Bursting out of relative obscurity with a statement release that’s set to well and truly put the Serie C side on the map, Kappa have teamed up with designer Leonardo Colacicco for the limited edition ‘Special Pack’ for SSC Bari. The collection will debut on the occasion of the regional championship derby against Fidelis Andria, scheduled for Sunday 27 March in San Nicola stadium.

History, ancient customs and popular culture, all infused with a splash of seafaring tradition: that’s the charming and highly evocative combination offered by the limited edition “special pack” created for SSC Bari by Kappa and LC23, the 100 percent “Made in Puglia” brand established by designer Leonardo Colacicco. And it’s a sight to behold, with two main driving inspirations behind the design. First there’s the Octopus, an animal which has become a symbol of belonging to the city of Bari, and second, the name “La Bari”, as the team was called until the 70s, and is still called by true red and white supporters today.

The campaign was shot entirely on film by Stefano Carloni, in the city’s iconic locations: the port of Bari Vecchia, the old city centre, the popular Pane e Pomodoro beach, giving it a truly authentic feel. 

Bari’s connection with red and white can be traced back to Kappa uniforms from the 90s which left a mark in the Basque Region, with Athletic Bilbao (1994/95 season), but also in Catalonia with Barcelona (1996/97 season). Making a comeback for the match shirt is the classic collar, and it lines up alongside the name of the team on the neck. The vertical stripes sit on top of a pattern of entwined octopus tentacles – a graphic that runs throughout the collection – while those traditional red and white stripes have become darker to give the jersey a retro feeling.

The cockerel, symbol of SSC Bari’s logo, is freed of all other elements and features as a rubber patch. The back of the jersey carries a famous quote by the founder of Bari Calcio “Know how to love La Bari, always look at her with a lover’s eyes”. Only 1,000 numbered samples of the jersey have been produced.

The keeper’s kit includes features the same octopus tentacles pattern, but on an aqua green background recalling the colours of the sea in Bari. Only 150 numbered samples of this stunner have been produced.

Two pre match shirts also feature the same octopus tentacles pattern: one with red/black/off-white background colours and white logos; the other with off-white/ grey/white background colours and red logos. 

The rest of the pack includes a Sweatshirt, Polo shirt, T-shirt and trousers featuring large embroidered “La Bari” lettering on the back, and black background colour with red and white details. Finally, a football featuring the octopus tentacles pattern and a Hat completes the collection.

The Kappa x LC23 SSC Bari collection will be available from Friday 25 March at 10:00 CET at store.sscalciobari.it