FOOTBALL STRIP CONCEPTS
VOLUME 5
2O17
“For a long time football kits existed mainly as utilitarian sportswear that helped identify a team. Today it’s the opposite; commercial conventions deem that teams must change their kits every season, rendering it practically impossible for a shirt to achieve anything approaching iconic status.” - JAMES CAMPBELL TAYLOR
FOOTBALL STRIP CONCEPTS BY ANGELO TROFA
VOLUME 5
2O17
INTRODUCTION The opening quote from James Campball Taylor sums up what has happened to the football kit in modern times and, from a creative point of view, could be attributed to the movement that has been happening within football, off the pitch. Mainly thanks to social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter we now have a large community of designers, illustrators and photographers with accounts dedicated to reconstructing the football aesthetic. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the big brands. There are some fantastic designers out there doing some very interesting things with the football kit, many of which wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a football field in an official game, but these experimental takes on the football jersey are changing the way we look at it. Accounts such as @nowherefc by former Supreme designer Diego Moscoso are really blurring the lines between football and fashion. With fashion embracing streetwear, it has breathed a new life into the polyester, ad-heavy garment, making it a whole lot cooler. Just in the past year we have seen streetwear heavyweights Supreme, Palace Skateboards and Kith release their own fashion-conscious takes on the football jersey, to much success. Social media has been a great way to get work out there and seen by football fans and brands alike, as well as allow us to connect with one another like never before. This fifth volume of Football Strip Concepts celebrates this. As well as showcasing my own concepts (some of which have been brought to life), it also features interviews with the people in and around the game I have connected with. From illustrators and TV commentators to journalists and professional football kit designers, they all have something to say when it comes to football strips. There is also a spotlight on French football collective Le Ballon whose edgy designs could give many professional teams a run for their money.
ANGELO TROFA
2017
CONTENTS TORPEDO KATTENBURG Home kit
O7-1O
NAPOLI Playing cards kit concept
11-14
ROB WARNER Interview
15-18
TRAINING BIBS Concepts
19-26
PANTOFOLA D’ORO 130th anniversary collection
27-32
LE BALLON FOOTBALL LEAGUE The design of Le Ballon
33-38
EA SPORTS FIFA FUT Legends & Icons kits
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LAJKO Name & number fontset
51-54
THE KITICS Home Kit
55-62
WHEN FOOTBALL MEETS FASHION National team concepts
63-72
JR CHERY Instagram feature
73-78
TORPEDO KATTENBURG Torpedo Kattenburg is the new football club in the centre of Amsterdam and immediately has the oldest history in town, because of its location in the heart of the former 17th-century shipbuilding yards of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the current naval base (Marineterrein).
I was given the opportunity to create the first ever Torpedo kit with Dutch brand Copa. Creating a strip for a team that doesn’t exist is a pretty exciting task, as there is no historical colourway or design to adhere to. The great thing about this project besides the awesome team name, is that it has such a strong link to the marina, the Club’s homeground will actually be the sporting grounds that the Royal Navy will vacate in 2018. So there was a very strong reference point from the off.
Inspired by maritime uniforms and also the sea, the idea was to create a unique kit that would stand out but also fit into the footballing landscape. The stripes associated with sailors become waves referencing the sea and have become the focal point of the shirt and added onto the socks.
HOME SHIRT Left: Concept Right page: Final product shots 7
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TORPEDO KATTENBURG HOME KIT
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3
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1.
Club Crest
2.
Mesh panels placed
3.
Short stripe inspired
on each side of
by naval uniform
the jersey
trousers
4.
‘Wavey stripes’ shirt pattern
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1
TORPEDO KATTENBURG HOME KIT
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NAPOLI PLAYING CARDS HOME
2 1
3
4
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1.
Shirt pattern comes
2.
‘Denari’ coin symbol,
3.
A ‘Jatta’ is the cat
4.
Symbol respresnting
directly from the back
the more valued suit of
in the Neapolitan
the number three in the
of the Neapolitan
the Neapolitan cards
‘Smorfia’ and is
‘bastoni’ suit
playing cards
represented by the number three
1
2
4
NAPOLI PLAYING CARDS HOME
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The Napoli playing card kit design was brought to life in the summer of 2016 by Le Ballon and Avery Dennison for their Galerie du Ballon pop-up in Paris. The store celebrated the European championships in France with a series of jerseys which customers could customise with unique badges, crests and other applications in order to make a unique jersey. 13
NAPOLI PLAYING CARDS KIT
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2006 ITALIA AWAY KIT Netherlands vs Italia November 12, 2005 15
INTERVIEW WITH A KIT DESIGNER
ROB WARNER In 2006 Italy won the World Cup in a unique set of kits which arguably changed the landscape of football kits, bringing a sartorial edge to the field. I spoke to former Puma and Umbro football kit designer (and all-round nice guy) Rob Warner about designing football kits for the world stage, and seeing them lift the World Cup.
Can you tell us how your career took you to designing football kits for both Puma and Umbro? I studied fashion in Manchester, and at the time Prada Sport was massive with Beckham also in the process of evolving into a fashion icon. I’d always been a massive football fan and so harboured dreams of designing it one day. Puma UK hired me just before I graduated, and within a few weeks I was moving to HQ in Germany to work on football for the global business. It was amazing! Was it always something you’d dreamed of as a kid? I don’t know if I ever really knew it was a job when I was a kid, although I was obsessed with kits and boots. I used to have Roy of the Rovers delivered, and when I’d finished reading it I’d Tipp-Ex out the kits and draw my own in. When I got into my mid-teens I ‘graduated’ into changing the words so it was all potty-mouthed. It was kind of Roy Race meets Viz. I used to sell them at school, but my mum found one that I’d just finished and I got into trouble so it put a stop to it. The 2006 World Cup winning Italy kit was a landmark kit in that it will forever be immortalised in football history (as well as being some of my favourites ever). The story
behind the construction, design and fabric for both the home and away is really interesting, could you talk us through it? It was the first fully welded football kit, which was an amazing achievement for everyone involved. The brief to the team was to ‘get players to the ball faster’. It wasn’t specified to be about weight, or aerodynamics, just about marginal gains. We created a new fabric that was super-lightweight and worked on aerodynamics too. It was proven at a university that it gave a clear advantage. From a concept standpoint we worked with Neil Barrett, who had been Creative Director at Prada Sport when I idolised the brand. We looked at the Italian team as superheroes, and so the home kit had the navy blur detailing to evoke the idea of comic book heroes looking fast in still images. The away shirt was designed to look like it was being worn over the home, so it was kind of the Clark Kent to the Superman home kit. Football is a sport littered with landmarks for players and clubs, did seeing Italy lift the World Cup in that kit make you feel like a World Cup winner? And is it even something you hope for as a designer? I don’t think it made me feel like a World Cup winner, but the magnitude of it was definitely apparent to me.
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I’d never really hoped for it specifically until right before the tournament when it seemed like a possibility. It left me at a bit of a crossroads personally and professionally, as I suddenly felt like I’d achieved what I set out to in creating an iconic kit - that was always the dream. Just something memorable. It took me a little while to get my head around it as I’d certainly fulfilled an ambition. Last year was the anniversary of those kits, and Puma decided to commemorate it by updating your design, what are your thoughts on that? For a start it makes me feel old! It only feels like yesterday. But they’ve done a great job with the new version. It’s recognisable to the original but has some nice new touches to it. What’s your favourite kit of all time and is there a kit you wished that you had designed?
is an inspirational start point. You want to combine that with innovative ideas, both visually and enhancing the performance of the athlete. The connection part is to have the players believe in the idea, the fans feel that it represents them, and finally bringing players and supporters together through an identity. It’s a hard design challenge at times, but when you get it right... Since leaving Umbro in 2014 what has Rob Warner been up to? I got married in the summer of 2014 and shortly before that had been offered a new role. It seemed like the right time to try something different so I accepted the role of VP - Men’s Design at Lululemon in Vancouver. It was a great life experience while we were there, but I had a really unique opportunity to start a design consultancy with a friend, and so Spark was created. We moved back to the UK a few months ago. And finally, did Buffon and Italy’s coaching staff in 2006
I’ve got a few favourites, and all for different reasons. The England kits in 2010 were superb in their simplicity and attention to detail, and were created just before I arrived at Umbro. I loved the Germany kit in 1990, the skintight Kappa effort was a real shift change in kits, the Umbro ones with the lace collars in the early 1990s were great, and some of the shirts made for Inter and Juve over the last few years have been incredible. I’d loved to have designed an Aston Villa kit but have never had the chance. Maybe I still will one day... If anyone who can facilitate that is reading get in touch!
really wear claret because you are an Aston Villa fan? Absolutely, yes. One of the designers working with me is a Burnley fan too, so she didn’t need any persuading to be in on it! It’s been used again since, so I’m hoping I’ve started a tradition and Aston Villa will play a role in the rich tapestry of Italian football.
Of all of the kits you’ve designed, which would you say is your favourite? Italy away in 2006 was a belter. I still believe it looks really nice, and the concept was well thought out. It was executed as purely as anything I’ve worked on. I’ve been lucky to be involved in some great kits though, and I love all my babies the same! Is there any advice or pearls of wisdom that you can share for people wanting to embark in the world of football kit design? Research, innovation and connection. It’s pretty obvious really, but looking into the history of a team
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INTERVIEW WITH A KIT DESIGNER - ROB WARNER
2016 ITALIA AWAY KIT 18
TRAINING BIBS The humble training bib, every team, every player has them. A piece of lightweight net fabric, usually in an XL cut and almost always in some garish fluro colour. Its job is simple, to distinguish the player wearing one from the players not. To be honest, I’d never given them much thought, designwise they are usually the same: garish, netty and often with big sponsor logos front and centre. That all
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changed when I saw the image below, Ronaldo at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, that’s not just any bib, that’s a beautiful bib. Bright, eye-catching but nicely designed, big sponsor’s logo in the centre, but the use of the Barcelona crest elevates it to something much more, something cool. When I saw this bib, it opened a whole new wave of ideas to me, and all of a sudden I started looking at training bibs like they were the best things ever. Big bold pieces which were limitless in terms of how you
could design them to look ugly and in your face, as opposed to the football shirt, which you want to look both elegant and pleasing on the eye, unless you’re talking about a Jorge Campos jersey. Once I started, I couldn’t stop designing these things, they really are great practise if you want to clear the mind, go crazy and design the ugliest sports garment ever. Except I think they work, the big brands and teams are missing a trick, who wouldn’t want to own their team’s crazy training bib?
BARCELONA 96/98 20
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EL DIOS 10 23
GUERRILLA F.C. 24
REGGAE FOOTBALL REPUBLIC 25
R9 1998 MERCURIAL 26
PANTOFOLA D’ORO 13O COLLECTION
To celebrate 13O years of Pantofola d’Oro I was asked to design a collection to commemorate the anniversary. The collection pays its respects to the garments worn on the football fields and training pitches of Italian football from the 1950s to the 1980s.
On sale autumn 2017 at prodirectselect.com 27
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PANTOFOLA D’ORO 13O ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION - PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONANGELO MOLINARI - MODELS: LEO BIANCO & DOMENICO CLORES
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Page 3O
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EB Il Mister Jacket
PR20 Track top
EL10 T-shirt
DZ1 Goalkeeper top
Navy & Black
Black
Black
Grey 32
THE DESIGN OF THE LE BALLON FOOTBALL LEAGUE LBFL Paris is the spiritual home of the revolution so it is only right that the city should play its part in the artistic revolution going on at the lower levels of the beautiful game. Initially starting out as an eight-team league, Le Ballon has brought together the best artists, musicians, designers, authors and photographers from all over Paris. But this isn’t just a football tournament, it’s become a cultural movement. It’s played host to Nike-sponsored events, various club nights, it was a pub and then a pop-up shop offering customisable football jerseys. It’s the kind of stuff a kid dreams his under-8s league side would become, but better. What sets these guys apart is the clinical execution in everything, the crests are all brilliantly designed by different well-known designers, and then produced in all kinds of high-level tactile finishings by Avery Dennison - the not-very-well-known-but-massive company who make all the physical labels for all the major brands. The teams play their matches at the Stade Bauer, home of Red Star FC, the oldest club in Paris. The kits, which I speak about in the coming pages, are all bespoke and tailored for each team drawing from a range of influences which shape the identity of the squad. The football crest is the most important communication tool a club can have. It’s there to tell the world what the club stands for, and celebrates the team’s history. The eight teams from Le Ballon have nailed this aspect, with every crest brilliantly representing its club. Each crest is unique, featuring distinct symbols and great typography: The Paris 75ers adopt a hip-looking pigeon as their mascot, repping the crazy amount of pigeons in the city. The River Dubplate crest, the only one without any type, shows their love of Argentina and River Plate simultaneously. Footangclan give the ‘V for Victory,’ while Glory Hunters use the skull of the big cat nature’s most distinguished predator in a biker gang style patch. Public House stick to their roots and go for the traditional pub angle whilst championing friendship at the same time. CCC are inspired by the 300 Spartans hence the warrior riding into battle. Atletico take an interesting typographic route, with the initial ‘A’ doubling up as the Eiffel Tower. And last but not least, Bled FC a club without a set home, hence the Google Maps inspired pin-shaped shield. 33
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THE SHIRTS OF LE BALLON Such a design conscious collective, packed with artists and creative folk would be expected to don a set of kits which live up to the league’s edgy aesthetic, and they don’t dissappoint. Attracting the attention of the sport’s top brands and their high-tech manufacturing capabilities, it has allowed the teams of Le Ballon to create some striking and beautiful shirts - taking full advantage of some inventive production techniques. Without having the tight kit restrictions that FIFA impose on world football, the teams from LBFL have, season after season released shirts which break the mould, both in terms of patterns and detail. Not content to create just a standard jersey, the teams often riff on reappropriating well-known brand logos as sponsors and make full use of cultural symbols. Each jersey keeps you looking at it.
Season 1s jerseys were less refined than they are now: they had a punkish DIY charm that really made them stand out. Such creative freedom didn’t go down too well with their big name sports brand supplier because of the sublimated full jersey prints (see River Dubplate and Bled FC) effectively ‘defacing’ the products, the shirts were pulled from sale, adding extra rebel points. Thankfully this run-in hasn’t changed the design of the jerseys in the seasons since. The crazy patterns may not be as prevalent as before, the current kits look as slick as any professional kit, but maintain just enough of season 1’s DNA to make for a really unique set of kits. Season 3 kits available at store.soccerbible.com
PARIS 75ers SEASON 3
RIVER DUBPLATE SEASON 1
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LE BALLON FC SEASON 3
FOOT TANG CLAN SEASON 1
GLORY HUNTERS SEASON 2
PUBLIC HOUSE FC SEASON 3
300 FOOTBALL TEAM SEASON 3
ATLETICO PARIS SEASON 3
BLED FC SEASON 1
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FIFA 17 LEGENDS The FIFA video game series is one I would play religiously as a child, therefore I was pretty pleased when they contacted me to work on some kits for the latest game. The Legends and Classic XI teams are always ones I’d wanted to design, and would lament that they weren’t properly designed in game. It was this particular kit that I was keen to work on, and jumped at the chance when I was offered it. Reserved for a ‘special team’ made up of retired players and legends of the game, this is a team that has to be unlocked.
The colourway was already set, with gold and burgundy as the primary colours. The aim was to create a kit that could hark back to the golden age of football, but not seem set in a particular era. I wanted to create something that could belong in multiple periods, especially as the players in the team run from the 1950s to the present. The home kit takes a classic route with a vertical sash; the away pays its tributes to the introduction of printed patterns in the fabric with a graphic celebrating the many stars on the team. For the ‘keeper kit, a design which has been seen in many eras, which for me is the ultimate keeper shirt.
EN LEG DS
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FIFA 17 Legends Home kit, in-game render
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FIFA LEGENDS AWAY KIT
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2 3
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1.
Collar
2.
Vintage
3.
EA Sports logo
’Flying stars’
4.
FIFA 17 name and numbering
Shirt pattern
3 4
EN LEG DS
2
1
FIFA LEGENDS AWAY KIT
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FIFA 17 Legends Away kit Next page top right: Original ‘keeper concept 43
LEGENDS
FIFA 17 Legends Goalkeeper kit 44
FIFA 18 Icons from L-R: Maradona, Pele, Yashin, Ronaldo & Henry 45
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LEV YASHIN Goalkeeper, in-game render
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FIFA 18 FUT ICONS For FIFA 18 EA Sports have replaced the Legends team with FUT Icons and have made it available for the first time across all platforms. It’s also the first time that Maradona features on FIFA, as well as Lev Yashin in his trademark cap.
It’s since disappeared. I don’t know if it’s my age, but I look at that period as a golden age of kit design, so wanted to capture that feeling with these kits. Luckily the ultimate 90s player Ronaldo is the face of the team, so that worked out perfectly.
As opposed to the FIFA 17 Legends kit, where the aim was to create a timeless uniform which could transcend eras, the FUT Icons kit is heavily influenced by the 1990s. That particular style of collar was very prominent at the time. Almost every team had it, the Juventus Kappa, Real Madrid by Kelme and the Nike 1996 templates all had a collar in that style,
The Goalkeeper kit (although unfortunately, I can’t lay claim to Yashins fetching cap) follows a similar theme to the home with a geometric pattern on the front, evoking memories of goalkeeper kits from the early 90’s although much more paired back.
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FIFA FUT ICONS HOME KIT
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1.
Icons crest
2.
Gold piping
3.
AT Wings logo placed on reverse of shorts
4.
Icons type on reverse of collar
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3
FIFA FUT ICONS HOME KIT
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LAJKO, a font inspired by Marcel ‘Lajkó’ Breuer, his linear architecture and his tubular chairs... And a desire to create a name set which would push FIFA’s stringent rules all the way.
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LAJKO FONT ON SHIRTS
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Arched name
Flat name
Outlined lettering on player name
Full linear design on player name
LAJKO FONT SET
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FEATURE
THE KITICS One of the great things about social media is that it has allowed us to connect with like-minded people from all over the globe. More than ever before we are able to connect with people within industries who in the past would seem unreachable. Football has always been something which brings people together, and it is through the sport and thanks to Twitter that I’ve been able to connect to so many people whose work I respect. The Kitics is a feature which brings together some of the people whose work I follow, and ask all the important questions that need to be asked regarding football kits.
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Stanley Chow
Andres Cordero
James Campbell Taylor
Robert C. Armin
Illustrator
Commentator
Art Director
Player relations manager
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Sheridan Bird
Cees Akkermans
Diana Al-Shammiri
Football writer
Owner/ Founder COPA
Football Writer
Stanley Chow Illustrator
Who do you support?
...and the worst shirt ever?
I’m a Manchester United supporter, I’m a season ticket holder too. I guess there was an inevitability that I’d be a United fan. Before I was born, my dad used to work in a restaurant in Cheshire, where players like Denis Law, Nobby Stiles, George Best and Bobby Charlton would regular frequent. Later after I was born, we had a Chinese Takeaway in Altrincham, Lou Macari and Gordon McQueen would come in quite regularly. Tommy Docherty’s daughter was good friends with my sister, so we’d see the Doc pretty often too. He even coached us at football for a few terms when I was at primary school. Also, every now and again my dad would take me to ‘The Cliff’ to watch United players train. There were plenty of strong United links when I was growing up.
In contrast to Germany’s home kit, I thought their green away kit in 1990 was vile. It wasn’t a very nice green, and that pattern just made my eyes hurt. United had a similar away kit in 1990 and I really hated that too. I guess I probably hated the German kit more because it was the kit they wore that they beat England and it conjures up painful memories.
What was the first ever shirt you owned? The first kit I owned was the 1980 Man Utd kit. I was pretty chuffed that adidas recently re-issued them, I obviously got myself one, though I do have a gripe about that re-issued replica, the club crest isn’t embroidered like the original. What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? The Germany 1990 World Cup kit is easily what I think is the greatest kit. Despite the Germans’ agonizing Semi-Final win against England at Italia 90 I was still adamant I wanted the replica shirt. I got a lot shit for wearing that top, as you’d expect.
You can see more of Stan’s favourite ever kits at Stanleychowfc.com
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Andres Cordero BeIn Sport commentator
Who do you support?
...and the worst shirt ever?
I fell in love with playing football long before I started to enjoy watching professionals play it. It was Barcelona who made me fall in love with watching the game on tv, so I’ve supported them most of my life. But the longer I work in football broadcasting (it’s been over a decade now), the less I support any single club. I did, however, buy a couple of shares of Eibar to help them secure their rightful place in La Liga, so let’s go with Eibar!
There is a long, long list of tragic football kit designs. Quite a few of them are in the old North American Soccer League. But nothing not even the pop art disasters worn by Jorge Campos are as bad as the shirts worn by the Colorado Caribous in the late 1970s. From the wide open collar, to the big sewn-on numbers on the shoulders, and THE TASSELS! Holy $#*!, the tassels! Who drew that up? And who approved it?! And how did it not immediately lead to a players strike?
What was the first ever shirt you owned?
1978 Colorado Caribous home shirt photo by: nasljerseys.com
The first shirt I owned could be the answer to all of your questions: It was the infamous USA ‘94 denim shirt. Unique, kind of hideous, a bit awkward and out of touch with the rest of the world. Just like American soccer! It was a little embarrassing at the time, but man has it aged well! What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? The West Germany shirt from Italia ‘90 is the cleanest, coolest design ever. You could wear that shirt in 1996, 2006, or 2016 and still look fresh. It almost looks better on the street than it does on the pitch.
You can follow Andres in the US covering Italian football for BeIn Sport and on Twitter @DreCordero
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James Campbell Taylor Art director, writer and football shirt aficionado
Who do you support? I support two teams Leicester City and Fiorentina. I grew up in Loughborough, so the Foxes were my local “big” team. I later studied in Italy and moved to Florence after graduating, over the next four years I barely missed a home match, spending every other Sunday on the curva with the other purple-clad ragazzi. Fiorentina seem destined to finish fourth in Serie A for eternity, obviously as far as Leicester is concerned the last year or so has been like an absolute dream! What was the first ever shirt you owned? A few weeks before the 1990 World Cup my parents bought me a Diadora Italy shirt. I loved the silky material, gold embroidery and tricolore trim. I wore it all summer and continued to wear it when watching the Azzurri during subsequent tournaments, including the World Cup triumph in 2006. By this point the shirt had inevitably become quite snug, so a couple of years ago I picked up another on eBay in a more
a chance to become classics. I suppose that’s why my all-time favourite shirts the Brazil jerseys by Topper, Barcelona’s Meyba kits, everything Diadora made for Italy, France’s adidas shirts, the Milan shirts with the Mediolanum sponsor all belong to the period between then and now. ...and the worst shirt ever? Usually when people bring up the worst football shirts they’re really thinking of the ugliest. In the mid-90s there was a brief trend for shockingly garish away kits that appeared to be the result of excessive chemical intake. Though today’s kits are generally clean and understated, I bemoan the tendency for prestigious clubs to denigrate the value of their history and colours for commercial purposes or the expansion of their global brand. Perhaps the biggest culprit of this is Barcelona. So if I had to choose a worst shirt ever it would be Barcelona 2015-16, not because it’s the ugliest, but because for me it’s representative of everything that’s wrong with modern football.
age-appropriate size. What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? For a long time football kits existed mainly as utilitarian sportswear that helped identify a team. Today it’s the opposite; commercial conventions deem that teams must change their kits every season, rendering it practically impossible for a shirt to achieve anything approaching iconic status. There have been some really great shirts in recent seasons but they’re replaced before they have
James writes about historic football jerseys over on shirttales.org
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Robert Armin Player Relations Manager at Classic Football Shirts
Who do you support? Sheffield United. My old man was a die hard Blade and despite me being S6 (Sheffield Wed area) born and bred I wasn’t given a choice. I grew up surrounded by Wednesday fans and nearly all my school mates were Owls fans too. On the playground I was Brian Deane and everyone else was Chris Waddle What was the first ever shirt you owned? The first shirt I ever owned was the Sheffield Unted 1987-90 home kit, one of the old Umbro ‘Repli-Kit’ that came in a box and your mum would have to stitch the badge on for you. What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time?
2011 France away jersey by Nike
There are many great kits, but the best by far in my opinion, is the 2011 France away, no doubt inspired by Jean-Paul Gaultier’s sailor stripe imagery. What makes it the enigma that it is, is how it slipped into the gaps between tournaments and was only worn during the Euro 2012 qualification campaign. ...and the worst shirt ever? There have been many horror shows. The 1995 Sheffield United Away; yellow and purple with the big A’s down the sleeves was terrible. Pretty much everything Diadora made from 2000-2006 was just dull, there have been some terribly bland templates since the turn of the century in general. A special mention too to those novelty kits that small teams use to get noticed; the CF Palencia muscle kit, Cultural Leonesa tuxedo kit and the dreadful La Hoya Lorca broccoli kit... Not for me that nonsense.
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You can follow Robert on Instagram @robert.c.armin
Sheridan Bird Football writer and co-author of Football Type
Who do you support?
...and the worst shirt ever?
A lot of teams. I lived in Naples for five years so my Italian team is Napoli. When I was a six year old boy my parents took me to the Bernabeu and I fell in love with the place and began supporting Real Madrid and collecting their shirts soon after. I have got a lot of Real items. I also used to go and see Nastic when I lived in Tarragona.
England’s World Cup 2014 home top was disappointing. It had no character, nothing made it memorable. Sometimes if something is hideously ugly, you remember it, or if it is amazing to you, obviously you recall it fondly. That home kit worn by England in Brazil was mundane, a shiny mass of nothingness.
What was the first ever shirt you owned?
1984 France home shirt reissue by Adidas
When I was around six or seven, I loved watching Kenny Dalglish for Liverpool on TV. He was so clever and skilful. So my first shirt was a Liverpool home shirt. Made by Umbro, sponsored by Hitachi. Long sleeved, very itchy material. What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? There are so many, but here are a few France home 1984- very chic, very French. Argentina away 1986, the “Hand of God” top- a great shade of blue, from an iconic match and those chunky, American football-style numbers in silver. And oddly enough, Argentina’s away four years later at Italia 90 was cool. A slick, perforated effort worn in the final. Most Argentina kits are excellent. AC Milan’s 2002/03 home shirt is underrated because it featured a hi-tech mesh. It was part of the adidas “Climacool” range. In fact most of the 2002-2004 Climacool shirts were special; France, Argentina home and away and Japan. England’s Euro 2000 away was excellent, a lovely material and subtle design. No shirt collector or enthusiast will ever forget Italy’s Euro 2000 Kappa “Kombat” jerseys. They were revolutionary.
You can follow Sheridan on Twitter @SheridanBird
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Cees Akkermans Owner/founder COPA
Who do you support? ...and the worst shirt ever? I started playing football when I was 5 and Feyenoord has been the club I have supported since then. I can’t remember the reason to be honest as my father and most friends supported Ajax but maybe it had something to do with their great kits. Outside of the Netherlands I have some favorite clubs that I follow, often because of their club colors and kits, logo, history and stadium. Fulham FC, FC St. Pauli, AS Roma, CA Huracan just to name a few.
I have never been a big fan of fluro colours so the Jorge Campos goalie shirts with not one but four fluor colors in one shirt is a bit too much for me.
What was the first ever shirt you owned? I was more into drawing shirts and collecting signed player cards, but the first shirt was the light blue shadow striped Tottenham Hotspur jersey made by Le Coq Sportif. What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? It’s a close call between Fiorentina 1984, and any that belong to Argentina and AS Roma. But let’s go for Roma as I find it interesting that I would never think of buying a normal T-shirt in their two colours. But these two colors combined make beautiful football shirts. Another reason is that AS Roma asked us to create their official line of retro shirts and jackets which we have been producing over the last two years, it was an unforgettable moment when we got that call.
You can see the full AS Roma COPA collection at copafootball.com
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Diana Al-Shammari Football writer and Copa90 contributor
Who do you support?
...and the worst shirt ever?
I support Bayern Munich. Luckily, we have been seeing a lot of beautiful kit designs lately. Whether it’s at home or away, each season has been played in stylish and suave kits. I grew up in a Real Madrid loving household, so naturally I grew up loving Zizou but after he retired I realised that I didn’t really ‘love’ Real, I just really liked some of their players. In my opinion, there’s a lot more to a football club than their players. Then one day I was watching Bayern play and I just fell in love (so cheesy I know). I fell in love with the club not only for the sublime players, but also for the mentality, principles, the amazing fan support, and the history of the club whether it was good or bad.
I think that title should go to Deportivo Palencia’s 2016 flesh-themed kit. You know, the inside-out kit of human flesh, the one that looks like those footballers skinned their opponents and wore their skins. I’m sure we have all seen our fair share of bizarre kits, but this one took the crown. Mercifully, their socks are plain black.
What was the first ever shirt you owned? I don’t really remember the first shirt I ever owned, but it was probably most likely a France or Real Madrid Zidane jersey. Was there ever a kit he wore and didn’t make it look elegant? What is, in your opinion, the greatest shirt of all time? For me, the France 1998 home kit is the greatest shirt of all time. From the shade of blue, horizontal stripes on the front, to the stripes on the shoulders, and that stylish collar. That kit was beautiful in every sense of the word. The fact France won the World Cup while wearing that kit makes it even more iconic.
You can follow Diana on Twitter @thafootballgal
THE KITICS
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WHEN FOOTBALL
To celebrate the European Championships last summer I was approached by fashion website Lyst.com to reimagine what eight national team kits would look like if they were designed by their national fashion houses. 63
MEETS FASHION
The line-up from left to right: France by Chanel; Germany by Jil Sander; Spain by Loewe; Sweden by Acne; Italy by Gucci; England by Alexander McQueen; Belgium by Dries Van Noten and Russia by Gosha Rubchinskiy. 64
LOEWE 65
I love the 3D effect of the Loewe Puzzle bag, so I took its geometric shape and applied it to the jersey. It creates these big patches of color which are quite unorthodox for a football shirt, but I think it really works with the Spanish colors
GUCCI
Gucci under Alessandro Michele has captured everyone’s imagination, all of the clothes look like they belong in an art gallery, with embellishments and appliqué everywhere. So I took all the opulent Gucci hallmarks—florals, bees, gold...and added in the leg hugging snake for good measure. You can never have too much Gucci, even on a football shirt.
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GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY 67
Gosha’s designs evoke feelings of 1980s sportswear, and use the Russian flag loud and proud, so this was a combination which almost designed itself.
DRIES VAN NOTEN
One of the things I like about Dries’ designs is how he manages to pair multiple patterned fabrics and make them sit in harmony. This is in someway comparable to the Belgian national team, who have been pieced together from the three ‘different’ corners of the country. This kit is inspired by a bomber jacket I saw on the runway last year, with the colors tweaked to feel a little more Belgian.
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JIL SANDER 69
Green is the color of Germany’s most iconic away shirt, and works perfectly for Jil Sander’s bold color block style. What football fan doesn’t love seeing Die Mannschaft playing in green?
CHANEL
This needed to be a glamorous kit, so I kept it simple. Navy and white with the neat Chanel logo, and a classic French Breton stripe for the socks.
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ALEXANDER McQUEEN 71
McQueen’s hallmarks (for me) have always been intricate prints and sharp tailoring. I knew the swallow print from this season and the iconic 1995 ‘The Birds’ collection would lend itself perfectly to a shirt- the shape and directions they face would look amazing on an English player running in full flight. The shorts are inspired by the signature overly baggy pleated shorts.
ACNE
This year’s Sweden away shirt was said to be inspired by Swedish streetwear and fashion, but in reality it feels like a template design shared by all the other teams sponsored by that brand. So this is my homage to Scandinavian style—in all black, of course. I love the simplicity of the Acne for Sweden kit, and it’s perfect for Zlatan the Ninja.
WHEN FOOTBALL MEETS FASHION
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INSTAGRAM FEATURE
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293
posts
followers
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following
Following
JR NEGRO É LINDO / NY
h c j @ Instagram has become one of the best communication tools out there. It has allowed people to connect visually in a way like never before, beyond all the selfies and food shots it has allowed for creative football fans to express themselves and how they interpret the game. For me it has become a way to show my portfolio, but also to connect with fellow football fans from all over the world. Some people have carved out a niche for themselves as football illustrators or even hit the big time and bagged dream jobs by dedicating their accounts to showcase their work and talents see @danleydon & @mbroidered. Others are dedicated collectors and use the platform to showoff their latest purchases and collections. 73
r j y r e
This is where Mr @jcheryjr comes in, a New Yorker who I’ve been following for a couple of years, and although he boasts a modest following and his post numbers are lower compared to others, I’m always left stunned at his collection. The first time I came across his account I couldn’t quite believe it, this is a guy who doesn’t just buy the new Barcelona shirt, he gets one for every player in the team. He has every Pogba jersey, including from the first years at Manchester United and his love of Neymar sees him own all his boots too- yep, insane. Some would say that he has a problem, I’m sure he’s been told it many times, but they make for some pretty amazing insta posts. It’s not all football, his feed also shows his love of contemporary art, high fashion and streetwear. Make sure to hit follow.
football_cafe nowhere_fc
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neymarjr
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INSTAGRAM FEATURE - @JCHERYJR
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BACK ISSUES
FSC Vol. 1 - 2010
FSC Vol. 2 - 2011
FSC Vol. 3 - 2014
Featuring concepts for NY Cosmos,
Featuring concepts for Hearts,
Featuring concepts for Greece,
Italia, FC Basel & more...
Brazil, USMNT & more...
Japan, AS Monaco & more...
Not seen the full back catalogue of Football Strip Concepts? View them online via Issuu: issuu.com/angt34
FSC Vol. 4 - 2015 Featuring concepts for Argentina, the football kit of 2025, Missoni Italia & more...
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Copyright © Angelo Trofa, 2017
Special thanks to:
Football Instagrams of note:
All Rights Reserved Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior permission from the designer including all logos, titles and graphic elements.
Krishan Ghedia
@leballonfc
Siân Morgan
@guerrilla_fc
Jack Whelan
@scott_mcroy
Kendra Sanders
@nowhere_fc
Scott McRoy
@8by8mag
Jonangelo Molinari
@mbroidered
Printed by lasergraphics.co.uk
Cees Akkermans
@danleydon
Frank Scarito
@danielnyari
Jean Chery
@mundialmag
And all those who contributed
@nivelcrack
interviews for the issue
@copafootball
ABOUT THE COVER The multicoloured pattern on the cover was designed by football artist Scott McRoy, whose client list includes among others: BT Sport, The F.A. and Goal.com Scott’s imagery illustrates sports stars set amongst geometric multi coloured patterns. Think a modern day Andy Warhol meets Miró, but for the sporting world. He has a great eye for bringing together contrasting colours and sharp shapes, something which may seem easy, but is very hard to pull off. For the cover, the pattern is built up of elements featured on the designs in this volume. See more at: scottmcroy.com
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