WHY XLF INSIDE?
WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF XLF INSIDE (TRUST THE PROCESS).
AS FOOTBALL ENTHUSIASTS, WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CREATE A LINK BETWEEN THE ELEGANCE OF THE GAME AND THE ESSENCE OF FASHION. EVERY JERSEY, EVERY PIECE WE CREATE CARRIES THE SOUL OF THE FIELD AND THE BOLDNESS OF STYLE. BECAUSE FOOTBALL IS MORE THAN JUST A SPORT, IT'S AN ATTITUDE, A SELF-EXPRESSION, AN ART THAT LIVES BOTH ON THE PITCH AND OFF IT.
THIS IS THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH WE BUILD TRUST AND FOSTER DEEPER CONNECTIONS. WE WANT YOU TO SEE NOT JUST THE FINISHED PRODUCT, BUT ALSO THE JOURNEY, THE CHOICES, AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND EVERY PIECE. THIS MAGAZINE IS OUR WAY OF INVITING YOU INTO OUR WORLD, WHERE EVERY STORY AND DECISION IS MADE WITH YOU IN MIND.
FROM IDEA TO THE LAUNCH OF XLF
BEHIND XLF4REAL, THERE IS, ABOVE ALL, A PASSION: FOOTBALL AND EVERYTHING AROUND IT. FOR A LONG TIME, THE IDEA OF OFFERING UNIQUE AND CUSTOM JERSEYS GREW IN OUR MINDS. THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL IS FILLED WITH NOSTALGIA, ICONIC JERSEYS, AND A DEEPLY ROOTED IDENTITY. WE WANTED TO CREATE A BRAND THAT WOULD RESONATE WITH EVERYONE WHO, LIKE US, FEELS SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN THEY SEE A LEGENDARY JERSEY.
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IT ALL STARTED WITH A SIMPLE IDEA : WHY NOT BLEND THE ELEGANCE OF FASHION WITH THE PASSION OF FOOTBALL?
XLF x STUSSY : SUMMER 24 COLLECTION
ICONIC JERSEYS ARE INACCESSIBLE, AND THE CUSTOM DESIGNS OF OUR COMPETITORS WERE LIMITED TO A FEW OPTIONS. WE WANTED TO FILL THESE GAPS BY OFFERING UNIQUE, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN JERSEYS, WHILE GIVING FANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEAR THEIR FAVORITE FASHION BRAND.
IN JUNE 2024, XLF4REAL WAS BORN.
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BEGINNING
THE PROJECT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE BUT DIFFICULT GOAL: TO BECOME THE REFERENCE IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL JERSEYS.
AFTER SEVERAL TRIALS, WE BEGAN BY PRINTING OUR DESIGNS OURSELVES, AT HOME, AND SHIPPING OUR PACKAGES ALONE. OUR IDEA FOUND ITS AUDIENCE, AND AS OUR GROWTH CONTINUED, IT BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FULFILL ALL ORDERS ON OUR OWN.
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WE THEN FOUND A PARTNER WHO MET OUR HIGH STANDARDS. BUT VERY SOON, THE FIRST CHALLENGES APPEARED: LONG DELIVERY TIMES, QUALITY ISSUES, AND JERSEYS THAT DIDN'T REPRESENTED OUR VISION. WE HAD TO LEARN TO REACT QUICKLY AND FIND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE A RELIABLE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
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FINDING RHYTHM
THE FIRST CHALLENGE WAS TO MAKE OUR CUSTOM JERSEYS ACCESSIBLE. WE HAD TO FIND THE RIGHT FLOCKING, CREATE INNOVATIVE DESIGNS, ALL WHILE ENSURING DURABILITY AND QUALITY.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST MAKE BASIC JERSEYS; OUR AMBITION WAS TO CREATE PERFECT JERSEYS.
THE ART OF LETTING GO
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, NOT EVERY DESIGN MAKES IT TO THE FINAL COLLECTION. WE DISCARD NUMEROUS DESIGNS AND PIECES, EACH ONE INITIALLY FULL OF PROMISE BUT ULTIMATELY NOT QUITE FITTING THE VISION WE SET OUT TO CREATE. THIS PROCESS OF REFINEMENT IS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT WE DO; IT’S ABOUT NOT BEING AFRAID TO CHISEL AWAY AT THE GOOD TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE TRULY GREAT. LIKE WITH ANY PROJECT, KNOWING WHAT TO CUT, NO MATTER HOW BADLY YOU’D LIKE FOR IT TO BE INCLUDED, IS A NECESSARY DISCIPLINE. IT’S A REMINDER THAT SOMETIMES, WHAT YOU LEAVE OUT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU KEEP.
THE CHANGE AND EVOLUTION OF ANY BRAND IS A CONSTANT JOURNEY OF LEARNING AND EXPERIENCING NEW THINGS. ALONG THE WAY WE’VE LEARNED THAT REAL PROGRESS TAKES TIME AND THAT THE BEST SUCCESSES OFTEN COME FROM THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES. WE STARTED SMALL, JUST ONE JERSEY. IT WAS A HUMBLE BEGINNING, DRIVEN BY OUR PASSION TO CREATE SOMETHING AUTHENTIC. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, AND OUR COLLECTIONS HAVE GROWN TO OVER 100 PIECES, EACH NEW DROP SHOWING HOW WE’RE FINDING OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL. THIS GROWTH DIDN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT; IT CAME FROM A LOT OF TRIAL, ERROR, AND SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT IDEAS.
