Despite only being around for 10 years, Labrum has already accomplished some big things. In 2022, it opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Picadilly. In 2023, it won the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. And earlier this summer, it was nominated for the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund – and this was all thanks to the vision and values of its founder, Foday Dumbuya.
Born in Sierra Leone, he spent his formative years in Cyprus and later moved to London when he was about 12. This laid the groundwork for his menswear label, which is all about shining a light on those who have immigrated to the UK and those who make it the glorious cultural melting pot that it is. That’s what inspired the brand’s de facto slogan: ‘Designed by an Immigrant.’
When Adidas was working on its 2024/25 away kit for Arsenal, Dumbuya was the first designer it called up. “Arsenal has always had a strong connection to its African fanbase, and they wanted to celebrate this,” he says over a video call from his studio. “The club knows I tell stories about West Africa and about London through my collections, so the idea of Africa meets London was what sparked off this collaboration. I’m African, and I’m also an Arsenal fan. I feel like this is the best moment, and it’s like a dream come true.”
Adidas
The shirt comes in black, with green and red striping around the collar and along the shoulders. The German sportswear company’s logo appears on the right chest, while the Gunners’ cannon motif makes a cameo on the left. “It’s always been a thing that we create colourful patterns, but we incorporate these into darker shades. If you look at it, it’s mostly black. But the zig-zag pattern within it ignites energy. The pan-African colours and the Nomoli icon are other aspects that make it what it is.” This is a symbol that’s found throughout many of Labrum’s collections. It’s a mark of protection and prosperity, and it stems from the Mende and Kissi tribes of Sierra Leone.
Redesigning a pro football team’s gear comes with a lot of pressure. So where do you even begin with a collaboration of this scale? “The best perspective to start from is the performance perspective,” says Inigo Turner, design director for Adidas football apparel. “We always have a design philosophy for the season, and for ’24, it’s about being visibly bolder and about being different.”
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