In partnership with Nike
A new look for the beautiful game.
Nike is changing the way England and its fans approach football with the unveiling of a series of uniquely designed shirts ahead of the World Cup. It comes as part of the White Shirt Project, an exploration into the diverse cultural relevance of the England shirt.
In partnership with Tottenham Textiles, Nike Football identified 11 fearless and progressive communities, athletes, artists and fans, and asked them to share their unique, inspiring stories through the iconic England shirt.
The barrier-shattering exhibition gathers a diverse array of talent, ranging from England’s leading blind footballer to the North’s top grime MC, talking about fearlessness in their respective arenas.
Each of the shirt designs that make up The White Shirt project are on display from now until 30th May at The Cube in Niketown London.
These are the stories behind the shirts.
Bugzy
Bugzy Malone is proud of his Northern roots, and the way he’s hustled following a spell in prison makes his success in the London-dominated grime scene all the more impressive. Judging by his King of the North EP, the amateur boxer, who supports his gym financially, is setting a fresh new standard.
Manchester’s dialing code ‘0161’ is a recurring refrain in Malone’s music and clothing line. Those four digits also appear on the all-black back of his shirt, along with the covers of his first three EPs, an image of each Fire in the Booth performance and three lions.
Big Zuu
Big Zuu is determined to make a difference to the youth with his music. A court near Big Zuu’s home is his shirt’s focal point, inspired by childhood memories of people climbing over the high wire fence to get their ball back. The basketball ring has been replaced with a speaker stack and a recording studio. The MC himself is on the hem, kicking a penalty with four goalkeepers going the other way. He is surrounded by his crew with Liverpool FC’s motto ‘You’ll never walk alone’ sprayed on the wall above.
London Football Journey
This forward-thinking charity connects young Londoners with football and film. Kicking against postcode prejudice, cultural misconceptions and closed youth centres, LFJ arranges interactive workshops and football exchanges that push attendees out of their physical comfort zone.
The LFJ shirt is the result of an open ideas workshop with pupils from Kensington Aldridge Academy (KAA). Many students there have been directly affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy; KAA was previously based at the foot of the tower. Still in a temporary facility in the area, teaching continues, and the young people are working closely with the local community. Their shirt is a tribute to those lost and is embroidered digitally and by hand.
Football Beyond Borders
This education charity uses football to support disadvantaged young people. Tackling poor behaviour, academic performance and inequality, Football Beyond Borders is the inventive education charity ‘levelling the playing field’. Three football pitch images illustrate the organisation moving through different stages; with the tree symbolising growth, while the footballs represent the people they bring together from different backgrounds. They’ve also added the mottos ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ and ‘Family Over Fear’, with the number ‘9’ reflecting the fact that the group started nine years ago.
Dujon Sterling
The young Chelsea and England defender who grew up in Tottenham playing on the astroturf of Northumberland Park school won an international trophy last year. Other honours include an unprecedented U18 quadruple (Premier League National, Premier League South, FA Cup and Premier League Cup) during the 17/18 season just ended.
Trophies feature heavily on the talented teenager’s blue and grey shirt, which is divided into two halves to represent both sides of him. The Chelsea side on the right has ‘Winning is Everything’ running up the side in reference to Sterling’s latest haul, and his club team’s attitude. Opposite, on the England side, are the words ‘Together, Pride, Humour’ which define his England journey so far.
Hackney Laces
A football family and inclusive community space for girls and women. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities for females to play football, Hackney Laces was set up, and its game-changing impact resonates on and off the pitch. Bringing players of all ages and abilities together, the Laces community also provides over 200 girls in East London with work placements and more. Limehouse Laces and South London Laces are the two sister clubs.
Six young girls put together Hackney Laces’ detailed shirt. In the middle is ‘2011’, the year the initiative started, with the zero replaced by an embroidered Hackney Laces logo. Other features include a silhouette of a girl doing a bicycle kick, a football incorporating the female cross symbol, and a picture of the shirt makers. Ten-year-old Kum came up with the neck tagline: ‘We As Humans Unite Together.’
Caricom Magazine
A progressive antidote to the whitewashed British football experience. Caricom’s objective is to share unfiltered conversations, relevant to football fans, within and around the black diaspora like them.
The publication evolved from essays, written by founder Calum Jacobs, that he did not want diluted in the mainstream media, teaming up with his graphic designer friend Shawn Sawyers to realise the project. No one else is exploring the space where football and race intersect in such depth, or training such a revealing lens on the ‘inspirational achievements and gross misrepresentations.’
Few sports can match football for symbolism. From Benjamin Odeje’s schoolboy appearance in 1971, to Paul Ince becoming the first black player to captain England in 1993, right through to Rhian Brewster’s Golden Boot winning goal last year at the pinnacle of U17 football, the chronological dates and coordinates found on the reverse of Caricom’s shirt have been designed to encourage an exploration of the impact black players have made on the England team.
SEASON Zine
A trailblazing football and fashion platform championing women first. The male, pale and sometimes stale state of modern football’s cultural landscape, along with a love of Chelsea FC, fashion and magazines, drove Central Saint Martins FHT alumna and editor Felicia Pennant to launch SEASON zine in 2016.
A cross between a football zine and fashion magazine that spans biannual print issues and stickers, events and more; the visionary team tell stories that showcase and empower women authentically, while unpacking important issues and emphasising diversity.
Elements of the SEASON shirt are set out symmetrically in a fictional 3-1-3-4 football formation. Highlights of the incredible trajectory: issue covers, key dates, faces and places are overlaid with a cut-out SEASON logo. A row of embroidered flags sits under the England flag on the neck to convey the founder’s heritage.
Owen Bainbridge
The England Blind defender, stopping goals and smashing stereotypes.
Owen didn’t let his disability scupper his dream, even though he couldn’t really compete with his friends during kickabouts growing up. Finding a team of other partially sighted players in Worcester turned his frustration into elation, because it was finally just about the football. The now 28-year-old made his England Blind debut in 2010.
Printed in Braille, Owen’s shirt is arguably the most experimental, complete with a Braille England badge, and divided into three sections with text that describes his progress. The defender is excited that he, and any visually impaired viewers, will now be able to touch the England shirt to form the image in their mind.
Stanley Osei, Hidden Jewels
Part of a wave of football coaches bucking the ‘turning pro is everything’ trend, Osei turned his life around after discovering football coaching and the rush of winning trophies. The Londoner created his Hidden Jewels program as a result, initially driven by an internal battle to find his own identity, and now his journey revolves around trying to get kids off the street and on to a similar path using football.
Osei’s Hidden Jewels shirt is a kaleidoscope of his progress. The ‘hot’ left side shows the trappings of his former street life, which could have ended in prison or worse, as a red chain print and collaged images of significance. On the ‘cool’ right, the hard work and determination of his football journey is illustrated by a blue football print and more collaged images. The Hidden Jewels logo has been incorporated too, along with symbols of Osei’s heritage and his lucky number seven.
Baiteze Squad
The online football sensations setting a positive example. ‘We came, we saw, we conquered’ sums up Baiteze squad’s approach to the game. The group of talented and ambitious young footballers from East London are known for their swagger and breathtaking skills, and some of them also play for semi-professional teams. Disrupting grassroots football with their grind, banter and family-oriented mindset, the group document their spirited journey on, and create original content for, their YouTube channel.
The estate blocks reflect where they have come from alongside multiple empowering messages, their logo and the squad’s establishment date. To complete the composition, five recognisable figures are arranged diagonally, to represent certain routes people take to make their London life work.
