INDUSTRY:
SPORTS MERCHANDISE
CLIENT:
PSG / WWE
YEAR:
2026
MEDIUM:
APPAREL GRAPHICS
overview.
In late 2025, I designed the graphics for Paris Saint-Germain and WWE's first-ever collaboration. The collection launched as a limited event drop at PSG’s Oxford Street flagship before moving online, timed around WWE’s European tour as SmackDown landed in London.
While the event took place in the UK, the product was unmistakably PSG — which initially felt like an odd juxtaposition. Rather than avoid that tension, I leaned into it, using "Paris Brings The Smack Down" to frame the collection as a kind of cultural invasion: Paris arriving loudly, unapologetically, and on its own terms.
approach.
The graphic was inspired by classic WWE tees - bold white typography on black, oversized scale, and immediate visual impact, referencing pieces like Austin 3:16 and NWO. The challenge was refining that raw wrestling energy into something wearable within PSG’s fashion-led ecosystem.
Wrestling merchandise often leans heavily into novelty, so the focus here was restraint: strong hierarchy, confident negative space, and a single statement that carried the idea. The phrase Paris Brings The SmackDown was treated almost like an invasion slogan - direct, confrontational, and deliberately oversized - positioning PSG as the dominant presence regardless of location.
I led the graphic execution across placement, typography, texture, and techniques, introducing subtle grunge detailing for character while keeping the palette strictly monochrome to maintain versatility and credibility.
outcome.
The collection launched across tees, sweats, hoodies, and accessories, generating strong social traction around the event. Seeing the pieces worn by WWE superstars and positively received by fans online was a standout moment and clear validation of the direction.
This project reinforced my ability to work decisively under pressure, own a concept end-to-end, and turn an initial creative tension into the defining idea of a collaboration. With more time, I’d explore extending the invasion narrative further through subtle colour cues, but the clarity, confidence, and cultural relevance of the final execution is something I’m proud of.
testimonial.
Check out Paris Brings The Smackdown merch - it's hot, it's cool.
Carmelo Hayes
WWE Superstar
