Hummel are on a mission to change the world through sports, taking a stand against oppressive forces and acting as an advocate for minority groups. For over a decade they have fought for gay rights in Europe and Russia, women’s soccer in Afghanistan, and the anti-war effort in Africa among countless other causes. It’s a brave stance, especially when you remember that we’re talking about a sports brand.
The Danish brand’s latest venture sees them focusing on the US, and specifically New York, where a small band of individuals decided to bypass the barriers of language, ethnicity, faith and politics to form a team that transcends the hatred that sadly exists within society for people in their situation.
RIFA, Rooklyn International Football Association, is an initiative helping immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees integrate and establish a social network, and Hummel has teamed up with acclaimed fashion designer Willy Chavarria to provide them with a new line of sports clothing.
The apparel is adorned with the number 5683, the numeric code for the letters L-O-V-E, and it acts as a subtle way for RIFA’s unifying message to come across; immigrants are not the threat, division is.
The clothing itself is a combination of a vibrant orange and black coloured kits, with Hummel’s trademark chevrons running down the arms, and a range of other training apparel, all of which carry powerful messages relating to human rights.
Through this collab Hummel hope to go some way towards healing the rift that exists within society, not through resistance by anger or confrontation, but through finding common ground, in this case football. It’s a powerful message and one that everyone should be behind.
For more information on RIFA visit rooklynfootball.org
