Today, athletic and lifestyle brand Champion opens the doors to a brand-new concession inside Selfridges London. The US brand – founded in Rochester, New York in 1919 – and renowned for being one of the pioneers of athletic apparel and product innovations such as the iconic Reverse Weave sweatshirt, the first Hooded Sweatshirts, breathable mesh fabrics synonymous with the Basketball Uniforms and the first ever Sports Bra, have launched a permanent shop in London’s famous department store. The space will feature a carefully-curated collection of the brand’s most elevated product, inspired by Champion’s unrivalled archives, as well as a selection of exclusive pieces available only at Selfridges London.
To celebrate the launch, and to kick off Champion’s commitment to working with local creatives and creators, the brand has partnered with London-based multidisciplinary craftsman and artist, CurrieGOAT to design a limited-edition series of bespoke artwork patches that can be used to customise and personalise your Champion piece.
In a coming-together of artistry and heritage, CurrieGOAT, who is known for telling meaningful stories through a colourful and opulent ‘tufting’ style, has created four distinct designs that pull inspiration from Champion’s rich varsity history. Just 100 of the exclusive badges have been released to the public, and will be available from the Champion Selfridges London store from Thursday 27th – Saturday 29th June. Customers will have the chance to visit the store to pick up a limited-edition piece whilst stocks last, with free embroidery services available at the space for customers to personalise their Champion purchase.
The Champion shop will also provide a limited and special offering from the brand’s original Made in Japan and Made in the USA capsules. Crafted using the original knitting machines and construction techniques central to Champion’s heritage, these lines truly epitomise the nostalgia and craftsmanship, featuring vintage throwbacks & re-takes on classic hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. Other collections, like the brand’s most elevated product line, Index + Archives, will also be showcased at the store, so fans can shop a wide range of Champion’s collection.
What’s more, Champion has announced a two-month takeover across July and August of the renowned Harry Gordon’s Bar & Kitchen, located on the Lower Ground Floor of Selfridges London. Celebrating vintage Americana and Champion’s sports heritage, not to mention the “Summer of Sport” in 2024, the brand will transform the space into a restaurant space that will take customers through a journey of sports history and clothing archives, within a USA sports bar-styled venue.
Lorenzo Moretti, president EMEA at Champion, says: “I am super excited to open our new concept shop in shop in the always vibrant and evolving environment of Selfridges London. This is the long-awaited union of two brands who were born more than 100 years ago, but are very much a critical piece of the fabric of London in both fashion and culture today.
“We are proud of the many firsts that we have created as a brand including designing the first ever hoodie, developing the first breathable mesh fabric for basketball uniforms and the first sports bra, this store will offer exactly what our customers have come to expect from Champion as well as some surprises from pieces curated from our collections across the US, Europe and Japan, all further complimented by a selection of key collaboration partnerships moving forward. It will provide our customer with a truly fantastic experience.”
CurrieGOAT adds: “Inspired by Champion’s varsity sport legacy, my aim for these designs was to build on the concept of “Champion State University”. – a fitting celebration for the brand’s launch into one of London’s most famous fashion stores.”
Champion’s global vp of design, Jay Escobara, said: “Since the start, my goal has been to share the Champion story and history in a contemporary setting. It’s a reflection and poem to vintage athletics and campus heritage which for decades has formed the genesis of American sport style. It’s the 90s hip-hop eras or 60s collegiate moments. Our versatility and grounded depth of expression is what makes Champion so great to other creatives, artists, musicians and so forth.”
The Champion store is now open at Selfridges London and can be found in Designer Studio on the Third Floor, and launches as part of Selfridges’ celebration of sport this summer.
