home away from home
Neymar Jr. On His Home Away From Home
From his new base in Saudi Arabia, the footballer discusses what home means to him, how he’s acclimatizing, and style influences for Hypebeast’s latest campaign with Replay.
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Celebrating the legacy of the iconic 9zero1 denim, Hypebeast has teamed up with Replay for a sun-soaked campaign exploring brand ambassador and world-class baller Neymar Jr.’s “Home Away From Home.”
Launched in the 1990s as a wardrobe essential built to elevate everyday looks, the 9zero1 line is an ode to relaxed-fit vintage silhouettes. Given its timeless design and cross-generational success, the label has rarely made any changes to the collection’s craftsmanship. Alongside the footballer, Replay has also enlisted a roster of exceptional talent as ambassadors who reflect the ethos of the brand, its heritage, and future innovations.
Chapter 1
neymar jr.
Home is whatever you make it, and this campaign explores that meaning. With footballers known for being away from their base for days, months, or years at a time — whether it's training, tournaments or team transfers — the idea of home is a broad concept that means different things to different people.
Making a name for himself within the grassroots youth circuit in Brazil, Neymar Jr. was a once-in-a-lifetime homegrown talent and quickly became the newest football sensation in his legend-producing home country. Having spent his 20s in Europe — playing for Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 — he’s no stranger to creating his own home away from home wherever he’s located.
2023 was his biggest move yet: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Part of a number of world-class international players who joined the Saudi Pro League that year, the highly publicized transfer to Al Hilal brought all eyes to the country’s footballing scene.
Keeping a reminder of home is an essential part of being on the move, and after a decade in Spain and France, traveling halfway across the globe meant starting from scratch, again. However, he acclimatized to his surroundings easier than anywhere else, which could be attributed to Saudi’s good weather, hospitable culture, his own maturity growth, or the sentimental items that help bring the essence of Brazil to him. “Since moving to Riyadh, I felt at home,” he expresses. “I’ve been enjoying my life a lot in Saudi Arabia. Not only the culture but also the people.”
“Family is very important. It helps you through everything – to live, to achieve your goals, and everything else,” he says. And it’s these tight-knit family values as well as loyalty to his childhood friendship group that make being away from home the hardest part. “Having my friends together is what I miss here,” Neymar Jr. explains. “Because in Brazil everyone's there, and there are so many of us, we hang out, laugh, play, do sports.” But as connectivity continues to make the world smaller than ever, through devices and online games he’s able to make the time to bring his hometown to his sofa.
Neymar Jr. had recently picked up a ligament injury that has had him out of competitive sport for some time, and much like any other player who lives and breathes football, focusing on his return has been the top priority. Ensuring he’s in the right mindset and on top of his game both physically and mentally, he reserves most of his time for training. “This is a tricky time in my career, but I've been trying to look after my mind because it's important not to lose myself,” he explains. “It's so hard being off the pitch, away from what I love doing, but I've been preparing myself so I can come back in good shape.”
Whether it’s the NBA’s tunnel walk becoming an impromptu fashion showcase or the Premier League’s young stars captured on the way to training, athletes are more fashion-forward now than ever — and football players are leading the pack. Long gone are the days of their bold outfit choices making front-page news, footballers are now fashion week’s star attendees, sitting front row at some of the biggest shows.
Known for his stylistic flair both on and off the pitch, fashion plays a big part in Neymar Jr.’s image, and denim is a core component of his overall aesthetic. “A pair of jeans in your wardrobe just gives you extra confidence,” he expresses. “I'd describe [my style] as very laid-back. Nothing too formal. I enjoy feeling at ease.” His stint in Europe, however, was the most influential time of his career. He was young and impressionable, and it was here where he found his expression through clothes. “I started to pay more attention to what I was going to wear,” he says of his time in the continent. “You get the hang of it, you acquire a certain taste. Every country you go to has a different culture, a different style but a turning point was moving to Europe.”
First joining Replay as a brand ambassador in 2015, he unveiled his debut collection five years later and has since been a true representation of the denim label. “I evolved with Replay throughout the years because they started dressing me better,” he says with a laugh.
Styled in this season’s latest 9zero1 denim line, which sees slight contemporary updates inspired by the brand’s legacy, Neymar Jr. sports the straight-fit jeans for “Home Away From Home” constructed from 13oz red cast indigo comfort cotton denim with a stonewashed light wash tone complemented with the matching jacket that boasts the same material composition, weight, and wash.
Family is very important. It helps you through everything – to live, to achieve your goals, and everything else.
Shop the collection
Check out the full campaign with Replay and Neymar Jr. above. For more information, and to shop the new 9zero1 collection, visit the brand’s website.
“A pair of jeans in your wardrobe just gives you extra confidence [...] I'd describe [my style] as very laid-back. Nothing too formal. I enjoy feeling at ease.”
“Family is very important. It helps you through everything – to live, to achieve your goals, and everything else.”
Chapter 2 (coming soon)
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Chapter 2 (coming soon)
Chapter 1
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Chapter 2 (coming soon)
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