Professional football away kits are no long just an afterthought. They now provide teams with a canvas to make a positive fashion statement for fans.
The latest comes from Premiership side Arsenal and its kit provider Adidas collaborating with fashion label Labrum London for its 2024/25 away kit, celebrating the club’s connection to Africa.
Labrum London already relays untold stories of West Africa “to help bridge the gap between western and West African culture” so the collaboration celebrates Arsenal’s connection to its supporters from “across the African diaspora via inspiration from African design traditions”.
The shirt’s built on a black base punctuated with a striking white zig-zag graphic flowing from under the arm, down through the sides and onto the shorts. Throughout the eye-catching outline, small specs of black — representing Cowrie shells — appear in the illustration, to celebrate their historical significance as an early form of currency in parts of Africa.
The design — representing the movement and flow of people — is bespoke and hand-drawn by Labrum and finished with the incorporation of traditional pan-African colours of red and green featuring across the collar, the, as well as in the Adidas Three Stripes logo that run down the shoulders, the brand’s logo and the Arsenal cannon across the chest.
“These colours and cultural cues bind together to create a mural of the club’s past and present connection to the African diaspora in London and beyond — championing the rich cultural heritage within the team and across its supporter base”, the three jointly said.
And the collab isn’t just confined to the field of play. They’ve also unveiled a five-piece collection that takes the away kit patterns and colours and reimagines them across two jackets, a tee, a jumper and tracksuit bottoms.
A reworked Labrum London logo can be seen across all pieces which uses the brand’s ‘Nomoli’ icon – a symbol of protection and prosperity that stemmed from the Mende and Kissi tribes of Sierra Leone.
The collaborative away shirt and capsule are available to purchase now via Arsenal FC stores, selected Adidas retail stores, the Labrum store and online.
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