Taking some unique steps, Umbro have collaborated with musician Vladimir Cauchemar for a special limited edition fourth kit for Stade Reims, which will be worn this Saturday in the match against LOSC.
Rolling out the special treatment for a beautifully presented fourth shirt, Umbro have sought out a collaboration with international musician Vladimir Cauchemar. The artist is Guillaume Brière, a French DJ, producer and songwriter from Reims who completely reinvented himself in the early noughties to become Vladimir Cauchemar (which translates as nightmare). His new persona does have a past – albeit an unconventional one – going way back to Greek mythology when he supposedly challenged Apollo to a musical duel and lost. To cut a long story short, one of his earliest press releases warned us in 2017: “2,500 years later, Vladimir is back to haunt us”. Dramatic, for sure, and he lives up to his eccentric personality through his signature skull mask.
A staunch SDR supporter, Cauchemar was given creative control over the jersey design and drew inspiration from the vintage long-sleeved jerseys produced by Umbro in the early 90s. It’s a resolutely lifestyle jersey, where strong symbols of the region intertwine - such as the double ribs and counter-tanks present on the flag of Champagne, visible on the collar and on the cuffs. A red heart, the symbol of Vladimir Cauchemar, adorns the club crest as a beautiful final flourish.
There’s only 800 of the shirts available, but as a final incentive to get fans excited, three jerseys with gold details (embroidered heart, Vladimir signature on the bottom of the jersey) will be sent at random to three lucky buyers. In addition to the extreme rarity of this piece, this golden tunic also confers two privileges to its lucky owners: exclusive backstage access to one of the artist's concerts and a match at Stade Auguste-Delaune as a VIP.
The Stade Reims fourth shirt is available from 5pm GMT tonight, 01 March, at boutique.stade-de-reims.com/
