Anthony Joshua on his new Boss collection
As a young man, Anthony Joshua was primarily inspired by three sporting titans: Muhammad Ali, Wladimir Klitschko and Mike Tyson. “They are, and
were, all bosses,” Joshua says. “Ali doesn’t need explaining. The way Klitschko extends himself is impressive – he has a PhD – and then Tyson has
this ‘I don’t care’ attitude. Combine all that and you’ve got what inspired me to box. It’s what has kept me going.”Joshua himself is now arguably as
influential as any of the three aforementioned fighters. A two-time GQ Sportsman Of The Year, the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion is
also currently the highest earner in British boxing. What’s more, the Watford-born 30-year-old has a global fanbase and boasts the ability to sell
out arenas in seconds. “Being a role model is one thing, but I try to be more of a ‘real’ model, an inspiration to the people,” he tells us. “Everyone I
look up to has made many mistakes and I think that realness, that humanity, is important.”
And it’s not just in the fields of “real modelling” and boxing that Joshua is flexing his muscles these days, either. He’s just teamed up with the
appropriately named 96-year-old German super-brand Boss to create a stand-alone collection of stadium-ready leisurewear with a high-fashion twist.
Joshua has always had a close relationship with Boss: he wore a smart suit from the brand to meet the Queen during the Commonwealth Day celebrations
in March and he was the face of the label’s Stretch Tailoring campaign in 2018. The new Boss x AJBxng collaboration, however, takes the partnership
a step further.
‘Everyone I look up to has made mistakes. That realness is important’. In collaboration with Boss’ chief brand officer, Ingo Wilts, Joshua has codesigned
a ten-piece capsule collection consisting of hoodies, track-pants, sweatshirts, T-shirts and a jacket, all finished in regal navy and trophy gold. “Gold is for
winning. It can be a dangerous colour, as well as an intelligent colour, but, either way, it’s a winning colour,” he says. “[The collection] is made for winners
who strive to win some more.”
Every product in the capsule includes a woven label featuring a motivational phrase from the boxer: “One more hour, one more day. Never let success get
to your head or failure to your heart.” For Joshua, you see, this new collection is a manifest representation of his tenacious approach to both his life and
his work. “As I’ve got older, I’ve come up with my own quotes, rather than living by others’, and the [label] quote is a statement I made after I took my
first loss,” he says. “I’ve always tried to stay in my lane, work hard and remain humble – whether it’s being humble in victory or humble in defeat – and
that’s it.”