Robert Pires, Poster Boy Some ballers change your life, even if you’ve never met them
Oh god - Robert Pirès is on board for Les Vêtements de Football - The Golden Age of Football Jerseys. Someone wake us up. Tell us we’re not dreaming. And not just that - we’ve also brought in Landry, Alexandre, and Robert. Three creatives. Three influential voices in Europe’s football-fashion scene. We asked them to give us their take on Robert Pirès.
To think freely about him - as if high on LSD. A pure stream of consciousness, unfiltered and instinctive, leading to the essence of Pirès. What does he symbolize to an Englishman and two Frenchmen, all staring at Robert Pirès?
Landry Thomas - Loge Agency Founder
My first memory of Robert Pires, without really knowing who he was, is probably that famous “muscle ton jeu Robert” moment. In ’98, when I was 7 or 8 years old, I was still too young to truly understand football properly. At that age, you’re naturally drawn to those who shine, like R9… but hey, that wasn’t a bad choice either. Euro 2000 – just as there was little to no time left, we evened our score against Italy, 1-1, Wiltord scored the goal in the last minute, and I believe Pires had just come on. Then I clearly remember Pires dribbling past 2 or 3 Italian players, crossing to Trezeguet – golden goal – we’re European champions, wow!
Right after the Euros, Pires signed with Arsenal. At that time, I was a die-hard United fan, but as a Frenchman, I had to have a soft spot for Arsenal: Henry, Vieira, Wiltord, and of course, Bergkamp! Arsenal felt like the French national team back then – and even more so with him. The most striking memory for me is that pair of gold and burgundy PUMA boots, shown off with a sombrero, followed by a lob against Aston Villa (as he often did, really). That way he struck the ball – open foot, slightly curled but not too much – it was beautiful! He went from a complete unknown to a player who grew up alongside me, a player who won while creating beautiful memories, and above all, who embodied the Gunner in my eyes.
Alexandre Zamora - Saison Shop Founder & Creative Director
For me, Robert Pires is a player who has left his mark on the history of French football, and also on my own history with football. Being born in 1990, I began to truly understand football and its rules in 1998, coincidentally when the French national team won the World Cup. It was precisely after this victory that Robert Pires, newly crowned world champion, signed for Olympique de Marseille, the club of the city where I was born and raised, and where I’m still based. The 1998-1999 season marked the club's centenary, with the iconic gold jersey, but also with a magnificent run in the UEFA Cup, in which we reached the final, but ultimately lost to Parma.
He was an elegant player: his jersey was always tucked into his shorts, he often played in long sleeves, and he had magnificent looks that followed him throughout his career. The memory that will always stick with me is his Champions League goal against Chelsea. As he wore the Marseille shirt, he came from the wide right side of the field and fired a shot from another world, hitting both posts before going into the goal. It surprised everyone, players and spectators alike. He only stayed two seasons in the club, and even became captain the following season. The rest of his career was a real success, with the EURO 2000 title and his incredible run at Arsenal during the golden age. For me, Robert Pires will remain a player who made me both love football and his style on the pitch.
Robert Armin - The Soccer Archive Founder
Some ballers change your life, even if you’ve never met them. For me, one of those players is Robert Pirès. Not just because we share the same name or because we were born on the same day (October 29th), but because he, more than most, made football feel like something beyond the scoreline. There was a grace to Pirès that made you want to slow down the replays. Everything was too fluid, too measured, too right; as if every movement he made was directed by some invisible hand. Few touches, always with the correct part of the foot, never an extra sprint unless it truly mattered. He always seemed to know where he was going even before the ball reached him. And for someone like me, who has always watched football with the eye of someone who falls for the shirt before the tactics, Pirès was the perfect poster boy.
He had the style of a Parisian who’d just walked off a Godard film set, but applied it to the Arsenal left wing. Long hair, but never truly messy. Never an over-the-top fashion choice, yet everything was perfectly in place, every single time. Even when he made a mistake (rare), he did it with class. Pirès was the kind of player who, if he bumped into you, would apologize in French and straighten your jersey before moving on. And then, of course, there are the highlights. That sublime lob from outside the box against Southampton. The sideways touch for Henry during the Invincibles season. That goal against Spurs, in the rain, with the camera catching him sliding across the grass like a Massive Attack music video. These weren’t just moments to watch; they were scenes to remember. Every assist felt handwritten. Every goal felt directed by a cinematographer. When he scored, he didn’t seem to celebrate. He seemed to say, “Voilà.”
And off the pitch? Pure elegance. Always composed, never shouting, always with something to say without raising his voice. He looked like someone who could explain pressing to you, and then recommend a good cologne. Never a wrong pose. Never a tacky outfit. A man who never needed to reinvent himself because he had always been perfectly consistent in who he was. Thank you, Robert. For showing us that you can be deadly without ever raising your voice. That you can play with lightness and still make history.
At The Soccer Archive, every time we plan a shooting, create moodboards, or imagine what football looks like when worn on the street, he’s there. He’s part of it because, like him, we seek lasting beauty, timeless form, shirts with emotional weight. His kits aren’t just performance wear: they’re moments, still frames. And if you find one, you can’t help but say, “Yes, that was football.” So every October 29th, I feel like I’m in good company. I like to imagine Robert somewhere, raising an eyebrow at an overly sweet cake or a jacket that’s just a bit too tight. I also hope he still keeps a few of his old jerseys tucked away, properly folded - because the unrepeatable deserves to be preserved. Thank you, Robert. For showing us that you can be deadly without ever raising your voice. That you can play with lightness and still make history. And that you can be born on October 29th and make someone proud to share that date, even if you made your name on the pitch, and I get to work thanks to legends like you.
The article dedicated to Robert Pirès is featured in Les Vêtements de Football – The Golden Age of Football Jerseys, available for purchase at this link. nss sports awaits you in Paris, at Galerie Paradis, on the evening of October 3rd, with an event supported by PUMA France. Among the special guests will be Robert Pirès, taking part in a talk exploring the intersection of fashion and football, alongside Louis Castex and Naïlat Salama Djae. RSVP HERE.