One of my favourite things about Umbro is how they’re able to collaborate with so many other brands, and how each is able to return their own vision of what the Double Diamond is, all while remaining unmistakably Umbro. A perfect example of this is the latest collection, tailored by Pikol.
It’s probably fair to say that vintage football style has never been more popular than it is right now. The easy option for a brand with the history and heritage of Umbro is to simply dig through the archives to reproduce old favourites. But rather than do that Umbro continue to explore the very nature of their identity through key collaborations, in which the essence of the Double Diamond is regularly deconstructed and then reimagined, all while finely balancing the brand’s key characteristics and archival looks. London-based Pikol Clothing are the latest brand to have a crack, and their new six-piece collaboration looks back across six decades of football, sportswear and British culture, using history as inspiration while once again creating something that feels completely fresh.
Created as part of Umbro's 'Tailored For' initiative, the platform designed specifically to give emerging creatives and designers the opportunity to reinterpret the brand through their own lens, the collection sees Pikol dive deep into football's visual history. The result is a range that spans the 1940s through to the 1990s, with each garment representing a different era.
What makes the collection particularly interesting is Pikol's commitment to craftsmanship. Rather than relying on mass-production techniques, every piece is built using the brand's signature approach, combining hand-cut construction, embroidery, repurposed vintage materials and traditional hand-finishing methods. The end result feels less like a retro capsule and more like a wearable history lesson.
The journey begins in the 1940s with a shirt inspired by an archival Umbro design. While the influence comes from the past, the execution is thoroughly contemporary. The piece features a modern silhouette and is constructed from an impressive 46 individually hand-cut stripes of stonewashed grey and black linen, showcasing the painstaking attention to detail that runs throughout the collection.
Moving into the 1950s, Pikol reinterprets the era through a hand-dyed quarter-zip track jacket. One of the standout details comes in the Umbro logo itself, which has been painstakingly assembled from vintage football shirts. Each section of the logo is individually cut and composed in the Pikol studio, turning a familiar sportswear emblem into something entirely unique.
For the 1960s, inspiration comes from one of Umbro's most iconic England kits. A simple T-shirt carries a pair of embroidered sixes, referencing the year the original shirt was created. Staying true to the collection's sustainable and handcrafted ethos, the numbers are formed from off-cuts of hand-embroidered linen that have been repurposed from previous projects within the Pikol workshop.
The 1970s chapter arrives in the form of a football shirt based on an archival Umbro jersey. While the silhouette may feel familiar, the detailing elevates it beyond simple reproduction. Hand-chainstitched stripes and a hand-embroidered Umbro logo bring texture and character to the piece, highlighting the human touch behind every garment.
From there, the collection shifts into the 1980s, exploring a side of football culture often overlooked in heritage-inspired releases. Knitwear takes centre stage with a 100 per cent merino wool piece featuring cross-stitched footballers across the front. It's a design that captures the period's growing overlap between football, fashion and everyday British style.
Finally, the story reaches the 1990s through a bomber jacket inspired by Umbro's outerwear from the decade. Dominating the front is an oversized Umbro logo, hand cross-stitched to create a striking focal point. It serves as a fitting finale to a collection built around craftsmanship and reinterpretation.
What makes the Umbro x Pikol collection so compelling is that it never feels trapped by nostalgia. Instead of recreating archive pieces stitch for stitch, Pikol has used Umbro's history, alongside the wider visual culture surrounding football across each era, as a foundation for experimentation. Familiar silhouettes are deconstructed, rebuilt and infused with the imperfections and individuality that only hand-made clothing can provide.
The result is a collection that celebrates six decades of football culture while remaining firmly rooted in the present. Umbro through the years could easily be a by-the-numbers assignment, but Pikol have managed to make it anything but. Instead, it's a reminder that football's rich history can still inspire something new, especially when it's placed in the hands of people willing to slow things down and make every stitch count.
The Umbro x Pikol collection launches on 23 September 2026 exclusively on pikol.co.uk
