Rhude Introduces Spring 2027 Men’s Collection

During our conversation at Rhude’s Paris showroom, Rhuigi Villaseñor explained that the convergence of sports and fashion presents a unique opportunity for full integration. With a background that includes founding Rhude in 2015, serving as creative director at Bally, collaborating with Zara, and now leading Como 1907’s brand as chief brand officer since 2024, he is uniquely positioned to explore this synergy.

In addition to posting his iconic cigar-and-fine-wine selfies while traveling in Rivas around the world’s most prestigious luxury lake, his role at Como has immersed him in the evolving world of football apparel. From this experience, he has identified a structural opportunity in how sportswear giants serve football clubs. While the largest and most affluent clubs—such as Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich—receive considerable attention, investment, and distribution power, clubs at lower tiers often receive far less.

Villaseñor proposes a new partnership model that views clubs as cultural assets with inherent fashion value. Leveraging Rhude’s luxury positioning and the sports‑focused brand Rhu, he has teamed with Lorenzo Boglione of BasicNet, a leading Italian sportswear manufacturer and distributor, to create a system that gives clubs with strong identities but limited global reach better margins, heightened visibility, and access to premium retail spaces. He notes that 17 prominent European clubs, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, have already joined the initiative.

The designer discussed these points while we examined his Rhude rail. He observed that younger consumers are drawn to vintage inspiration, and given his long career, he feels capable of archiving the brand’s own legacy. Rhude’s signature chevron pattern, reminiscent of classic Marlboro styles, was incorporated throughout the collection—from the eyelets on suede slip‑on sneakers that echo Repetto designs, to the collar of a bronze MA‑1 jacket, and the pocket flaps of a sharply tailored black leather field jacket. The lineup featured meticulously crafted rugby jerseys, waffle‑knit henleys, Como‑inspired camp‑collar shirts depicting sailing scenes, chinoiserie‑patterned house shorts, raw‑linen track tops, and a linen jumpsuit with a Neapolitan white‑on‑black chalk stripe. A standout piece was a horizontally ribbed terry top in blue and red stripes, merging motifs from French haute couture bouclé tailoring with upcycled elements drawn from tech‑savvy mid‑layer gorpcore.

Although Rhude appears to be thriving, the brand is no longer the sole focus of Villaseñor’s universe. He remarks, “As long as we stay curious, I believe it will continue to work.”

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