Arsenal have celebrated the African heritage of many of the club's fans in London and beyond with their away kit for the 2024-25 season.
The shirt was designed in collaboration with Labrum London, a clothing brand focused on British African culture, and takes many of its design elements from the continent that produced former Gunners stars such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Nwankwo Kanu and Kolo Touré.
Kanu even makes an appearance in the launch video, which also features current players Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Leah Williamson.
The shirt has a simple black base but is enlivened by a generous application of vibrant detailing. There are contrasting red and green logos and decorations on the shoulders and collar, while a striking white zigzag graphic runs down the arms and sides of the torso and continues onto the shorts.
Within the hand-drawn pattern are black speckles that manufacturer Adidas says represent cowrie shells. These shells were once widely used as currency in Asia and on the east coast of Africa, and were used as the shell of a highly decorative type of sea snail dating back to ancient Egypt.
Red and green are also a colour combination that can be widely found in traditional Pan-African art and decoration and, together with black, form the tricolour found on the Pan-African flag, a flag that has been used to represent the African diaspora since the 1920s.
Arsenal and Labrum have also collaborated on a complementary clothing range that includes two jackets, a sweater, a T-shirt and track pants.
The brightly coloured shirt, in particular, is a real showstopper. It is expected to be worn by many fans in the stands at the Emirates next season, when Mikel Arteta's men's side will aim to catch Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title at the third attempt.
