João Neves is an atypical player. At just 22 years old, he sets the pace on the field for the best team in Europe with surprising maturity; despite his rising status as Golden Boy , his name shuns the typical clamor of superstars. The reason is simple: Neves is the antithesis of individualism. He is first and foremost a team player, the man who unites, connects the departments, and enhances those around him with his passes and reads. It is precisely this ability to earn the trust of the locker room, proving to be a loyal “friend” to his teammates before being a star, that has caught the attention of Ami Paris. The French fashion house has chosen him as the face of the new Spring Collection because it sees in him a young man who always puts the collective before himself, demonstrating that true elegance lies not in ego or ostentation, but in authenticity and a sense of belonging.
João is small and clean-shaven. He has a baby face, seeming like he will never grow up. Yet, he is one of the best midfielders in the world. You wouldn’t say so, looking at him. Instead, he has grit, strength, and, above all, exquisite technique. “Sometimes people underestimate me because of my stature and lack of physicality,” he said. “But football is also a matter of intelligence. When you don’t have the physique, you have to be clever. It’s all about what you have in your head.” A lucid, cerebral, and deeply mature approach that Ami Paris has intercepted. Thus, in the new collection, there is a new elegance: that of a different athlete, who does not need to flaunt muscles or excesses to impose himself, preferring to be noticed by the discreet strength of thought.
This spirit – a sober, practical luxury, free of unnecessary excesses – translates perfectly into the wardrobe imagined by Ami Paris Creative Director Alexandre Mattiussi. The new Spring Collection is born from an idea of collectivity and naturalness designed for outdoor life and sunny days. The key concept is layering, an intelligent stratification where each piece maintains its own identity while working in perfect synergy with the others, in a continuous interplay of interlocking. We thus find essential pieces for the mid-season reinterpreted with freshness: structured trench coats, lightweight windbreakers, and soft suede overshirts that pair with wide bermuda shorts, piqué polos, and argyle vests with traditional patterns reimagined. Contributing to the coherence of this relaxed, sporty yet timeless vision is a earthy palette rooted in nature, where fir green, camel, white, and chocolate blend effortlessly with touches of yellow and mélange gray. An elegance easy to wear, that dresses the body without constraining it and does not need to shout to be remembered.
It is exactly this relaxed attitude that emerges from the images of the campaign, a visual narrative that escapes the clichés of the classic fashion ad. Instead of focusing on his ball skills, the lens captures the real João Neves: a boy with a thousand facets, free and instinctive. We see him immersed in colors like a painter, grappling with the imposing presence of a tuba, focused in front of a chessboard, or in a moment of tenderness while petting a dog. No diva poses, but the sincere portrait of a playful and naturally cool, who appreciates the intellectual challenge as much as normality. And there is no better summary, to close the circle on who João really is, than his candid response when, off set, he is asked if he considers himself a sporty type: “I’m good at football,” he replied. A lightness and modesty that, today, are as rare and precious as his talent.