Will Toronto change Lorenzo Insigne's style?

After months of waiting and painful divorce from Napoli, Lorenzo Insigne has finally landed in Canada where he will begin the second part of his career, and Toronto immediately responded to the Italian footballer's arrival with the usual great enthusiasm when it comes to sports. Hundreds of people thronged to welcome him at the airport amid choruses and applause to Insigne dressed in full Celine look, in the first crowd bath on Canadian soil. 

And while his debut on the field is awaited, one of the symbols of The Six immediately made him a local icon with a capsule collection. We are talking, of course, about Drake, who never wastes a second when it comes to supporting the sport of his hometown, who with his brand OVO has created a collaboration together with the Toronto team precisely on the occasion of the arrival of the Neapolitan player. Three hoodies in black, white, and red with the symbol of both the Toronto club and OVO on the chest, the iconic owl, as well as sweatshirts and caps and a T-shirt with the OVO owl wearing a Toronto scarf.

Drake is not only one of the main reasons why the Canadian city has become so cool in recent years, but also one of the most vocal and devoted local fans, often present on the sidelines to follow Toronto teams in all their sporting guises. Of course, the NBA has always had a prominent place in the rapper's heart, but football has also been able to gain prominence in recent years with the MLS Cup win in 2017 also thanks to Sebastian Giovinco's goals. And now in Canada they hope that another funambulistic Italian talent can bring them back to the same result. 

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Aesthetic history of Toronto FC

At the same time, Insigne in Canada finds a new football, far removed from what he has been used to in Europe, but a fast-growing movement that spares no expense in investment both on and off the field. Sport overseas is different from what one experiences in Naples, both in terms of aesthetics and branding, and soccer is no exception. Toronto in recent years has managed to create a recognizable and elegant style hinged on the club's logo, a shield with a large T in the center, and adidas jerseys that play with both vintage and symbols of Canada as done with the cedar leaf. 

A strong difference from the Napoli aesthetic, less calculated and more instinctive, reflecting the genuine passion and enthusiasm of the city and which in Insigne found a great representative. Indeed, the number 24 has always remained true to his hometown, merging with the traditions and colors to such an extent that the separation was so painful, and not embracing the trend of football players toward high fashion but remaining more to a basic version of the athlete. Insigne's looks have never strayed from classic leisurewear made up of sweatshirts, tracksuits or sneakers by adidas, of which he is Brand Ambassador, not exactly the outfits his colleagues have shown up with at shows during Fashion Weeks. 

His Instagram feed is a long sequence of team photos in formation before the game with the dozens of jerseys used by Napoli interspersed with other familiar ones with his wife and children. And instead of Drake's rap, he prefers Neapolitan neo-melodic music, whether it's the unofficial chorus "Un giorno all'improvviso" or the catchphrase that accompanied his European Championship win "Ma quale Dieta." An overlap with the city in which he lived and for which he played so perfect and that he will inevitably now have to change, perhaps following the aesthetic of his new team.

In fact, Toronto has invested heavily in Insigne and hopes that he can become not only its best player on the field but a testimonial that can further grow the appeal of MLS football around the world. It is no coincidence that Hublot signed the Neapolitan talent, taking advantage of his immediate internationality, as soon as he set foot in Canada and that OVO has already celebrated him with a collaboration. Will Insigne now be able to revolutionize his aesthetic and communication to adapt to this new context?