As Paris Saint-Germain chase their first-ever Champions League crown tomorrow night against Inter Milan, The Kit Room Collective unpacks the origins of the club’s iconic red and blue colours.
It’s fair to say PSG embody their city’s identity, becoming the chez de la mode of football, a true fashion powerhouse from the city that gave the world Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior, now boasting its own style icon on the pitch. But where did their iconic look come from?
The football club was only founded in 1970, just over five decades ago and emerged from the merger of two clubs: Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain.
The roots of PSG’s iconic red and blue colours trace back to something simple yet powerful: the bold flag of Paris itself, and the club proudly wears these hues as a symbol of the city’s revolutionary spirit and vibrant culture.
Blue and red have long been associated not only with France as a nation but also with the French Revolution. Meanwhile, the white in PSG’s colour scheme pays homage to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the aristocratic suburb that represents the other half of the club’s origins.
The white is also believed to be linked to the French monarchy and birthplace of King Louis XIV. The three colours together reflect the national colours of France’s Tricolore flag.
While the colours themselves date back to the club’s birth, it was in 1973 that PSG’s kit underwent a major style revolution, thanks to the legendary fashion designer Daniel Hechter.
Daniel Hechter, who later became president of the club from the City of Light, reportedly found his inspiration for PSG’s iconic shirt design in an unexpected place, the sleek elegance of a Mustang car.
Hetcher was also said to have been a massive fan of Johan Cruyff and looked to the iconic kits of Ajax to fine-tune PSG’s look, because when it comes to style, even Paris isn’t above borrowing a little Dutch flair.
He divided the jersey into distinct colours and gave the club its trademark central band.
The “Hechter stripe” became synonymous with the club and is still celebrated as one of football’s most elegant and timeless kit designs.
PSG have certainly come a long way since Hechter took style cues from a Mustang and a Dutch legend’s kit.
From Jordan collaborations, to Dior, to 3.Paradis, PSG have cemented themselves as the front-runner football club in fashion, and a win tomorrow could firmly establish their legacy on the footballing stage.
To explore the story behind the kits of PSG’s opponents tomorrow, Inter Milan, click here: Champions League Final: Stripes Without Borders: The Story Behind Inter’s Shirt – Kit Room Collective