Inspired by Adidas alternative football kits and their Lifestyler shirts, I created a new aesthetic for the football team my father dreamed of as a child.
SKILLS
OUTPUT
illustration
printmaking
club crest
kit design
visual design
narratives
illustration
creative concepts
adobe cc
research
culture-driver
south asian art
merchandise design
ai creative
background
When listening to tales about my father’s youth in India, he fondly reminisced going to East Bengal Football Club games, which felt strange because he does not go to football matches in the UK. Turns out they weren’t very welcome spaces for Indians when he moved to the UK as a student and his love of football faded.
East Bengal Football Club was assembled by Bengalis who were displaced from modern-day Bangladesh to India amidst the violent riots of partition in 1947. They became a beacon of hope as Bengalis settled into Kolkata and they had to fight for their acceptance into certain leagues which led to protests - they are still known as the Torchbearers, their crest includes a flaming torch and club colours are gold and red.
Their revolutionary spirit lives strong today and they are one of the most successful and widely supported clubs in the country. Feeling inspired by Adidas’ alternative football kits and their sponsor-free ‘Lifestyler’ shirts, I designed a new crest and kit for the East Bengal Football Club.
club crest
inspired by the fierce bengal tigers that roam the tea gardens and forests of Bengal, with a flaming torch maintaining the revolutionary spirit of the club.
player shirt
unsurprisingly, my father’s favourite part of a match day was the food. He would be treated to ilish fish - a ‘special occasion’ fish dish made with mustard. Bengalis are also commonly known as ‘fish-eaters’ and have many nicknames around fish.
This tee is inspired by the scales from ilish fish and the home shirt colour correlates with the famous mustard sauce it’s served in and the club’s gold and red colours, with the away shirt representing the blue of the Bay of Bengal.
The scales also permit for more airflow in the design and could be brought to life with mesh and breathable materials.
goalie jersey
inspired by the patachitra style of Bengali art from my mother’s sari.
