“The new runway is from the carpark to the dressing room.”
In Conversation with Christian Savino and David Bettenhausen
FASHION MEETS FOOTBALL IS A PLATFORM THAT UNITES ATHLETES, CREATIVES, ARTISTS, AND BRANDS IN CULTURE-DEFINING MOMENTS. THIS IS THEIR STORY SO FAR.
FOOTBALL AND CULTURE
Miami Art Basel, an event synonymous with innovation and creativity, hosted one of its most dynamic activations of 2024 — Fashion Meets Football.
This three-day extravaganza presented by Mundial Partners, celebrated the intersection of fashion, sport, music, and art on one of the world’s biggest creative stages.
The event featured collaborations with global icons like Juventus, adidas, Classic Football Shirts, and Senda Athletics, highlighting the explosive crossover between football and culture.
A FUSION OF ICONS
Fashion Meets Football showcased exclusive collaborations that turned heads and sparked conversations. Juventus and Adidas partnered with artists such as Diana Al Shammari, Gaby Mas, Tom Ellis, and Akki Zhao to create one-of-a-kind art pieces.
These works, which blend football’s essence with avant-garde design, captivated audiences and set a new benchmark for sports-inspired artistry.
The centrepiece of the campaign was a VIP rooftop cocktail party that transformed into a pop-up fashion show. The show culminated in NFL star Olamide Zaccheaus gracing the runway adorning a 1 of 1 FMF commissioned FMF x Juventus x adidas varsity letterman jacket by AKKI ®, blurring the lines between the American and European iterations of the beautiful game.
Complementing the visual spectacle was an intimate DJ set by Nick Cheo at the Pelé Soccer store, which underscored the synergy of music, fashion, and football.
The weekend series of events wrapped up with the Creators Cup, a high-energy 6v6 tournament, which brought together former pro players, influencers, and fans, each donning artist-designed Fashion Meets Football kits.
I don’t think it can be underestimated the impact this event has had on the intersection between fashion and football. It has taken it to the next level, showcasing these two industries’ incredible potential when they collide.
THE VISION BEHIND THE PLATFORM
Fashion Meets Football is the brainchild of Mundial Partners, a marketing agency and venture studio redefining brand-audience connections.
Co-founders David Bettenhausen and Christian Savino, childhood friends from Pennsylvania, have built a platform that amplifies football’s influence on global culture.
“Our tagline, ‘The new runway is from the carpark to the dressing room,’ encapsulates how footballers’ off-pitch style shapes fashion trends,” says David.
The idea for Fashion Meets Football was born out of a love for storytelling, football, and connecting people.
“We saw a gap in the market for a platform dedicated to the cultural impact of football on fashion,” explains David. “With our complementary backgrounds—Christian in creative media and myself in technology and operations—we knew we could fill that space.”
Their innovative approach has attracted a strong roster of early clients, including Juventus Football Club and adidas, and influential figures like Raheem Taylor-Parkes and USMNT’s Auston Trusty.
The duo’s ability to merge operational expertise with creative vision has led to groundbreaking campaigns, including Juventus’ 2024/25 jersey launch in the US market in July of last year.
THE GROWTH OF FOOTBALL IN THE USA
As the U.S. gears up to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, football’s footprint in America is expanding rapidly. Christian notes the growing quality of American talent and the rising popularity of MLS and NWSL. “The upcoming World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime commercial opportunity,” he says. “The stage is set for US Soccer to shine globally.”
CULTURAL SYNERGY
Fashion Meets Football goes beyond sport and style by incorporating music and art into its DNA. “These spheres are naturally complementary,” says David. “Our events create spaces where diverse backgrounds converge, fostering collaboration and community.”
Their Miami activation exemplifies this ethos, with creatives like Saint Harris and Sakiido River contributing creative visions to the event.
THE ROAD AHEAD
With plans to relocate their headquarters to Miami in 2025, Mundial Partners is poised to build on the momentum of Fashion Meets Football. Their mission remains clear: to grow the beautiful game in America while connecting brands, teams, and fans through authentic cultural moments.
For now, Christian and David continue to redefine how football connects with broader cultural trends. “Fashion Meets Football is about more than events,” says Christian. “It’s about creating a lasting impact at the intersection of sport, style, and culture.”
As we now step firmly into 2025, there is absolutely no doubt that Christian and David’s journey is only just beginning.
The sense of excitement the team has created around this venture is palpable and undeniably contagious. You can’t help but feed off their energy and passion for a project where the sky really is the limit.
It was a pleasure for The Atlantic Dispatch to sit down with Christian Savino and David Bettenhausen as we spoke about the adventure they are embarking on, what the future holds and how Fashion has become the main form of self-expression off the pitch for many of the world’s top footballers.
CONNECTING WITH THE U.S. AUDIENCE
David: We both grew up right outside of Philadelphia – I’m originally from Media, PA, while Chris is originally from Downingtown, PA. As best friends from high school, building a company together has truly been a dream.
Before launching Mundial Partners and Fashion Meets Football, Chris won the Cannes Young Lions Competition for the Media Category and I had built and exited an aviation software business.
Football brought us together, and it’s our mission to grow the beautiful game in America – helping brands and teams authentically connect with the US audience along the way.
These days the two of us spend most of the time on the road supporting our customers, but our main office is in New York City. In 2025, we’re planning to open up another main office down in Miami, FL.
WE FELT THERE WAS A BLANK SPACE IN THE MARKET
David: If you can believe it, Fashion Meets Football started as a side project. Our good friend and fellow creative, Raheem Taylor-Parkes, has hosted art exhibitions and fashion shows in the past.
Raheem worked with us to bring to life our launch campaign in New York City – playing pivotal roles from coming up with creative ideas to inviting influential guests to host the panel discussion and much more. He is very important to our team.
To many on the outside, he is even seen as the face of Football Meets Fashion, while Chris and I are really the engines behind the scenes that make this thing go. We’re grateful to Raheem and everyone else who has contributed to helping us get to where we are today.
We all have a mutual love of football, story-telling, and connecting people. With Fashion Meets Football, we sought to create a platform that paid homage to football’s outsised impact on defining fashion and culture globally.
We felt there was a blank space in the market, and we were the best two guys in the world to build and lead a team in filling this space.
THERE IS A ONCE IN LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR US
David: There are a few different trends we’re leaning into here at Fashion Meets Football. Players’ love for fashion: Our founding tagline for Fashion Meets Football is:
“The new runway is from the carpark to the dressing room.”
We believe that what players wear as they’re headed into the stadium is just as important, if not more important, than what supermodels are wearing down the runways of Paris, and New York.
Fashion has become the main form of self-expression off the pitch for many of the world’s top footballers.
Rising Crossover Collaborations and Celebrity Influence: From Off-White x A.C. Milan to Travis Scott x Nike Secret Tournament to Ryan Reynolds & Rob Mcelhenney x Wrexham FC, we’re seeing what happens off the pitch has taken an even larger stage in global pop culture.
There is no shortage of examples to draw on here. The challenge comes in continuing to expand on these successful collaborations without diluting the brands involved – teams, celebs, and brands all need to be very mindful of staying authentic to who they are.
Market Timing: The FIFA World Cup will be kicking off on US soil for the first time since 1994. With billions of people tuning in from all over the world, this is the most important moment in the next decade for marketing and brand leaders. There is a once-in-a-lifetime commercial opportunity ahead of us.
We also believe we have an unfair advantage in winning this market. The obvious part is that our backgrounds as a founding team, Chris and I are very complementary – Chris brings the Creative, Marketing, & Media background, while I bring the Entrepreneurial, Technology and Operations background.
Beyond this – another part of what makes us special as a founding team is how close we are to some of the top American footballers.
We grew up playing with these guys – and we’re still best friends with some of them to this day. Auston Trusty, the Celtic FC and USMNT centre-back is even involved as a formal strategic advisor to our business. This access to top players for learning and feedback is very unique.
THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC BRANDS
David: With Chris’ creative mind and my operational expertise, we brought this concept to life in the summer of 2024 – going from an initial idea to signing six sponsors in six weeks and executing a one-of-a-kind integrated campaign centred around Juventus Football Club’s launch of the home jersey for the 2024/25 season.
After we pulled off the launch activation and campaign in New York City, we knew we had something very special. Chris went to work that Monday and quit his current job at a large media agency.
Seeing this idea come to life for some of the world’s most iconic brands was too exhilarating for Chris to go back to his big agency job and climb the corporate ladder.
I had signed documents to sell Aerotrax the day before the New York City campaign launched, and while the idea of relaxing and taking time off sounded nice, we had the itch to get right back into the arena.
A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE
Chris: We’ve been privileged to collaborate with brands across diverse industries, turning visionary activations into reality.
As someone passionate about creating unique experiences, it was a dream come true to see our Miami project come alive, where three exceptional artists designed six incredible pieces for Juventus and adidas that we commissioned.
These collaborations stem from a strategic focus on brands we’ve always aspired to work with and to present them with innovative concepts that bridge the worlds of fashion and sport.
Bringing these activations to life required relentless communication, organisation, and dedication, but the reward of seeing ideas realised, while contributing to the growth of football in the U.S., is immeasurable.
While collaborations between clubs, brands, designers, and artists are thriving, we felt there was no dedicated platform to bring these synergies to life in an in-person setting.
Fashion Meets Football was born to fill that gap – creating spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can connect, share ideas, and be inspired to collaborate further.
At our New York City launch, we met a group of extraordinary individuals who attended as guests but showed immense enthusiasm for helping grow the initiative.
We later partnered with many of these individuals – like Saint Harris, Akki Zhao, and Asma Merzougui – to bring the Miami project to life, officially welcoming them into the team and empowering them to realise their creative ideas.
This journey embodies the heart of Fashion Meets Football: fostering collaboration and creating a community where everyone has a voice.
THE INFLEXION POINT IN THE GROWTH OF THE GAME IN THE U.S.
Chris: The quality of talent coming up through the ranks of U.S. Soccer is truly invigorating. There are so many young footballers crushing it in top leagues and in top teams across the world. If I start to write some shout-outs, I’m afraid it’ll take over the entire article.
Beyond the individual talents and overall quality of U.S. Soccer, it’s also fantastic to see the MLS and NWSL grow dramatically in popularity in the U.S. and across the world. It’s perfect for the game as a whole to see the U.S. audience embrace both of these leagues.
We’re very excited for the United States to host the World Cup. With the American players firing on all cylinders for both club and country, the new manager Mauricio Pochettino leading the team, and the pipeline of youngsters breaking into top football, there’s a lot to look forward to.
David: I am also of the impression most people are underestimating the importance of this moment for U.S. Soccer. We see the 2024 World Cup as the inflexion point in the growth of the game in the U.S.
CULTURE DEFINING EVENTS
David: Fashion Meets Football’s decade-long vision focuses on expanding influence across fashion, sports, and media to build a comprehensive cultural platform that meaningfully shapes consumer decisions.
As far as 2025 goes, we have plans to bring Fashion Meets Football activations to key U.S. market cities like LA, New York, and others.
We also plan to bring our proprietary digital operating system and user-generated content measurement system, which we built to manage large-scale integrated marketing campaigns, as a service for select brand clients.
All our thanks to David Bettenhausen and Christian Savino
Fashion Meets Football Instagram