Fabric of the Community

Client: Grenfell Athletic FC

We did something with Grenfell Athletic FC that Nike and Kitlocker tell us has never been done before.

We gathered 30 pieces of fabric from the Grenfell community, each holding special emotional significance after the tragic fire. One resident Nick donated the shirt he was wearing when he escaped the tragedy—the night his wife passed away. We carefully cut these fabrics into patches and embroidered one onto the chest of each shirt. The club crest was placed over the top, with an NFC chip hidden inside each crest. When a purchaser holds their phone over the crest, it automatically directs them to a landing page artfully housing 30 films.

On the label, buyers can identify the fabric patch on their specific shirt—whether it’s Joseph’s shirt, Dyon’s shirt, or Salma’s shirt—and discover which film to watch to hear the unique story behind the fabric. Each film features the donor speaking directly to the buyer. This innovative use of technology transforms a football shirt into a biographical record of a traumatised community and fosters a direct, one-to-one emotional connection between the shirt wearer and the person who donated the fabric. The football shirt becomes something entirely different.

The campaign generated significant interest from brands eager to participate, culminating in Grenfell Athletic Women’s Team securing a groundbreaking £50,000 sponsorship deal—the largest sponsorship in women’s grassroots football history. Furthermore, nearly all 500 limited-edition shirts sold out quickly, demonstrating the community’s dedication and the campaign’s effectiveness in generating tangible financial support.