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MILAN — The synergy between fashion and sports is stronger than ever.
If the former nosedived into plenty of opportunities the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics had to offer, the latter is returning the favor at Milan Fashion Week.
Capping the opening day of the event, soccer club AC Milan and Puma officially revealed their collaboration with Italian streetwear company Slam Jam, with whom they have designed the team’s fourth kit for this season. A special event was hosted at Slam Jam’s multidisciplinary hub Spazio Maiocchi, at the presence of guests and key players of the club, including Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Luka Modrić and American winger Christian Pulisic, who also appear in the dedicated campaign.
AC Milan players attending the event for the launch of the fourth kit with Puma and Slam Jam at Milan Fashion Week.
Courtesy of AC Milan
Following in the footsteps of tie-ups previously unveiled with the likes of Nemen, Koché, Pleasures and Off-White for the same initiative, the Slam Jam designs looked to reinterpret the club’s rich heritage through modern lenses, playing with insignia including its traditional crest and the Devil mascot.
Launching on Wednesday on AC Milan and Puma’s online stores and select retailers worldwide, the collaboration is built around the theme of “Benvenuti all’Inferno,” or “Welcome to Hell” in English, to echo the team’s founding declaration: “we will be a team of Devils.”
Detail of the new AC Milan fourth kit designed by Puma in collaboration with Slam Jam.
Courtesy of AC Milan
Inspired by original sketches from designer Bruno Prosdocimi, an iconography appears on the jersey as well as hidden within the lining of a limited-edition version. Both crafted from dryCELL technology for comfort and moisture management, the jerseys are available either in red or sleek silver in a nod to the club’s and Slam Jam’s signature aesthetics, respectively.
In addition to the matching jerseys, the collaboration include co-branded track jackets featuring Slam Jam’s motto “Chaos is order,” matching pants and accessories. Prices range from 120 euros for the players’ jersey to 170 euros for the limited edition, coming with extra details and in a special packaging.
Luca Benini, the streetwear maven who founded Slam Jam in 1989 and was instrumental in introducing global brands to the European market, enthused about the partnership, being a big fan of the Milanese club. “The opportunity to serve the team we love with our creative vision is a lifetime accomplishment we are very proud of,” he said.
AC Milan player Rafael Leão wearing fourth kit designed by Puma in collaboration with Slam Jam.
Courtesy of AC Milan
Marco Mueller, Puma’s vice president, product excellence and brand operations, underscored how “Milan is a club — and a city — synonymous with fashion” and didn’t hide his satisfaction for creating “a collection that feels as unique on the pitch as it does in the stands.”
“From iconic colors and bold themes to refined details like the hidden gargoyle face on the inner lining of the limited-edition jersey, it’s that attention to detail across the collection that we believe fans and players will really connect with,” said Mueller.
The campaign for the new AC Milan fourth kit designed by Puma in collaboration with Slam Jam.
Courtesy of AC Milan
Maikel Oettle, chief revenue officer of AC Milan, added that the fourth kit “represents a natural meeting point between football, fashion, and culture” and every detail in it “reflects identity, passion, and a deep sense of belonging.”
The kit was teased on-field during the Italian championship match AC Milan played against Parma over the weekend, in front of the club’s supporters and special guests, including Megan Thee Stallion.
Megan Thee Stallion showing off the new AC Milan fourth kit at the San Siri stadium.
Courtesy of AC Milan
The rapper and songwriter is only the last of a long streak of international names popping up at the San Siro stadium, signaling the club’s ambitions to position itself at the intersection between sports and entertainment. Other personalities recently seen in attendance of the team’s matches spanned from NFL legend Tom Brady to Olympic and Paralympic delegations comprising Italian alpine skier Giovanni Franzoni, figure skating Olympic champion Sui Wenjing, U.S. Paralympic medallist Ezra Frech, to cite a few.
AC Milan’s brand elevation has accelerated since the Italian club was acquired in 2022 by RedBird Capital Partners, the American investment firm founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale. As a result, the club also heightened its U.S.-centric focus, asking Tiffany & Co. to create the special trophy to be bestowed to inductees into its Hall of Fame as part of the celebrations of its 125th anniversary or collaborating with the New York Yankees, for example.
American soccer player Christian Pulisic wearing the fourth kit on Sunday.
Courtesy of AC Milan
As for Slam Jam, started from a garage in Ferrara, Italy, Benini’s brainchild was on the scene way before streetwear became mainstream. Benini established the first Italian company to distribute cool American streetwear brands in the country, having catapulted the likes of Stüssy, Carhartt WIP and Alpha Industries to Italian and European fame, and embracing a sense of all-are-welcome style by blending music, art and clubbing outside of the European fashion establishment.
What kicked off as a small warehouse operation in Ferrara evolved into a global company that highlights urban subcultures and their cultural influence. From the mid-2000s onwards, Slam Jam gradually expanded its scope, adding a direct-to-consumer business with retail on top of its distribution arm. Benini, who is also behind some of the sector’s successful collaborations — including Napapijri and Martine Rose, Oakley and Samuel Ross — is also committed in continuing to explore Slam Jam’s role as cultural promoter, which was fueled with the opening of the Spazio Maiocchi in Milan in 2017.
