Umbro’s new exhibition is being hailed as an illustration of how the concept of “Englishness” is being “constantly revised”.
Umbro’s new exhibition is being hailed as an illustration of how the concept of ‘Englishness’ is being ‘constantly revised’
The ‘Umbro 100: Sportswear x Fashion’ at Ambika Gallery in the University of Westminster, tells the story of the Manchester-based sports brand’s development – in the wake of the row over the replacement of the traditional red and white St George’s Cross with a multicoloured one on Nike’s design for the Euros England shirt.
Umbro was the official outfitter of England for the majority of 1954 to 2012 and the team’s shirts are a key part of the exhibition – including a 2011 top designed by iconic record sleeve graphic designer Peter Saville.
The show also features pictures of the red England kit worn when the team won the World Cup in 1966, as Umbro made the England and German kits.
Exhibition curator Andrew Groves told The Guardian about the range of items on display: “(They show how) the idea of what Englishness is constantly being revised.
“For example, the England rose is actually the Tudor rose, which is about uniting Lancaster and York together. People are constantly playing with bits of iconography and making them modern.”
Andrew added he thinks the reaction to Nike’s St George’s Cross was caused by a lack of explanation for the switch.
He said: “They didn’t have a narrative (of) ‘We’ve done this because of x.’
“With (Peter) Saville, they talked about how they took the colours from the crest, putting all three together to give this purple colour. It’s about the idea of Britain as a really multi-diverse country.”
He also said he thinks designing an England shirt that will win the approval of all fans is far too tricky, adding: “Do you want to keep them happy but move them on?
“I think that’s a difficult thing to do, especially when it seems like it’s only every (two) years when people are engaged and (when you consider) how problematic Englishness has become.”
A blue pixelated design from 1990 that was never worn by the England team but became famous for its role in New Order’s ‘World in Motion’ video is also on show at the Umbro exhibition.
The exhibition also demonstrates how collaboration, now par for the course between sports and fashion brands has been a key part of Umbro’s legacy.