Kappa continue to step further into Creative Soccer Culture as they unveil one-of-a-kind pieces made from reworked football jerseys as part of their "Beyond the Game” campaign.
Upcycling football shirts is nothing new. From breathing new life into older designs to giving a contemporary spin to classic silhouettes, it’s a burgeoning movement that has largely been driven by independent creative studios such as Equipo FC and a growing global DIY culture. Kappa themselves have flirted with the space before, most notably through projects such as the RE:GENERATION JERSEY with Serie A side Genoa. But with their latest campaign, Beyond the Game, the Italian brand takes a far more committed step, fully embracing upcycling as both a creative strategy and a cultural statement.
Rather than treating football shirts as static, untouchable artefacts, Beyond the Game repositions them as living objects. Objects that can be reworked, recontextualised and reimagined beyond their original function on the pitch. What makes this campaign particularly interesting to me is that this process is being driven by the brand itself. These aren’t unofficial customisations or post-consumer alterations happening on the fringes of football culture; they are Kappa’s own designs, actively deconstructed and reinvented with intent.
Crucially, Kappa aren’t doing it alone. For the campaign, they’ve enlisted two emerging designers – Tega Akinola and Kiqué Sanchez – each bringing a distinct but complementary perspective to the idea of transformation. Both share an experimental approach to design, using deconstruction as a tool to unlock new aesthetic and symbolic meanings from familiar jerseys.
Based in London, Tega Akinola is developing a committed and deeply considered design practice rooted in reuse and sustainability. Working with shirts from clubs such as Fiorentina, Deportivo La Coruña, Real Valladolid and OGC Nice, she imagines a series of one-of-one feminine pieces, including a bomber jacket, mini-dress, skirt and sleeveless top. Each garment is carefully dismantled before being recomposed, ensuring nothing is arbitrary and nothing is wasted.
Akinola’s work is not just about aesthetics, but message. By preserving original design elements while reshaping their function, she creates a dialogue between sport, fashion and social responsibility. Sustainability and emancipation sit at the heart of the collection, reframing traditionally masculine sporting garments through a feminine lens. “Each piece in this collaboration is unique and tells a story,” she explains. “The designs of the original jerseys were respected and guided their transformation. From the colours to the graphics, each element has been studied individually in the transformation process in order to preserve the specific identity of each shirt.”
Where Akinola leans into reconstruction through a social and emotional lens, Kiqué Sanchez approaches the project from a more architectural standpoint. Drawing from jerseys worn by clubs such as Red Star FC, Genoa CFC, FK Partizan and OGC Nice, Sanchez offers a contemporary interpretation of sportswear that blurs the line between utility and art. Through deliberate cuts, layering and recomposition, he transforms the jersey into a creative object, one that exists just as comfortably in a gallery or concept store as it does in a stadium.
Together, the designers demonstrate the versatility and latent value embedded in football shirts, challenging the idea that they are disposable or season-specific items. Instead, Beyond the Game presents them as cultural artefacts with a lifespan that can extend far beyond a single campaign or matchday.
At a time when sustainability risks becoming little more than marketing shorthand, Kappa’s approach feels more considered. Upcycling here is not a visual gimmick or a limited-edition colourway; it’s the foundation of the project. By opening up its archive and current designs to creative reinterpretation, the brand signals a willingness to relinquish control, and in doing so, taps into a more authentic, collaborative model of creation. This is at the heart of Creative Soccer Culture.
Ultimately, Beyond the Game is about expanding what a football shirt can represent. But it's more multi-functional than that; while it affirms Kappa’s desire to move past the jersey’s primary function and explore its broader stylistic and cultural potential, it also reinforces the brand’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent, positioning design and sustainability as central pillars in its evolving contemporary lifestyle identity.
It leaves me with the thought that if the modern football shirt is a canvas, Beyond the Game shows that sometimes the most interesting work happens when you’re willing to cut it apart and start again.
Imagery courtesy of Kappa.
