The interview: Demy de Zeeuw, Co-Founder, BALR.

Former Dutch international football player Demy de Zeeuw talks to TheIndustry.fashion about fusing fashion and professional footballer lifestyles with his BALR. brand.

BALR. is a Dutch fashion brand founded in 2013 by former Ajax and Netherlands midfielder Demy de Zeeuw, and internet entrepreneurs Ralph de Geus and Juul Manders.

The three actually met back in 2011 and connected on a shared passion for the power of social media, strong content and football, which led to the launch of BALR., a premium off-the-pitch lifestyle brand featuring menswear, womenswear and accessories inspired by the lifestyle of professional footballers. There’s logo T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tracksuits, bomber jackets, underwear, swimwear, jeans, leather jackets, bags, footwear and a whole lot more.

Last month saw the full launch of its men’s ‘Reflect’ eau de parfum and four women’s scents. BALR.1,2 and 3, as well as ‘Glory’, after a soft trial last year. They all come in a hexagon shaped bottle. With its six sides, it’s a nod to the ‘six pillars of the brand’: Sports, fashion, music, toys, lifestyle and travel. The hexagon features strongly across a lot of the branding in the clothing too.

Another new addition to the offer is a sustainable eyewear collection which launched in May 2022, made from aerospace grade nylon.

The founding BALR. trio also own the social football community and marking agency, 433, along with social media management and content production company, Wannahaves. All three businesses fall under parent company Juramy B.V.

Powered through the 433 social football community, which has over 70 million followers on Instagram, BALR. products have been worn by big name players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Dani Alvez and Roberto Firmino.

It’s not just footballers who have been spotted in BALR. products either, musicians such as Usher and Brazilian model and actress Adriana Lima have been seen in it, and the brand has also collaborated with other global fashion players such as Puma and Rolex.

433 is one of the largest sports social communities in the world which gives fans “inside the locker room” insights and rare films and footage of their favourite players. BALR. aims to make the footballer lifestyle more accessible to a wider audience and has a perfect outlet to do that through 433.

Borussia Dortmund footballer and former Liverpool star, Emre Can, is BALR.’s new brand ambassador, featuring in the brand’s latest campaign, “Through the eyes of a BALR.” for SS22. It focuses on “the world where football and fashion meet”. Demy de Zeeuw gives us an insight into his brand’s world.

How did the BALR. brand name come about?

When we started out, we wanted a name that was directly linked to football. With BALR. we found a strong combination between football and being a ‘baller’. It’s short, catchy and instantly recognisable. It’s exactly what the brand stands for.

When and where was BALR. founded and with what products at first?

We started BALR. back in November of 2013, and our first collection of T-shirts featured names and birth years of legendary football players on the back. They came in high-quality boxes and the whole unpacking experience was unique. The range sold extremely well, and from there on out we expanded the collection with premium items that all fit within the lifestyle of professional football players when they step off the pitch.

How has that grown, and what other products have been added?

We organically expanded our range with more pieces, but also accessories like phone cases and key cords. Today we cover the full range, from footwear to outerwear for men and women, and now eau de parfum. We’ve even gone beyond pure fashion and also have our own bed, boat and apartments. Last month we launched a new eyewear collection which is made from aerospace grade nylon that uses proprietary technology to create sunglasses with zero waste.

Why has Emre Can been chosen as the new brand ambassador?

I know Emre through my personal network. He fits the brand perfectly, as he’s a stylish player both on and off the pitch and plays at the highest possible level. In other words, he’s the perfect BALR. We’ve also worked with Fernando Torres, Antony and James Maddison in the past. Those partnerships have always been very successful.

Emre Can: BALR. brand ambassador

How would you best describe BALR.’s main products?

We always use our core colours of black, white, grey and navy, which make our collection strong and cohesive. Clean, comfortable and minimalistic designs are what define our pieces, and we produce nearly all our items in Europe to ensure premium quality.

Who is the target market?

Our target market is mostly young men and women who are active on social media, spend money and time on their looks and love to travel. Additionally, they love sports and more specifically football.

What is the USP?

BALR. is the only authentic brand that is inspired by the lifestyle of professional football players. Nowadays this captures more than just the world of football, as the brand is also a good fit for rappers, entrepreneurs and other successful people. It’s all about working hard to achieve greatness, in whatever field you choose.

What’s your main role in the BALR. brand?

We have a strong team with people who complement each other. I’m more focussed on the creative and visual side, while my partners are more focussed on the business and back-end side of things.

What football players and celebrities have been seen wearing BALR. and what particular pieces?

There’s too many to name them all but some examples are Neymar Jr., Marcelo, Angel Di Maria, Ivan Rakitic, Fernando Torres, but we’ve also had the likes of Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, American footballer Odell Beckham Jr., Dutch DJ’s Hardwell and Tiësto, and American rapper and record producer Swizz Beatz. They usually wear a piece from our iconic collection featuring the big logo. It’s what we started out with and is a piece that almost everyone has seen once in their lives.

BALR. SS22

Do they wear it out of choice, or are they paid to wear it?

We’ve never paid people to wear our clothes. We usually get in touch through our network of players, managers or stylists and send them the items they like. That they wear it is purely their choice, which I always see as the biggest compliment we can get.

What are the plans to grow the brand going forward?

We keep innovating and designing new collections and campaigns that build our brand across the world. To do so, we hire the most talented people who understand the worlds of fashion and football. It’s a truly global business and our SS22 collections, ‘Las Vegas’ and ‘Ibiza’, reflect that. There’s an international feel, as it’s all about like-minded people wherever they are.

Is BALR. just sold direct-to-consumer from your website or in stores too?

We started out with just e-commerce, but we now sell through retailers as well. In the UK you can find BALR. at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, for example. We have our own BALR. stores in Utrecht, Roosendaal, Roermond and Lelystad in the Netherlands, Maasmechelen in Belgium and Oberhausen in Germany. Due to the COVID pandemic we paused our retail plans, but a renewed retail experience is definitely in our future - in major cities like London and Paris.

Is BALR. big on social media?

We were one of the first brands to really take Instagram seriously, and that’s why we’ve currently got 1.2 million followers. We’ve noticed that due to the algorithm changes in the past couple of years, less traffic is coming in via the platform, but it remains a good way to communicate with the community. We also use other channels like our sister company, 433, which has over 70 million followers on Instagram, to spread the word of BALR.

What is 433 exactly?

433 is the biggest football community on social media. We reach more than 300 million people per month through all our channels, aiming to positively impact the world through football. We work with all the football clubs, leagues and federations and we help commercial partners like video game publisher Activision, Puma and Just Eat takeaway reach a young, football-minded audience.

When did your football career finish and how important has it been to still have strong contacts in the game to spread the word about BALR.?

I quit football about seven years ago, but I’m still very much in touch with a lot of players. That’s really useful for business as I notice that players like to do business with someone who’s been where they are at.

What were your biggest three moments as a professional football player and why?

The first was my professional debut. You work towards that moment your whole young life. Second was winning the Dutch title with Ajax in a direct duel for the top spot in a sold-out Amsterdam ArenA. That marked the third star (title) for the club, so it meant even more to everyone that we won that game. The third moment was representing my country on the biggest stage during the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

What collaborations have you done with BALR.?

We have multiple collaborations per year, most recently with Absolut Vodka. One of my personal favourites was the one we did with Puma and Antoine Griezmann. We’ve also partnered with (RED) – a non-profit organisation founded by U2’s Bono to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. We designed and developed a collection with them, of which a part of the revenue was donated to (RED). Besides it being amazing to do something for a great cause, it marked the first major international collaboration and gave us visibility on American TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live! We also had DJ Khaled promoting our products.

What are your strongest markets and where do you see real potential to grow?

Of course, our home base in the Netherlands is strong, but next to that Germany is an important market and the UK is another key market for the brand. Outside of Europe, the Middle East and Japan are strong regions. But the potential of BALR. is truly global.

Where do you see BALR. in five years time?

In five years we will have even stronger collections and a lot more people will have a clear understanding of the BALR. brand and what we stand for.

Who would be your ultimate brand ambassador for BALR.?

Lewis Hamilton. He’s great at what he does, he speaks his mind and loves the lifestyle that comes with his occupation. He’s not a football player, but he is a BALR. in every way - a successful athlete who is not afraid to make bold statements. He’s also incredibly stylish and loves to live the good life. BALR. has football in its DNA, but the BALR. lifestyle transcends football. It goes for every successful athlete, entrepreneur or artist.

Read our recent feature on Why luxury brands and footballers are a perfect match here