Throughout their existence, the Red Stars have become known for putting a concerted effort into their jersey designs and rollouts. It’s simple enough to be dressed up or down, with details striking enough to stand out and keep it from being too plain - a trend we’ve unfortunately seen spread across the NWSL this season. Replacing last year’s “Momentum” kit, the aptly titled “Foundation” jersey sets the building blocks for the Red Stars’ future while paying tribute to the city they call home. But the moment they dropped it, all credits to them for that amazing photoshoot. You never know until you see it in front of your eyes. A part of me was like, ‘Did something happen?’ Maybe they’re gonna go back on the design and go to a Nike template or something. “We submitted back in autumn, but it didn’t get released until mid-March. It only took her two drafts to create what would eventually be the snowflake pattern.

In steps Le.ĭespite it being her first foray into jersey design, Le was able to submit a concept that resembled the final product within a few weeks. In a period of flux, the Red Stars were in need of a positive visual change, one that would usher the club into a new era. However, working on the design in house gave them the flexibility to work with tighter timelines. The transition Parrish refers to includes the sale of owner Arnim Whisler’s stake in the club, along with the board of directors’ vote to remove him as chairman last October as a result of the Yates report which detailed the abuse and misconduct present across the entire NWSL.Īccording to Parrish, the club would normally start working on kit design much sooner, but the change within the organization shuffled the team’s to-do list. “Knowing Jackie’s familiarity with this space and the Red Stars, we felt confident in her.” “Not to be too cliche, but we knew that we needed someone who was gonna be able to come in in the midst of transition and be able to help us lay a strong foundation for this year,” said Red Stars Director of Marketing and Communications Rachel Parrish. So for the club to come to Le only months before it needed a design showed a tremendous amount of faith in her. Most kits usually have at least a one-year concept-to-final-product lifespan, with many starting two or more years ahead of their release dates. If that sounds like short notice, it’s because it is. Based in Phoenix - ironically the hottest state capital in the country based on average high temperature - Le has been a Red Stars fan since 2016 and has created graphics for the club since 2019, but no project can compare to her most recent.Ī post shared by J the fall of 2022, the Red Stars reached out to Le with their biggest request yet - designing their upcoming home kit for the 2023 season. Jackie Le is a data analyst by day, freelance graphic designer by night. It’s inspired by the Chicago winter, with a simple yet effective snowflake pattern serving as its main design element.īut perhaps the most impressive part of the Red Stars’ new kit? It was designed by a self-described amateur graphic designer. It’s something I - a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, perhaps the pretentious capital of the world - could never understand.įurther reinforcing my hypothesis is the 2023 Chicago Red Stars “Foundation” home kit, a stunning black shirt which could easily be defined by the same above descriptors from Bourdain. If I were to take a guess, part of what makes Chicago so brash and unpretentious would have to be its notorious harsh winter. I can’t speak to it, as I’ve never had the privilege of visiting save for a brief layover stop at O’Hare, but if Bourdain says it, it must be true. These canonical words from Anthony Bourdain may very well sum up the essence of The Windy City.

You are in a big, brash, muscular, broad shouldered motherfuckin’ city.” “You wake up in Chicago, pull back the curtain, and you KNOW where you are.

One of the most striking NWSL kits of the year, we get an in-depth look behind the Chicago Red Stars’ new 2023 home kit.

Chicago red stars neighborhood kit