Manchester United’s First Runway Show in China Combines Football and Fashion, in Hublot’s “Art of Fusion”
Hublot presented an exceptional fashion show in partnership with the world’s most famous football club, Manchester United. A group of footballing stars, including Rio Ferdinand, Javier Hernandez, and Shinji Kagawa, participated in this event along with first team manager Sir Alex Ferguson. They took to the catwalk to showcase a collection of iconic Hublot timepieces.
After the fashion show, Sir Alex Ferguson and Hublot’s Brand Director in China, Loic Biver, presided over a live charity auction the proceeds of which will benefit the ‘United for UNICEF’ partnership, helping UNICEF to give every child the best start in life. Hublot prepared an exclusive timepiece for the auction; this was an exact replica of those manufactured specially for the Manchester United squad, made exclusive by the inclusion of Sir Alex Ferguson’s signature, engraved on the reverse.
A footballing giant with over a century of history and glittering with honours, Manchester United have a splendid record of success and have become the world’s best-supported team. In 2008, Hublot proudly became Manchester United’s “Official Timekeeping Partner”, in the first partnership of its kind between a luxury watch brand and a football club.
To mark the partnership, Hublot have developed three limited edition watches named after the Red Devils, highlighting the solidarity between the two iconic brands. The third edition of Hublot’s official Manchester United timepiece, the King Power Red Devil, even incorporates real blades of grass from the hallowed turf of the legendary Old Trafford pitch, embedded in each index on its dial. Perfectly demonstrating the ‘Art of Fusion,’ Hublot here acknowledge their football partner through exquisite design.
“We are happy to be in China and to be able to bring such a fantastic fashion and charity event to Shanghai,” said manager Sir Alex Ferguson. “Money raised for the United for UNICEF partnership is invaluable in protecting the lives of young people across the world, and we are pleased to be able to harness the power of our partnership with Hublot to help that cause.”
“At Hublot, we pride ourselves on embodying the ‘Art of Fusion,’ which is perfectly demonstrated by our partnership with Manchester United. We both strongly believe in sharing and giving, so we hope that the footballing spirit of Manchester United, combined with the watchmaking expertise and the power of the Hublot brand, can open up unlimited possibilities for charitable initiatives,” said Loic Biver.
Manchester United players, including Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, and Shinji Kagawa, took to the catwalk to showcase a unique collection of Hublot timepieces. Highly professional, they each provided their own take on the transition from sporting hero to model.
Before the fashion show, Sir Alex Ferguson was also invited to attend the opening ceremony of Hublot’s brand new boutique, located on Nanjing Road West 1079. The new store design adheres to Hublot’s distinguished style, the decor incorporating low-key but simultaneously luxurious elements. Within the boutique, customers are able to observe the watchmaking procedure through a ‘magic showcase.’
