Hacjivah Dayimani is certainly not your typical rugby player. While his on-field presence is formidable, his off-field style is equally commanding. A self-proclaimed fashion risk-taker, Hacjivah has spent years challenging the boundaries of athletic fashion in South Africa. Now, as he settles into life in Paris, he finds himself in a city in which fashion is so intrinsic— that it has actually simplified his style proclivities. We’ll get into that later.
With the launch of the G-STAR x Walter Van Beirendonck collection—a symphonic expression of avant-garde design and premium denim craftsmanship—G-STAR continues to marry the ability of utility and style as mutually inclusive of one another.
Together with CECZA, Hacjivah Dayimani, whose partnership with G-STAR reflects a shared ethos of emboldened self-expression, we captured the athlete embracing individuality and self expression, showcasing the latest drop from G-STAR’s inspired collaboration.
Walter Van Beirendonck is one of fashion’s most visionary and disruptive minds, best known for his radical approach to design. As a sartorial mind and mentor (we can thank his mentorship for the likes of Raf Simons and Craig Green) Walter van Bereindonck brings a fearless energy to denim, embodied in the collection’s defining statement: ‘This is Denim with Balls.’
If we’re talking about courage in the face of fashion; Hacjivah is truly the perfect ambassador to express the brilliance of this collaboration. His personal style—both striking and refined—mirrors the ethos of the collab, in which exaggerated silhouettes challenge conventional notions of menswear and the possibilities for denim construction, simultaneously.
CEC presents Future Proof – Hacjivah Dayimani in G-Star by Walter Van Beirendonck Collaboration, Photography by Zander Opperman, Hair and makeup by Xola Makoba, Styling by Onesimo Bam
Moving to Paris is a seismic shift, and for Hacjivah, the transition has been as much about fashion as it has been about rugby. “Yeah, obviously for me, moving to Paris was very big. It’s very, very different—a big culture shock in so many ways. Obviously, language, food, and the way people do things,” he says. But one thing stood out to him immediately: the way Parisians approach dressing. “Fashion in South Africa is something that a selective few engage with, but in Paris, it’s a way of life for many people. Just dressing well—people are always going to work, always putting on an outfit. You see it in the metro, how people dress, and you realize you get challenged in so many ways.” Fashion for Hacjivah is an attitude, a discipline, and an unspoken language. In South Africa, standing out in fashion is an act of rebellion. In Paris, it’s an expectation.
Paris, as Hacjivah explains, has refined his entire approach to personal style. “Yeah, it’s given my style a different look. Previously, my style was very avant-garde. It’s moving more towards a minimalist, clean, formal look—something that allows you to go to dinner but also to Fashion Week. It’s a look that still turns heads, but it’s not as extreme as what I used to wear in South Africa.” He notes that winter has played a significant role in this transformation. “It’s probably the first time I’ve actually had to go and buy winter clothes. Before, I just had one jacket and kept styling it, but now I have a couple and I just keep changing looks. I really, really enjoy it because the temperatures go down to minus six or minus seven—something you never experience in South Africa.”
Though Paris has sharpened his aesthetic, Hacjivah’s foundation remains rooted in South Africa. He sees its fashion culture as one still in the early stages of global influence. “I wouldn’t say my style is very South African, but I would say that my sensibility—how I view things and how I do things—is influenced by my background. Paris has a strong fashion culture, but it’s also very conservative in certain ways. Being South African has taught me to not care what people say.”
CEC presents Future Proof – Hacjivah Dayimani in G-Star by Walter Van Beirendonck Collaboration, Photography by Zander Opperman, Hair and makeup by Xola Makoba, Styling by Onesimo Bam
This ability to push boundaries and embrace personal expression makes him an ideal figure to champion the G-STAR x Walter Van Beirendonck collection. The collaboration thrives on exaggerated silhouettes and artistic defiance—qualities that South African fashion is increasingly embracing; particularly in the arena of rugby, and the possibilities for rugby players as style icons; “Rugby is making a massive shift regarding fashion. It’s exciting to see.”
For Hacjivah, rugby should not be a cage that confines identity. “Rugby is what you do, it’s not who you are. A lot of players think rugby is their identity, so they try to live within those conservative boundaries. But we are human beings outside of our work. We have different feelings, ideas, religions, and political views.” Through his unapologetic approach to style, Hacjivah is showing a new generation of rugby players that they can be fierce competitors on the field while embracing full creative freedom off it. “What I want to show in rugby is that you can be a rugby player and still be yourself. It doesn’t take anything away from your performance. It doesn’t matter what you wear, how you behave—what matters is being a good person. That should be the only thing that counts.”
As South African rugby continues to be an agent of unity, Hacjivah believes it can be a platform for even broader cultural change. “As much as rugby unites races, we can also use it to unite other parts of society—to be inclusive of disability, of people who see themselves differently, of those with mental health struggles. If we can be a world that is open to how people want to be, we will treat each other much better.”
CEC presents Future Proof – Hacjivah Dayimani in G-Star by Walter Van Beirendonck Collaboration, Photography by Zander Opperman, Hair and makeup by Xola Makoba, Styling by Onesimo Bam
With his growing influence in both sports and fashion, Hacjivah Dayimani is proving that rugby is a cultural expression as much as it is an expression of brute strength and skill, and its conservative traditions are worth rewriting of its future. If we think of what rugby has done for our country in South Africa; one can only imagine what it can do in the future, thoughtfully led by figures like Hacjivah Dayimani.
And in true Hacjivah fashion, he’ll be leading the charge while looking incredibly, incredibly good.
SHOP G-STAR X WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK’S COLLECTION HERE
Written by Holly Beaton
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