Football legend Johan Cruijff passes away

Dutch football legend and fashion entrepreneur Johan Cruijff has passed away at the age of 68 today, due to lung cancer. He passed peacefully in the presence of family in Barcelona, Spain, reported the Cruyff Foundation.

Cruijff was without a single doubt the most well-know Dutch footballer in the world, playing for Ajax and Barcelona in the 1970s and later as a trainer for both teams. He also established a large, successful company build around his image, launching his own apparel label after leaving FC Barcelona, currently known as Cruyff Classics.

The luxe, lifestyle brand is best known for its menswear sneakers, polo shirts and lightweight jackets has been in the hands of Premium Inc since 2005, a Dutch company which specialises in the design, development and manufacturing of luxury sportswear and lifestyle brands. “Cruyff Classics is inspired on how Johan Cruijff was in life. And we will continue to develop the brand in his honour,” said Arno Kelder, manager of Cruyff Classics in a statement to FashionUnited NL.

Originally founded by Cruijff in 1979 under the name ‘Cruyff Sports Brands’, the footballer first began designing as early as 1974 when he made his own shirt. His design became such an immediate success that he decided to launch his own apparel label. At the time Cruijff reached out to his friend and established designer Emidio Lazzarini to help him develop his own functional and elegant lifestyle, sportswear line.