Introducing the ‘People of Paris’ 2023-24
Some Parisians are born in Paris, not too far from the banks of the Seine. Some Parisians are those that spend their lives spiraling around all 20 arrondissements, adding their energy to the City of Lights. Some live hundreds of miles away, never having stepped foot in the French capital. At the center of it all is Paris Saint-Germain, embodying the city’s distinct blend of pride, style and greatness. Of course, a club is only as mighty as its supporters, and PSG’s global family of fans and followers has shaped the team at the heart of Paris into an institution, home to some of the world’s greatest players and a symbol of every Parisian’s enduring spirit.
The second annual edition of GOAT’s partnership with PSG, ‘People of Paris’ 2023-24 is a love letter to those that help make the club so special both on and off the pitch. Here, alongside a series of portraits shot at the historic Parc des Princes, eight fans share their personal stories of PSG, highlighting the club’s unparalleled ability to bring Parisians together—wherever they are in the world.
DEV HYNES
Dev Hynes is an English singer, songwriter, composer, record producer and director. He is best known for his work as Blood Orange, as well as his collaborations with artists such as A$AP Rocky, Solange and FKA twigs. Raised in East London, Hynes is a lifelong PSG fan and can often be found supporting the club at Parc des Princes.
What are your earliest memories of PSG?
There are always clubs that you fantasize about and imagine playing for when you’re a kid kicking the ball with your friends in the park. Growing up in East London, I looked to PSG as this remarkable side. There was Ronaldinho. I loved George Weah. Beckham ended his career here.
What does Paris mean to you?
I've been coming here since I was a teenager; some of my closest friends live in Paris. It's always been a home away from home. There's something incredible about a place you can get lost in, where you can walk around and feel like you're the only person in the city, yet you're never truly, actually alone.
Why do you think PSG has had such an influence on culture?
The attitude of the club is one thing, especially if you think historically of the players who have played for PSG. For me, a child of the '90s from Essex, Beckham was it for me. He was a legend. For him to come and end here, it has this thing that people want to be a part of—and it helps that the kits have always been sick.
What do you make of PSG's kits now and in the past?
I was recently looking at some older kits—some of which I hadn’t seen since the year they were worn on the pitch—and it was incredible just to see how next-level they were. They still are.
What's your favorite memory as a supporter of PSG?
I saw them play Nice in the 2022-23 season and Messi scored a free kick. That was incredible.
JENN ABEY
Jenn Abey is an audio-visual fashion producer, stylist and model based in Paris. She became a Paris Saint-Germain supporter at a young age and remains a steadfast supporter today.
How would you describe the spirit of PSG?
PSG brings the community together, regardless of your background or culture. When you're watching a game, you lose sense of anything else. You forget where you're from, where you grew up. You gather with everyone and you become one.
What does "People of Paris" mean to you?
Paris, including its suburbs, is a big melting pot. You have lots of different backgrounds, lots of different cultures, and all the areas in Paris are different. Each area, every person, everything is so different. When you go from one area to another and see the richness of Parisian culture—it’s beautiful.
Who's your favorite player?
Mbappé. Every time I travel and say I'm from Paris, people are like, “PSG! Mbappé!”
How does PSG feed into the city's style?
Fashion is linked to what’s happening in the streets, and many of my brothers in the neighborhood wear PSG jerseys as fashion pieces. If you have the latest jersey, you’re on. The OG Hechter Stripe is still one of the club’s most symbolic.
Beyond that, PSG jerseys represent Paris in terms of mixing taste and knowledge; it’s a cultural city, it’s all about wearing stuff and knowing what it represents.
EDMOND LUU
Edmond Luu is the founder and creative director of menswear brand Pièces Uniques. He reinterprets the codes of pop culture, manga and anime and adapts them to real-world fashion. Luu grew up in the same multicultural neighborhood of Paris as Kylian Mbappé and is a lifelong supporter of PSG.
How do you think PSG brings the people of Paris together?
PSG goes beyond Parisians. I have friends in London, Toronto and Tokyo who support the club. It doesn’t matter where you are, where you come from or what you're doing, when PSG wins, our supporters around the world feel like they are all together.
What does PSG mean to you?
Living in Paris, PSG is automatically a club that you feel close to. It's part of the culture.
What does "People of Paris" mean to you?
“People of Paris” means that we have a lot of creatives, a lot of truly inspiring people coming from different communities. I feel honored to represent my neighborhood, because Paris is also its suburbs, which in turn inspires Paris, which in turn inspires the world.
What is it like knowing and working with Mbappé?
A friend of mine introduced me to Kylian. Then, having friends who are super football fans, I started to get interested in watching live games. It's a bit crazy to see him become a global superstar. He's such an easy person to get along with; he reminds me of my childhood friends; we have the same values. I think we all click together because we grew up in the same area.
Why do you think the world of fashion has embraced PSG so much?
I think because of the club’s talents and their success. They’re also showing another kind of luxury in the fashion industry. I feel really proud of that recognition because it gives hope to people from the suburbs like me.
Compared to other clubs in France, what do you think makes PSG unique?
I think PSG has such an elegant image. Maybe it’s Paris, maybe it’s the faces of all the players, but they have something different.
SARAH ANDELMAN
Sarah Andelman is the co-founder of influential Parisian boutique colette and the founder of creative consultancy Just an Idea. In 2017, colette and PSG came together on a limited-edition jersey, launching the collaboration with an event at Parc des Princes. Exclusively for ‘People of Paris’ 2023-24, Andelman has re-released the collaborative jersey in limited quantities.
What did it mean to you to commemorate the closing of colette with your own PSG jersey?
We were moved when PSG proposed the exclusive jersey in 2017 as a tribute, nine days before colette closed. I went back into the history of colette and PSG, which started with a shoe in 2012. The relationship became stronger over the years and, in 2017, we worked on a limited release of the “Dark Light” jersey. We celebrated with a memorable event at Parc des Princes.
Describe what it's like to be a PSG fan.
The club gives us great moments of excitement and great moments of sadness. It carries us with it. That not only includes Parisians, but fans all over the world.
How do the club and city support one another?
PSG’s relationship to art, fashion and culture has a very Parisian feel to it. It has an elegance to it. PSG is at the heart of our city and it's at the heart of our news. Sometimes it feels like the city lives to the rhythm of the club’s success.
What does Paris mean to you?
Paris is where my heart is. I travel a lot and people always ask me whether I want to spend more time in the US or in Asia, but no, I always want to return to Paris. Many of us want to make this city shine even more, whether through a good restaurant, a gallery or a store.
How would you describe PSG in three words?
Passion. Support. Greatness.
JOHANNA TORDJMAN
Johanna Tordjman is a French artist whose work explores the unity of humanity through its diversity. Kylian Mbappé purchased a painting of hers at auction in 2022. A lifelong fan of PSG, Tordjman believes football and art have the power to connect and inspire people.
What makes Paris and PSG special?
You don't have to be born and raised in Paris to consider yourself a Parisian. It doesn’t matter whether you’re from the hood, suburbs or a transplant from another country. We're all from different cultures, different places, religions and communities. At the end of the day, we're here to celebrate PSG.
Do you see similarities between football and art?
Football and art have the power to connect and inspire people. Both athletes and artists have intense levels of devotion. Although we don't have the same physical training, we have the same energy in sharing what we love the most, what we're passionate about, why we train our whole life to share a message or a vibe—a win.
How important is the community and social aspect of PSG to you?
I'm part of a women's supporters group called Les Filles de Paris. We come from different backgrounds and cultures, and meet up to watch games together at the Parc or in bars. If we're not together, we have a group chat that we comment on every 90 seconds. It's so fun to share that passion about the club and the players and to celebrate together as women.
Can you tell us about the painting you sold to Kylian?
For International Women's Day in 2022, the PSG foundation organized a panel at the Parc des Princes to talk about football and watch the game. They had different workshops and I offered to make something for the kids. I made this painting without really knowing what would be done with it. A couple months later they called me to invite me over the foundation gala where the piece would be auctioned. Mbappé, Hakimi and Donnarumma all bid on it, with Kylian finally winning the auction.
Has your relationship with the players developed since then?
I’ve been very lucky to travel on the players’ plane and meet the whole team. I also got to chat with Kylian again. I really admire him as a player of course, but his mindset is very inspiring too; what he does on and off the pitch is a blessing for the community.
DINOS
Dinos is a Cameroon-born, Parisian-raised French rapper known for his complex wordplay, introspective lyrics and experimental production. Dinos grew up in the same neighborhood of Paris as Mbappé and is a lifelong supporter of PSG. He regularly attends PSG matches and proudly remembers every home game at Parc des Princes.
What does PSG mean to you?
PSG is a life’s worth of emotions. I don't even remember what my life was like before PSG. It’s something that’s been there forever. I remember every single time I’ve come to Parc des Princes—from the first time to today.
How does the club bring people together?
Parisians gather around PSG, but there are so many PSG fans around the world who don’t live in Paris that do the same. I was born in Cameroon. When I go to Cameroon, we watch PSG matches and I feel like I’m in Paris. It doesn’t matter where on earth you are. You’ll always find someone who’s a PSG fan and supports the team.
Which players inspire you?
Okocha. Anelka. Diané. Hoarau. Pancrate. Pauleta. El Karkouri. There are so many names. Ronaldinho inspires me and so does Mbappé: His ancestry is Cameroonian like mine, from the same city, and we’re both from the region of Seine-Saint-Denis.
What makes Paris special?
Paris is the City of Lights. It’s that simple.
You often come to watch games, is there a moment that really impacted you at the Parc?
There are too many. Paris vs Chelsea six years ago. Paris vs Marseille every time. Cavani's clean sweep. There are so many matches that have impacted me.
MORY SACKO
Mory Sacko is the chef of the Michelin-starred French, African and Japanese fusion restaurant MoSuke, which he opened in Paris in 2020. His innovative and original cuisine brings together French, African and Japanese influences. A lifelong supporter of PSG, Sacko compares the worldliness of the French capital with PSG's diverse fanbase.
How does Paris inspire your creativity?
When you go to Château d'Eau or Château Rouge, you find yourself in the African district and you find all the products that we find on the African continent. When you go to the Opéra quarter, it's Japan. Paris is a world city by definition. And my kitchen is a world kitchen.
How do you think PSG unites Parisians?
This club gathers Parisians together because you'll find Parisians who come from all over the city to meet in the stands. It’s the Parisian club of reference and we all get together at the Parc des Princes.
What does "People of Paris" mean to you?
For me, being among these people is a great joy. I've been a PSG fan since I was a kid and to be among these faces that embody Paris is a big source of pride for me.
Do you think that the club influences the culture of Paris beyond football?
Absolutely. When you talk to people abroad about Paris, there's the Eiffel Tower and the croissants. But if they’re a football fan, Paris Saint-Germain comes up very quickly.
Who are your favorite PSG players ever?
I immediately think of Ronaldinho and Pauleta.
You once cooked on the Parc des Princes pitch. Tell us about that time.
For me, cooking on the pitch of Parc des Princes brings back great memories and even a small feeling of revenge. I didn't have the talent to get there with cleats, but I arrived on the pitch through a roundabout way. It was a very beautiful moment and a real childhood dream come true.
What’s your best memory as a supporter of PSG?
I was at the Parc des Princes when Cavani scored his record-breaking goal. He had a real connection with the crowd. It's really one of the few times I've seen the whole stadium get up as one—even the visitors' stand was applauding.
Describe PSG in three words.
Magic. Beautiful. Different.
FATOU DIAWARA
Fatou Diawara is a French model known for her work with fashion brands including Jacquemus, Ottolinger and Chanel. In addition to modeling, Diawara studied interior design and is currently working in set design. The French capital remains a constant source of inspiration to her, while Paris Saint-Germain means community to Fatou.
What makes Paris special?
You’re never bored in Paris. It’s the capital of culture. Everything from the fashion to the architecture is so inspiring. There’s a certain elegance about Parisians. We don’t try too hard.
What does PSG mean to you?
PSG means community and that’s important to me because I wasn’t born here. I came to Paris when I was younger, so I had to find my family and community here.
Why do you think PSG has had such an influence on fashion and culture?
Paris is the capital of fashion and culture, but I think PSG brings more to fashion
because they know how to put a spotlight on certain individuals and creatives.
Do you think that people's attitudes towards football have changed over the years?
Yeah, it's changed a lot. The new stars of football clubs are bringing a certain kind of image. Before, musicians, actors and models had major influence, but now footballers have as much, or even more, of an impact.