Continuing to blur lines between football and fashion, the new Jamaica home and away kits from adidas have been revealed at the Wales Bonner presentation at Paris Fashion Week.
A long-time collaborator with adidas, Grace Wales Bonner has often dabbled at the intersection of football and fashion, but never more so and in such stark fashion than at her show at Paris Fashion Week. For said show, the London-born designer leant on both her Jamaican heritage from her father’s side and her connections to the Three Stripes to offer up a sneak debut of the as-yet unreleased Jamaica home and away shirts, seamlessly including them alongside pieces from her latest collection.
It’s a huge step for the football x fashion world, and while it’s not the first time we’ve seen a football shirt appear on a catwalk, it is the first time that a highly anticipated shirt has been revealed on one. The debut also suggests that Wales Bonner may have potentially had a hand in the design of the new shirts – again, a logical step given her connections to both the nation and the brand.
The partnership between adidas and Jamaica was announced in August 2022 and officially commenced on 1 January 2023, the same day as Italy, who recently revealed their new home and away kits. As part of the announcement it was said that "this special partnership will not only celebrate Jamaican football but also Jamaican style and culture”, and the idea of Grace Wales Bonner being on board in any capacity would certainly fit into this context.
Since the announcement of the Jamaica x adidas partnership, there has been a lot of excitement circling the new pairing and what the output could be. This first look shows off a fairly retro looking home shirt, with a yellow base overlaid by green pinstripes – not a million miles away from Norwich’s current home shirt, and that’s no bad thing. The real differential comes in the collar and cuffs, which are finished in the colours of the Jamaican flag.
The Away shirt looks to be a simpler affair, with a dark base joined by reggae-inspired collar and cuff details.
Watch this space for an official launch of the new adidas x Jamaica kit.
Select imagery from NSS Sports.
