KIT OF THE WEEK

My first KOTW entry was for Slovenia. Known for the range of greens and blues they use on their kits, as well as their signature mountain designs, I wanted to do something a bit more unique. Using a white base, I included a very faint light blue and a dark pine green, a combination that I don't believe they have used before. The colors are also arranged in a fashion very similar to their most recent home kit. A lined gradient adds a unique layout to the mountain design.

Simba SC is a club that plays out of Tanzania. Coming up with something for them was a bit of a challenge, as is the case with most lesser-known clubs. I decided on a couple of influences. First was a vertical stripe design, which alludes to the team's former moniker of Sunderland (Sunderland is also a club in the UK known for wearing a red/white striped design). The chevron design is taken from the team's home venue, Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Another week, another stadium-inspired kit, this time for Porto-based Boavista FC. The signature detail was easy, as the team usually wears a distinctive checkered design. I found a twist on the pattern, which adds a warped effect. The new detail comes on the collar, with a rainbow stripe taken from the seating of the team's stadium, Estadio do Bessa. Traditional yellow accents round out the look.

C.D. Moron is a club based out of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Despite it being lesser known than some of the other clubs in the city, their signature red band made for a nice background for designs. I settled on a "sunburst" design with progressively darker shades of red, something simple yet distinctive. I used a couple of those reds as a nice cuff design, adding some more visual interest.

Real Betis may not be the most well-known Spanish club, but the most recent Copa del Rey winners (Spain's equivalent of the FA Cup) have a nice uniform history. I decided to go back to basics here, with a more vintage-style design using thinner stripes. The shirt is polished off with some green cuffs and collar with golden yellow accents. Probably one of my more reserved attempts for this competition yet, but it is one of my favorites yet.

Turkey is an awesome country to design for with its rich history and artistic legacy. The main focus for this away shirt is the tonal center stripe inspired by Ottoman-era textiles and artwork. The stripe is outline in turquoise; a color used on Turkey's kits before. Darker red stripes run down the side of the shirt, and the number is placed on the right chest, as the crest is located in the center of the stripe. A few different influences here, but something I hope encapsulates a sort of Turkish flair.

A club with a rich history, but a lot of recent struggles, Dynamo Dresden has a unique identity that made me want to try and get creative. I decided to use an element of the team's crest, the 5 stripes, to create a "lightning bolt" pattern, fitting of the name Dynamo. A hint of classic burgundy appears on the collar, a nod to the team's past. Other than that, nothing too crazy or distracting.

Located in one of the smallest countries in the world, this club, which competes in the French Ligue 1, still had a lot of local inspiration to draw from. I chose the iconic F1 Monaco Grand Prix, which has run annually since 1929, to serve as a base. The dark gray color reflects the roads along which the course follows. The red and white striped collars and cuffs take inspiration from the rumble strips found on the turns along the scenic course and add a unique visual element. A tonal "tire mark" stripe appears on the left side of the shirt, a sort of fun nod to how the course looks as the race gets further along.

I decided to take a step back and simply design for design's sake here. I love the combination of purple and red, and thought it would work really well here for this Vienna club. A purple base, a tonal halftone-style pattern, and an Austrian flag on the cuffs. Simple, but the red and white helps to add a tie in to the Austria name found in the team's title.

For St Louis City, who start MLS play next season, I used an idea for them that I have been sitting on for a while now. I decided to go with a striped design, with slight inspiration from the team's crest, but with a twist: a subtle arch implemented into the graphic, a nod to the iconic Gateway Arch. Along with the navy/bright red color scheme the team will have, the design looks right at home as a blend of traditional and modern. I also used a brand new 2-D style template from Viatore_ which looks absolutely fantastic. A link to his Photoshop template can be found below, in case you want to use them.

Viatore_ (gumroad.com)

New Zealand's Wellington Phoenix were on tap for this challenge, and I decided to quite literally "light up" their look. While the team traditionally wears yellow and black stripes at home, I decided to go for an all-black away shirt for my design, with a fire theme, after all, the mythical phoenix is also known as a firebird. A flame graphic on the front, and a yellow-orange gradient throughout drive this theme home. I also decided to go with Nike as the manufacturer, working more with Viatore_'s templates.

This edition was paired with a challenge: design a shirt for Villarreal without any shade of yellow. Of course, this can be difficult seeing as it is the club's signature color, and their nickname is the "Yellow Submarine". To compensate, I went with a new idea for an away shirt using a blue and orange color scheme, the latter of which is taken from the prominence of oranges in the region's economic history. The other major element is a tonal pattern inspired by ceramic tiles, which is a prominent export from the city of Villarreal. The resulting look is a simple and bold shirt that would fit the city and club very well.