South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu has explained the inspiration behind his design for the new 2023/24 Adidas Orlando Pirates jersey.
Pirates Orlando Pirates officially unveiled their new home and away jerseys for the new season on Tuesday.
This comes after they initially provided a taster with some pictures of the jerseys last week
The Soweto giants will debut the 2023/4 jersey on the field in a DStv Premiership clash against Stellenbosch on Saturday, 5 August.
In a statement, Pirates stated that they fused cutting-edge technical innovation with fashion design while giving a brief profile of Magugu.
“Growing up in the South African cities of Kimberley and Johannesburg, Magugu draws upon Africa’s storied past, complex present and imagined future,” said Pirates.
“In 2019, he took home the distinguished LVMH Prize for Young Designers, marking the first time a designer from the African continent had won the industry’s most prestigious talent prize.”
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The new Pirates jerseys has two new designs: a Home jersey (Black) and an Away jersey (Pistachio Green).
Both feature the legendary Orlando Pirates skull and crossbow logo reimagined to incorporate a captivating maze pattern. The jersey rounds off with a Thebe Magugu back-neck sign-off and a unique raised crest.
In explaining Pirates’ new jersey, Magugu said: “My brand is all about exploring and bringing to light unique facets of our history and culture, and none has left more of an impact than the legacy of Orlando Pirates, and I am honoured to contribute so significantly to that history.
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“I felt like it was important to hear the Orlando Pirates story before I began designing.
“A tale of perseverance, fighting against the odds to become one of the most recognised figureheads in global sports.
“This idea of persistence is why I decided to treat the iconic skull logo as a maze. To symbolise the long and winding journey the team has travelled to land them here”.