South Africa's home shirt - Artists: Hasan and Husein Essop
Ten African artists were commissioned by the sports and lifestyle label from Herzogenaurach, Germany to design football kits for their home teams, inspired by the history and culture of each country. And the result is impressive! A stylised African baobab tree, hand drawn waves or animals of prey adorn the strips, which are a breath of fresh air for the sport.
And the kits don’t only look good; they’re also very comfortable to wear. They sit close against the body to prevent opponents from grabbing on to them and the material has Puma’s U.S.P moisture management technology, which repels moisture, improves breathability and keeps the body temperature at an optimum level.
And if you’re currently in London, you should definitely drop by the London Design Museum to see the special exhibition “Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design”, which will run until 27 November. On display is original work by the participating artists, including Barthélémy Toguo from Cameroon, Zineb Zedira from Algeria, Godfried Donker from Ghana, Saidou Dicke from Burkina Faso, Ernest Düku from the Ivory Coast, Owanto from Gabun, Hentie van der Merwe from Namibia, Samba Fall from Senegal, Hasan and Husain Essop from South Africa and El Loko from Togo.
They are all part of the Creative African Network (CAN) – a platform founded by Puma.Vision to bring together and support African artists. Visitors will also gain an insight into the production process, starting with the brief, to prototypes and initial sketches, all the way to the finished football kits.
Senegal's home shirt - Artist: Samba Fall
Gabon's home shirt - Artist: Owanto
Ivory Coast's home shirt - Artist: Ernest Duku
