The Black & Gold’s newest kit is a blast from the past (disco ball and lava lamp not included) and a nod to the Los Angeles of 50 years ago
Whether it’s the long list of soccer teams that have played in LA over the last half century, or the earth tones that define LA’s cityscape and beaches, the inspirations for LAFC’s newest kit, part of MLS’ Archive Collection, are as eclectic as the city itself.
The idea for Major League Soccer’s Archive Collection was born about two years ago, when the league presented select clubs with the idea of paying homage to their teams’ histories, said Patrick Aviles, LAFC’s Vice President of Brand Engagement & Merchandise, who has been with LAFC since it began.
“The first thing that came to mind,” Aviles said last week, “was, we don't have any history.”
LAFC played its first game only six years ago, in 2018, and therefore couldn’t reach as far back as other clubs who will introduce their entries into the Archive Collection this week —including Portland Timbers (who debuted in the NASL in 1975), Sporting Kansas City (founded as the Wiz in 1996), and the Galaxy (also 1996). “So we thought, let’s just look at the history of Los Angeles,” Aviles continued, “and ask, What if LAFC had existed in the 1970s?”
INSPIRATION
The result, which will debut on Wednesday, July 17, when LAFC faces Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), draws from the aesthetic of the disco-era Sunset Strip, and LA’s rich history of professional and semi-pro soccer clubs.
Sunset Boulevard – the iconic thoroughfare that starts at Figueroa Street near downtown LA (the same Figueroa St. that touches BMO Stadium), and stretches 22 miles west, through Hollywood and Beverly Hills, all the way to the Pacific Ocean – tells the story of LA better than any textbook can. A drive along that road during the days of platform shoes and butterfly collars would have brought a visual feast of earth tones, browns, tans, beiges and bronzes that reflect the distinctive light of LA as it shifts over the course of each day, from morning, to noon, to dusk – and of course, sunset.
LAFC’s Archive Collection kit was also inspired by the fashion sense of 1970s Los Angeles, and includes subtle tributes the football clubs who played here during the Ford and Carter administrations. Clubs like Maccabee Los Angeles, which won the U.S. Open Cup a record five times, are represented on the jerseys that’ll be worn by LAFC, which plays in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinal in late August.
The adidas x MLS Archive Collection
Celebrating a bygone era - reimagined for today.
DETAILS
The cream color of the jersey is a shade that adidas calls “linen.” It is the canvas on which features like the original MLS crest from 1996, the league’s inaugural season, have been added. (That logo is embroidered on the back of the neck on all five jerseys in MLS’ 2024 Archive Collection.)
“The ‘Los Angeles’ lettering on the front of the jersey,” Aviles said, “is a move away from the normal concept where clubs have their sponsor on the front. For this special, limited edition, which we’ll only wear for a few games before it goes away, we’ve been able to have fun and explore a new approach to our traditional brand. We wanted to put our city front and center.
“And of course we did it in a retro font reminiscent of the Seventies.”
The big block numbers on the back of the jerseys recall a simpler, more traditional ‘All American’ look and feel, like the iron-on numbers on your uncle’s high school jersey.
All of this throwback energy inspired LAFC’s in-house Creative Team to transform the players’ changing room at BMO Stadium into your grandparents’ den circa 1977, with LAFC stars Denis Bouanga, Timmy Tillman, Omar Campos and Ryan Hollingshead popping by for a visit (after spending some time in hair & makeup).
3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
The history of so called “third kits” across world soccer is rich and varied. From the celebrated Bob Marley “Three Little Birds” kit worn by historic Dutch club Ajax, to Barcelona’s alternate shirts, splashed with neons and pastels – the LAFC Archive Collection, in partnership with MLS and adidas, adds a compelling new entry to the catalog.
“Part of our ongoing mission here [at LAFC] is to be a taste maker and a leader in culture across our sport, but to reach beyond football as well,” Aviles said, “extending into fashion and art.
“We looked at this Archive Collection as a fun opportunity for clubs to try something outside of their traditional colors, and explore new colors, new styles, new designs that resonate with the city and with the fans, as well as with the fashion world.”
You dig?
LAFC’s 2024 Archive Collection kit made its debut on Wednesday, July 17, for the Black & Gold’s match-up with Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. To purchase, visit MLSstore.com or LAFC HQ during your next visit to BMO Stadium.
