PRESS START: A|X Armani Exchange is set to be the first fashion brand to debut in the world of e-sports — professional multiplayer video game competitions — as it will sponsor the Italian team Mkers for the 2019-20 season.

As a result, Mkers will be the global ambassador of the A|X Armani Exchange line, sporting a new official uniform supplied by the brand on the stages of the main video game tournaments worldwide.

“We are proud to be the first e-sports team chosen by a prestigious brand like Armani Exchange,” said Mkers chief executive officer Paolo Cisario on Monday. “It is a reward for all the effort sustained up until this moment, and it gives great credibility not just to us and the investors that believed in our project, but also to the entire Italian e-sports industry. Now the real challenge will be to yield tangible results.”

The team’s cofounder Thomas Degasperi added that “partnering with such a relevant brand is the perfect opportunity to reinforce our journey toward internationalization, which has already begun with the acquisition of world-renowned athletes.”

The sponsorship is part of a relaunch strategy of the A|X Armani Exchange label, which will also debut at the Pitti Uomo men’s trade show next month with a presentation held at the Sala della Scherma hall in Fortezza da Basso.