Walthamstow FC’s 2023/24 kit is up for a D&AD award tonight

By Marco Marcelline

A Walthamstow FC football kit inspired by the legendary textile designer William Morris has been nominated for a leading global design award.

The D&AD awards, which showcases and celebrates the world’s best commercial creativity in design, advertising, craft and production, will announce if the Walthamstow FC and William Morris Gallery collaboration has won at a central London ceremony tonight.

The idea for the collaboration was devised by Wood Street Walls, an art collective based on Barrett Road, Walthamstow, who picked out the “Yare” pattern by textile and stained-glass designer John Henry Dearle from William Morris Gallery’s museum archives.

The kit was then produced by British sports manufacturer Admiral who originated the modern replica football kit almost 50 years ago.

The pattern, which features scrolling green leaves with flowers in shades of pale blue, red and yellow on a dark blue background, was then block printed on cotton at Merton Abbey.

Proceeds from the kit have gone towards supporting the club establishing a new women’s team and supporting the Gallery’s community outreach.

Reacting to the nomination, Wood Street Walls co-founder Mark Clack described the project as a “labour of love”.

He said: “With 12,387 entries from 78 countries and 30,000 items of work submitted, just to be nominated is an honour – such a large and talented cast of individuals working behind the scenes to make this project a reality, this is a testament to projects that put hyper-local stories with a local context can have a significant and far reaching impact.”

Jake Green, who was the photographer on the collaboration effort, told the Echo: “Projects like the WSW & William Morris collab for Walthamstow FC don’t come around very often… the project combines community and culture in undeniably authentic ways.

“This authenticity informed all of our shoot locations, casting and creative. Dwade, Neo and Shornell were amazing models and really brought the project to life. The Wood Street Walls team totally deserve being shortlisted for this prestigious award.”

The kit is available to purchase online from Pro Direct Soccer and William Morris Gallery

See the full D&AD shortlist here

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