Bringing an injection of flavour to the World Football Summit, Avery Dennison and Neal Heard took 'The Art of the Football Shirt' Exhibition to Madrid this week as powerhouses from the global game descended on the conference dedicated to moving the game forward.
The exhibit showcase a selection of some of the most pivotal shirts in football history as well as those lesser known though with an undeniably strong story. From the contemporaries with the Nigeria 2018 World Cup home shirt through to the PSG x Jordan shirt, the balance was met with classics like USA '94, the famed Germany '90 and the Juventus pink shirt as modelled by Drake. The collection of Neal Heard is one that chapters the role the shirt plays in the game. Affecting trends and influencing popular culture, his book gives the back story. You can pick that up here.
For Avery Dennison, the almost silent heroes of football apparel, this was a chance for them to enter the game with yet another milestone. While their collaborations with the likes of Le Ballon Football League, The Toffee League and Soho Warriors have enabled creatives to make their own football kits with elite standards, their latest piece of news comes from the very top table as they have recently been unveiled as the supplier of the names and numbers to FC Barcelona with a deal that will run for the next four seasons.
As part of this event, attendees were invited to customise their own special edition shirt with bespoke patches, names and numbers.
The key being collaboration, Neal Heard, Avery Dennison and us at SoccerBible also teamed up to design and produce a special edition Coogi inspired shirt. Dropping in two colours, it's based on the much famed Biggie Smalls jumper and will be available through the SoccerBible store soon.
The unquestioned power of football shirts is something that binds the game together. Both Avery Dennison and Neal Heard will continue to influence the game and you can follow The Art of the Football Shirt through to Glasgow as the next stopping point on it's journey with even more shirts on show. Held at Argyle St. Arches on 6th and 7th October, it's one not to be missed.
Take a look at the kitted flavour Avery Dennison bring to the game here.
