
Issue
N°7
Pompeii reinterpreting football aesthetics
A conversation with Cosme Bergareche, Creative Director of the Spanish brand.

Issue
N°7
A conversation with Cosme Bergareche, Creative Director of the Spanish brand.
My role is to define the product and image strategy of the brand, ensuring consistency across everything we do, from design to communication. At Pompeii, we position ourselves as a lifestyle brand with an elegant yet relaxed approach to everyday clothing. We describe it as refined streetwear, a style influenced by sport, nostalgia and culture, blending a sense of modern prep with a youthful edge. My approach is about coherence. Every project, every collection, every collaboration should feel unmistakably Pompeii. It’s not just about creating products, but about building a consistent point of view over time. Making sure that, wherever you encounter the brand, it speaks the same language.

Football has always been a fundamental part of my life. I’ve played it, followed it and worn it for as long as I can remember. It’s not just an interest, it’s part of how I understand culture and community. That naturally translates into my work. Football is one of the key pillars of Pompeii, but we approach it from a slightly different angle. What interests me most is offering a new perspective, showing that football doesn’t have to be purely performance-driven or rooted only in traditional streetwear codes. We try to reinterpret it through a more aesthetic and considered lens, making it relevant for a different kind of audience. I’m particularly drawn to the identity of local clubs and how deeply they are embedded in their communities. They represent more than sport, they reflect a place, a way of life. That’s something we’re always trying to capture.
Football shapes how people dress, how they gather, how they express themselves








What genuinely interests me is the cultural depth of football. It’s one of the few things that cuts across generations, geographies and social contexts, while still maintaining a strong local identity. At Pompeii, we’re not trying to be louder or more technical than others. We’re interested in reframing football through a more refined and fashion-oriented perspective. Exploring how it can exist beyond the pitch, in everyday life. For us, football is not just about the 90 minutes of a match, it’s a continuous presence. It shapes how people dress, how they gather, how they express themselves. That broader universe is what we find most inspiring.
Did it start as an opportunity, or from a real creative intention on your side? The collaboration initially came through an opportunity. They had seen our work with Real Racing Club and reached out, which for us was incredibly exciting. Club América is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it immediately felt like a very natural and ambitious step. From that first contact, the focus quickly shifted to how we could build something meaningful together. The challenge was to create a collection that respected the identity of the club while also staying true to Pompeii’s language, ensuring it felt authentic for both sides.







wasn’t a single defining element, but rather a broader sense of richness. Mexico, as a culture, offers an incredible depth of references, and Club América itself has a very strong visual and historical identity.
Our approach was to reinterpret those elements through our own lens. For example, we looked at the club’s traditional diamond patterns and translated them into an argyle motif, which feels more aligned with a European aesthetic. Similarly, pieces like rugby shirts or cardigans bring that sense of European heritage into the collection. In terms of the product, the inspiration came largely from the club’s archive and identity. For the lookbook, we leaned more into the wider cultural context, creating a dialogue between Mexico City and Madrid. That meant subtly incorporating references that evoke a certain cultural atmosphere, through casting, styling and details, without being overly literal. The intention was not to replicate, but to suggest. To capture a feeling that sits somewhere between both worlds, rather than belonging entirely to one.
An important part of the collaboration for us was bringing Club América into Madrid in a physical and meaningful way. We explored different ideas for how to do this, but many felt either too predictable or not fully aligned with our approach. The idea of building a football pitch was there from early on, initially conceived as something more public within the city. As the project evolved, we realised that placing it in an unexpected, refined setting like the Casino de Madrid created a much stronger contrast. It wasn’t about delivering a literal message, but about creating a visual moment that felt true to Pompeii. You would expect a fashion show in a setting like that, but not a football match. That tension between elegance and the everyday nature of the game is exactly where we feel most comfortable as a brand.


For me, football is an open field creatively. There is still a lot to explore beyond the traditional boundaries of kits and performance wear. What interests me is expanding the idea of football as a lifestyle. The experience of football goes far beyond the match itself, it’s something that exists before, during and after. It influences how people dress, how they travel, how they spend their time. That’s where I see the opportunity. Continuing to reinterpret football through different products, materials and contexts, always pushing it slightly away from the obvious and into something more considered and lasting.
Pompeii Brand