Kate Carlisle previews a unique film screening, exhibition and T-shirt series
Ten years after his passing on March 24, 2016, Dutch football icon Johan Cruyff is being celebrated in his twin cities of Amsterdam and Barcelona. The eponymous fashion brand he launched at the height of his fame is issuing limited-edition T-shirts in the colours of Ajax, Holland and Barça, while a premiere of a behind-the-scenes documentary by Oscar-winning producer James Gay-Rees is being screened at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam on Saturday, March 21.
The next day, the two top Dutch teams Cruyff won titles with, Ajax and Feyenoord, face each other in Rotterdam. Back in Amsterdam, a gallery in the Museum Quarter will be unveiling a month-long exhibition dedicated to the Dutch master on March 24.
Just as Cruyff pushed the boundaries on the football field, his legendary swivel turn bamboozling defenders at the 1974 World Cup, so five years later he envisaged a range of footwear that would challenge the established norms of logistic and luxury long followed by the big brands of the day.
But it wasn’t until he teamed up with Italian designer Emilio Lazzarini that he created Cruyff Classics, initially a sports shoe fusing functionality with elegance. They later branched out into sportswear and casual fashion, endorsing the Dutch team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, while stars of the day Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp and Aaron Winter wore C-logo’d boots signed by the maestro himself.
The Cruyff Store in Barcelona’s tourist-swamped Barri Gòtic will be also stocking a series of postcards honouring the Barça and Ajax icon, while three ‘very limited’ in memoriam T-shirts are being released.
The stylish boutique at Carrer de la Portaferrissa 24 also carries the Cruyff-branded range of World Cup 74 T-shirts in white, orange and black, as well as the Forever 14 Collection. Look out, too, for online discounts – at 14% off, of course.
Known for his work on classic documentaries such as Senna and Maradona, James Gay-Rees has put together a four-part series exploring the Cruyff legacy, using unique footage and interviews with those who knew him best.
By way of honouring his memory, almost ten years to the day since Cruyff lost his battle with cancer, two episodes will be premiered under the title In a Way, I Am Probably Immortal before 50,000 fans at the Johan Cruyff ArenA at 6pm this Saturday – a few last tickets are still available here. Afterwards, each 45-minute programme will be broadcast by Dutch channel NTR.
Johan – A Way of Thinking is the name of a month-long exhibition at the Moco Museum (Honthorststraat 20, Museumplein, 1071 Amsterdam), showcasing art inspired by the player’s visionary style, rare photographs, trophies, posters and match-worn shirts. By chance, the gallery (Mon-Thur, Sun 9am-6pm, Fri-Sat 9am-8pm) is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. On March 24 itself, Johan’s son Jordi will be opening the exhibition, which runs for a month.
For more on the Cruyff legacy, see World of Johan Cruyff.
