this process translated into the products, Schönberger suggests looking particularly closely at the leather goods. “With the Ottomar Weekender bag and the backpack, we reinterpreted two designs from our archive, giving them a more sports-inspired appearance: the Weekender recalls a sports bag within a luxury context, while the backpack retains an aesthetic rooted in tradition but features contrasting leather trims that echo the contrasting stripes on adidas products.” One of the most interesting aspects of the capsule lies precisely in the decision to work with existing designs. “I find this approach more interesting than creating something entirely new simply for the sake of a collaboration. It is about starting with what already exists and offering it a new perspective.”

From Bavaria to Japan

Beyond the nature of the products themselves, travel was an integral part of both the campaign and the idea behind it. Tokyo was one of the stops on Bayern Women’s summer tour and offered opportunities that felt both evocative and spontaneous. Partly because of the setting - “which brought a different perspective to the story: Japan has a very particular relationship with fashion, craftsmanship and design” - but also because it provided the opportunity to photograph the players during a real experience. “Tokyo was part of the team’s schedule, which made it an authentic choice rather than simply a backdrop. I was interested in the contrast between Tokyo’s energy and the calmer atmosphere of the images.” It also reflects the brand’s “global perspective”, despite its strong connection to its roots. “Knowing where you come from gives you a foundation, not a boundary.”

In the images, the players appear during quiet moments away from the pitch. “I was interested in showing a different side of the players. In those quieter moments, a kind of confidence emerges that allows you to see the person beyond the athlete.” The campaign’s visual choices came from a desire to highlight those individual identities: “It was important for everything to feel natural, without being overly staged. These women have their own personalities and presence, and I wanted that to come through.”

From adidas to MCM

Schönberger’s sensitivity towards sports products also stems from his time at adidas, where he served as Creative Director of the Sport Style division from 2010 to 2018. “My years at adidas taught me how much precision goes into apparently simple sportswear garments.” From materials and proportions to small choices that may appear marginal but are anything but. “That experience has stayed with me”, and while designing the capsule “it certainly helped - but here it was about applying that knowledge to a new creative challenge.”

His experience at adidas also prompted an interesting reflection on the audiences brands speak to and the value of the relationships they can create. “Probably the most important lesson from my years at adidas concerns the value of the emotional connection between a brand and its ‘fans’. It is something a brand’s history can create, and it is what it means to remain culturally relevant.” This perspective is also reflected in MCM’s collaboration with Bayern, “an institution with a strong identity and a rich tradition”, to which “women’s football adds another dimension because it represents a new generation that is shaping the future of the sport.”

The 50th anniversary provided the ideal context in which to deepen the partnership between Bayern and MCM, provided that it moved beyond convention. “An anniversary can easily become an exercise in nostalgia, but for me it is important to look ahead. Rather than simply revisiting the archive, we wanted to show that MCM continues to evolve - and to me, that is the most meaningful way to celebrate 50 years: honouring our origins while continuing to shape what comes next. Our heritage can take on new meanings when it encounters a different culture, and MCM has always evolved through its connections with different creative communities and cultural movements: from Munich’s music scene to New York hip-hop and contemporary Asian culture. Football allows us to continue this dialogue and connect with a new generation.”

Women’s football and fashion

The decision to work with Bayern Women was driven by clear geographical and cultural affinities, but not only those. Schönberger describes it as “a natural fit: MCM and Bayern Women share Munich as their home, but for us it was about something more. Women’s football is evolving rapidly, building its own cultural relevance and inspiring a new generation. We saw an opportunity to be part of that movement.”

In the players, the maison recognised a connection with its own understanding of movement: “MCM has always represented a global mindset, freedom of movement and a dynamic lifestyle: values that strongly resonate with the team and the women who represent it.” From here, the discussion expands to what makes football such a perfect partner for fashion. “Football has an emotional connection with people that is difficult to replicate in other contexts. It is about identity, passion, belonging and a sense of community that often spans generations. For a fashion house, this is particularly interesting because it goes beyond the product itself.”

For Schönberger, however, engaging with that connection first requires a deep understanding. And a great deal of respect. “Football has its own culture and its own codes, and you cannot simply borrow them because they are relevant at a particular moment. I believe that connection must be approached with respect. For MCM, the opportunity lies in finding an authentic link between these worlds and creating something that brings value to both. Otherwise, it remains just another collaboration.”

In women’s football, that opportunity also involves the space given to its protagonists. “Women’s football has the opportunity to develop its own visual and cultural identity rather than simply following the established models of the men’s game”, Schönberger concludes. “The players bring individual personalities and perspectives that deserve greater visibility, and fashion can offer new ways to express that individuality.”