Nike Sportswear x So Me France Team Kit
So Me, nee Bertrand De Langeron, is an acclaimed illustrator as well as the art director of Ed
So Me, nee Bertrand De Langeron, is an acclaimed illustrator as well as the art director of Ed Banger records, one of the world’s most cutting – edge labels. Since 2003, his album art and music videos have come to embody the eclectic world of Ed Rec, adding complimentary visuals to their innovative sounds. His contributions to the France kit exhibit his pop art sensibility and tongue-in-cheek style. The colorful mascot and crest feature a simple character that’s a parody of the stereotypical Frenchman – complete with a tilted beret and manicured moustache. The pattern lining the hoodie on the AW77 is a brick-like repeat in vibrating red, blue and black and the hand-written font features rounded edges, adding to the kit’s playful vibe.
Six Collaborations spawned from
Nike Sportswear’s desire to celebrate the beautiful game of football in a way that connects to the national team fans who dwell at the intersection of sports and culture. In 2006, Nike collaborated with a group of artists to curate and design environments and spaces that represented their countries, but there was no product connection to this partnerships. This year, Nike worked with established and emerging artists from six countries to create alternative National Team Kits that flip the script on the classic football kit. “We wanted to include the kinds of apparel and accessories that would be in a footballers bag,” “They would be the same colors of on-field uniforms, but with the artists’ twists.” says Jarrett Reynolds, Nike Sportswear Apparel Design Director. In order to accomplish this, the Nike team asked artists contribute a badge, mascot, print and an alphabet in their handwriting style. Each collaboration includes N98 Track Jacket, AW 77 hoodie, kit tee, polo shirt and short for both men and women; then tee for men and tank for women.
