Arsenal FC have partnered with Labrum London on their new away kit for the upcoming 2024/25 football season.
As a brand committed to telling the untold stories of Africa, the collaboration aligns with Arsenal’s desire to celebrate its connection with supporters from across the African diaspora via inspiration from African design traditions.
Built upon a black base, punctuated with a striking white zig-zag graphic flowing from under the arm, down through the sides and onto the shorts, the bespoke design – hand drawn by Labrum London – “represents the movement and flow of people”, and celebrates a pattern commonly found in African designs, artefacts, and decorations.
Additionally, eye-catching outlines of zig zags, and 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 is finished with the incorporation of traditional pan-African colours of red and green, featuring across the collar, the adidas three stripes that run down the shoulders, the adidas logo and the Arsenal cannon.
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.
WATCH: LABRUM COLLABORATES WITH ADIDAS AND ARSENAL FOR THE 2024/25 AWAY KIT
Commenting on the release of the new shirt, former Arsenal player Nwankwo Kanu said: “I’m so proud to represent my club and my heritage through this design from Labrum London; it’s such a nice shirt.”
“I love how the patterns and colours represent our connection to players of African descent and our supporters in our communities in Islington and around the world.”
“It’s great to see us celebrating this unique connection with such a stylish design. I’m excited to see our teams wearing it on the road next season.”
With Sam Handy, SVP of Product and Design at adidas, adding: “By combining our design values with Labrum London, we’ve delivered a real celebration of Arsenal’s deep connection to the African diaspora in a truly authentic way.”
“It’s been an incredible experience for our designers to work alongside their team to bring this to life – no one can tell these stories like they can, and I can’t wait to see the supporters and players enjoying it next season.”
Foday Dumbuya, founder of Labrum London, concludes: “As a second-generation immigrant growing up in London, I watched some incredible Arsenal players with African heritage.”
“These players were amazing role models to me, playing the game in a beautiful way, but also representing the wider community that I connect with.
“Arsenal as a club has such a strong connection to this community, so it is an incredibly proud moment for me to have collaborated on this design with them.”
The Arsenal x LABRUM away jersey is available to purchase online from the North London football club’s official web-store now.
