“If you look good, you play good. You feel better and you’re more confident,” Marcus Thuram reveals from his home in Düsseldorf.
It’s a humid day in the city and the Borussia Mönchengladbach forward is dressed for the occasion. Whilst we wait eagerly at his front door, Thuram appears from a side entrance rocking a Dreamville x Charlotte Hornets NBA jersey and shorts with Christmas-themed socks covered with the Grinch’s scheming grin.
“Can I get you guys anything? Food, drink?” he asks before fetching us a glass of pineapple juice from the fridge. The 24-year-old hasn’t been home from training long but wastes no time in making us feel comfortable – something he lives by through the clothes he wears. “I see a lot of players wearing things I know they’re not comfortable in, some tight jeans like the Amiri’s for example. I don’t know how they wear those, too tight,” he says before breaking into laughter.
Thuram is the eldest of former France midfielder Lillian Thuram’s two children and believes the illustrious career of his father – who still remains France’s all-time most capped player – aided his pathway to an interest in fashion.
“Growing up with a Dad that played soccer at a high level, I was always into fashion and to be careful with how you dress and how you present yourself. From an early age, I got used to dressing properly and looking a certain type of way.”
Whilst Marcus currently plays his trade in Germany, his younger brother Khéphren, who also holds his own in the fashion regard, remains in France with OGC Nice. The 21-year-old has just been nominated for Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season and Marcus will be attending the ceremony with his brother. “I’m going this Sunday but I still don’t know what to wear because everyone will be in suits.”
Despite his French nationality, Thuram – like his brother – was born in Italy whilst his father Lillian was playing for Parma and it would be Italy that ignited his passion for fashion. “I think my first memory of beginning to like fashion was when we had to go to a Gala in Italy when I was nine years old,” he recalls.
“Someone came to the house in the afternoon – the Gala was at night – and that person had a lot of clothes with them. We had to try them on to see the best fit and I remember really, really liking that day. It felt like a fashion show and that’s my first memory of fashion.”
As for anyone in the drip game, a good sneaker collection is essential, something Thuram has in abundance. From Jordan 1s to Jordan 4s to dunks and Air Force 1s, the Frenchman’s sneaker room could be mistaken for a Nike museum at first glance. Despite this, he cuts a humble figure, telling me the majority of his shoes were given to him by the brand as opposed to spending big on his collection.
“I can’t remember my first pair of sneakers,” Thuram admits. “My Dad was sponsored by Nike though, so I think as soon as I was born, I had Nike on and especially Jordans.”
I ask him if he could only keep one pair, which would he pick: “These,” he says whilst holding his pair of Jordan 1 Chicagos. He fires the question back at me to which I respond by choosing the Nike x Cactus Plant Flea Market Swarovski crystal dunks. “Really?!” he asks me in shock. “I haven’t worn them yet.”
Amidst daily training sessions, weekend fixtures and the pressure of football itself, it’s normal for players not to be the biggest watchers of the sport that takes up the majority of their life. Thuram admits he too falls under that bracket. “I like the big games, the Champions League matches. I like basketball but the problem is the games are too late.”
We both agree that watching the action on House Of Highlights‘ Instagram the following morning is the way to do it. “Ja Morant is going crazy right now. He just doesn’t care.” Thuram says on the Memphis Grizzlies hooper who has been vocal on social media lately.
The topic brings us on to the comparison of culture between football and the NBA. “Lately, soccer players have become more and more drippy but compared to NBA players, we’re far away. Well, some of them are far away.”
“Tunnel fits? I think it’s something that will happen one day. Some teams like the France national team take pictures of us when we arrive and I saw that the Netherlands do that too. I think it’s coming, little by little, step by step, but I think it would be great if this [NBA] culture would come to soccer like it is in basketball.”
Thuram’s love of fashion is matched by his love of music. As we shoot different fits around his house, a YouTube playlist of tracks plays on his TV. “I love music as much as I love fashion and as much as I love soccer,” he says. “It’s a part of me. My favourite track right now? Lil Baby dropped recently, the song is In A Minute, I like that one.”
“If I could only listen to one artist for the rest of my life? There’s several, Lil Baby, Gunna, Drake… no, I have to go with Drake. Drake has a lot of different types of melodies so I’d have to go with Drizzy Drake.”
Thuram has always been known as one of the best-dressed in the football sphere and he isn’t afraid to shout out other ballers coming clean with it too. “There’s a lot of soccer players with drip lately, a lot came through. I don’t want to get in trouble with them but wait, let me think…”
“Not in order, my top five would be Leroy Sané, Karim Benzema, Jules Koundé, Michy Batshuayi and Michael Olise. I like him [Olise]. No one really knows how he dresses because he doesn’t post that much, but I like Olise from Crystal Palace. Oh and my little bro Timothy Weah. I can’t forget him!”
“Away from football? I really, really like Offset’s style, I like Odell Beckham Jr.’s style and the basketball player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who plays for OKC. I really like how he dresses. Those three guys are the examples I follow.”
Thuram’s style differs from most footballers. Big on pieces that aren’t accessible to everyone in a bid to stand out from the crowd, he’s keen to create his own lane when it comes to fashion. Whilst most players may opt for the likes of Amiri and Dior as their go-to destination for new drip, Thuram prefers two Los Angeles-based brands.
“Right now, I got two favourite brands. The first one is Gallery Department and the second one is Chrome Hearts. I like those two brands because I don’t see them often on people, especially in Europe. I love Chrome Hearts because their jeans are very exclusive and I know that if I get a pair, I won’t see someone else in them.”
Again, I deliver the hard question of if he could only rock one brand for the rest of his life, which would he choose? “Only one brand? That’s hard,” he laughs once more.
“I think it would be Gallery Department. They have jeans, they have lit sweatshirts and good t-shirts and sweatpants. They have shoes – which I don’t really like – but I could wear those so yeah, Gallery Department.”
Whilst Thuram’s fits are held in high regard by the football x fashion community, I was keen to learn how he viewed his own style. “If I had to describe my style in three words? Ooof.”
“Comfortable, because I can’t wear something that’s not comfortable. Exclusive. Like I said for the Chrome Hearts, some pieces I really dig, dig and dig to get them and I know they’re not everywhere. I just wear, you know, I don’t think for one-hundred hours about what I’m wearing or what I’m not wearing so it’s without effort, so the last word would be effortless.”
“Comfortable, exclusive and effortless.”
The imminent arrival of summer in addition to the season drawing to a close presents the opportunity for players to kick back and relax after the hectic schedule of the football calendar. For me and fellow football fans, that teases the prospect of drip videos. First started by Karim Benzema, many players now document their holidays in the off-season through lifestyle videos with the latest tracks to share to their fans across social media and Thuram is giving nothing away as to whether we’ll be seeing one from him soon. “This summer?” he smiles.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to speak to the boss, you’ll have to speak to Lamabe [his videographer], not to me. I don’t know if I’m doing something, it’s a little secret.”
Imagery Shot By: Shane Bain
Styled By: Marcus Thuram himself
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
