Fred Perry and Kris Van Assche Rework the Uniform of Youth
The brand and Belgian designer have teamed up to rethink the classic polo and tracksuit, merging sportswear with tailored detailing for a new take on youth style
Classic pieces, reimagined
Fred Perry has partnered with Belgian designer Kris Van Assche for a new 13-piece collection that merges the brand’s sportswear heritage with tailored and streetwise sensibilities.
The collaboration, which launched February 19 in key European cities, Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi, Sydney, and select global accounts, reflects Van Assche’s reputation for combining minimal design with unexpected juxtapositions.
In the Philippines, the collection is available exclusively at UNIVERS Shang and online at univers.ph.
Van Assche, former artistic director of Dior Homme and Berluti, said the project is “coming full circle.” He has long drawn inspiration from Fred Perry, often pairing vintage skinny suits with the brand’s shirts during his student days at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
“Sports and diverse youth subcultural identities have been a major source of inspiration. Fred Perry stands for that.”
The collection reinterprets classic Fred Perry pieces. The polo shirt is offered in bold red with badges featuring photographs of flowers from Van Assche’s personal collection. A white cotton pique version includes black twin tipping, black buttons, and a pre-tied adjustable tie.
The tracksuit is redesigned as a suit with black pinstripe tailoring, adjustable belts, and silver hardware, while a matching track skirt is also offered.
Additional pieces include a casual blazer with tailored shorts, a half-zip sweatshirt with poplin sleeves, and knitwear that uses trompe-l’œil detailing to create the appearance of layered garments.
Patterns, motif, and sporty elegance
Argyle and floral patterns appear throughout, referencing both traditional British styles and Van Assche’s personal motifs. A black cap completes the collection, bridging the gap between sport and elevated style.
Van Assche described the process of working with Fred Perry as “a dream come true,” noting that archival pieces provided both inspiration and surprises, including a knit with a flower motif that he reworked for the collection. He also praised the brand’s founder, Fred Perry, for demonstrating how clothing can serve as a tool for self-presentation and social mobility.
The collection offers a reinterpretation of Fred Perry’s classic uniforms for a new generation, emphasizing flexibility between sportswear and tailored style.
The collection is a 13-piece collaboration that merges Fred Perry’s classic sportswear with Kris Van Assche’s street-inspired design. It includes polos, tracksuits, tailored shorts, blazers, knitwear, and accessories.
The collection launched on February 19 and is available in Fred Perry stores in key European cities, as well as Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi, Sydney, and select global wholesale accounts.
Highlights include a red polo with flower badges, a white pique shirt with a pre-tied tie, pinstriped track jackets and pants, a track skirt, a casual blazer with tailored shorts, half-zip sweatshirts, and trompe-l’œil knitwear.
Van Assche drew inspiration from Fred Perry’s history with youth subcultures, his own past wearing Fred Perry shirts with vintage suits, and his longstanding interest in florals, tailoring, and sportswear.
Photos courtesy Fred Perry
