For Lueder, the project began about two and a half weeks ago, when Hardstyle first approached her about borrowing pieces from its upcoming Fall-Winter 2026 collection. Then the brief description changed. Due to the scorching heat of New Jersey, RM needed some Very Lighter, which meant creating a custom version of his design. “They knew exactly what they wanted,” says Lueder. “Something lighter because of the heat. It’s really a theme that comes back in every conversation.”
Rather than starting from scratch, Lueder reworked one of the label’s engineered sweaters. The finished work soon became in great demand in his own studio. “It’s literally our favorite now,” she says, laughing. “We were like, ‘Oh, we should have sold it.'”
Tan’s experience follows a similar script. “I found out about it basically seven days ago,” he says. “It always seems like the deadline is getting closer. Then they realize there’s something wrong with the costumes they’re making.”
Luckily, Tan is always ready for requests: “I always keep plenty of spare belts and these car decal things on hand in case a call ever comes.” (Think of those little chrome letters and badges you’d typically find on the back of a car. Tan often reuses them in his work.)
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Neither designer truly appreciated the scale of that moment until the day of the finals. “My assistant said, ‘Oh my God, do you think 2 million people are watching?’ I’m like, ‘No. a billion,” Lueder says, laughing. Fashion shows, she explains, usually “have a specific kind of niche audience” – the World Cup final was something else entirely.
For Lüder, there was another reason why the collaboration felt especially important. South Korea was one of the label’s biggest markets long before RM stepped onto the World Cup stage, making the partnership feel like a natural fit rather than a lucky break. “I went twice last year,” she says. “It’s one of our favorite and biggest markets. We feel a lot of synergy there, so we’re hopeful there will be more to come.”
