The 10 kits that changed the aesthetics of Serie A And how they did it
When in 1992 British channel ITV first broadcast Calcio Italia, a Serie A fever spread across the United Kingdom. It was the first time Italian football had consistently expanded beyond its home borders. To capture the British audience - and not only - weren’t only the stars that in the ‘90s played in the Belpaese - among whom featured Baggio, Batistuta, Van Basten, Mancini, Fuser, just to name a few - but also the aesthetics of what at that time looked like the most beautiful tournament in the world. It was, mostly, about the charm of the bursting curve and fascinating exotic kits: from Sampdoria’s hoops to FIorentina’s unique lilac palette.
The Serie A jerseys, though, for over 20 years - since the mid-’70s - had been treating Italian fans and those who followed European cups to some mind-blowing innovations, that were hardly matched by other championships. A plethora of brands, both Italian and foreign, had been incredibly good at coming up with futuristic, suave and surprising design concepts, especially if we take into account the fact the socio-political background against which Serie A was taking place: the terrorism and fear of the Years of Lead.
Just like the late-’70s Italo Disco craze represented the Italians’ will to dance street violence away, the football shirt aesthetic revolution captured a sport willing to lead the emotions of a population who was in need of both renovation in life and kits holding strong identity credentials.
Simply considering the Serie A kits’ aesthetic revolution an attempt to imitate the latest American trends of the time would be diminishing. There was no doubt a fascination for the pop and glam twist NASL introduced football to, but there also were the brilliant intuitions of a series of brands, designers and chairmen who understood the potential of marketing and the need of renovation Serie A was crying for.
A.C. Fiorentina 1983-85 Home
With the advent of the '80s, the first synthetic kits made their appearance in Italy. Made out of fabrics such as rayon and satin, these materials gave shirts a shiny effect that became a trademark of 1980s football. One of its most iconic examples is, no doubt, the kit NR designed for Napoli in 1988-89 and worn by the partenopei as they bagged their first and only UEFA Cup. Not only is the kit inevitably associated with Maradona, but also with its sponsor Mars. Although the partnership between the brand and Napoli only lasted for a bunch of seasons, it has stood the test of times as one of the most memorable in the history of sportswear design - as also witnessed by the many recent remakes, like the collaboration between NR and Patta. Differently to other famous Napoli sponsors of the times like Buitoni and Cirio, the English chocolate brand’s groovy and funky font succeeded in standing out of the azzurri’s kits, also thanks to both its design and the exotic charm Mars bars evoked in those days, when they became a cult product with a Pop aftertaste.
Talking Mars and Napoli, also worthy is NR’s 1990-91 red away kit featuring a white-and-blue swoosh on the chest and the club’s crest moved on the left arm to leave room to the scudetto badge.
