Some were there for the kits. Some came for the live music. Some for the football.
Some for the free food. Whatever the reason, in New York City recently, the hottest block was Domino Square.
The Brooklyn venue overlooks the East River and the Manhattan skyline, and was where PUMA chose to launch the shirts for 11 nations ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
They come in peace
Among them were Ghana, Senegal and Portugal, hence the presence of Asamoah Gyan, El Hadji Diouf and Ricardo Quaresma as ambassadors for the day – less than five miles south of United Nations headquarters, where plenty of other ambassadors meet regularly.
After grabbing breakfast at The Arlo Williamsburg, I sauntered through the streets of North Brooklyn and arrived at PUMA’s ‘Upcycle Workshop’. I met the world-renowned designer Nicole McLaughlin, who coached a plethora of content creators, journalists and influencers in the art of upcycling.
Suddenly, I found myself tearing apart brand-new PUMA jerseys, jackets, balls, boots and shorts in order to create a bag from those raw materials.
Then, I made my way towards Domino Square, where 11 countries were having their kits unveiled – Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Switzerland, Austria, Paraguay, New Zealand and play-off contenders Czech Republic also among them.
Each shirt has been designed to tap into the cultural zeitgeist of its respective nation – Portugal’s kit has a maritime theme, while New Zealand’s jersey references the country’s volcanic terrain, and Egypt’s jersey contains a nod to the pyramids.
“Our gold shirt represents our minerals – Ghana has the best gold in the world,” Gyan told FFT, while assessing his country’s new away kit. “We’re also the largest cocoa exporter in Africa, and we’ve got the cowrie shells on the shirt, too.
"Everything about it represents the culture we have. I’m jealous of not having worn the gold shirt when I was playing – we didn’t have gold shirts then.”
PUMA have been making Ghana’s kits since 2005, shortly after Gyan’s debut for his country. “I think PUMA has done incredible work throughout all these years,” he said. “I’ve been working with them for over a decade, and we know what they do with the national teams, especially when it comes to tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup.
“This isn’t the first or second time that PUMA has done this kind of event. I’m very happy to be part of such a great event – we appreciate PUMA a lot.”
The brand could have hosted the event in a secluded mansion or museum, with models ambling down the catwalk, while Gyan & Co were cordoned off in a VIP section. Instead, they held it outdoors to blend fashion, music, food and football.
A gravel pitch, emblazoned with graffiti of each of the different nations, hosted four-a-side matches featuring teams wearing the new kits. Senegal prevailed, with Diouf watching on.
Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif belted out his various hits, while food trucks featured the cuisine of the 11 nations involved on the day, from strudel and couscous to pastel de nata.
It was a reminder that football unites people of all continents. Fans of 48 countries will gather in North America this summer – there’s little as vibrant as a World Cup.
