At this point you should be familiar with the work of Icarus. The plucky brand out of Philadelphia, who pride themselves on their “no templates” philosophy, have been making waves in the industry with bold designs that often break out of the conventional mould many kits find themselves stuck in.
Nowhere is the Icarus approach more clearly evident than in the brand’s signature tournament the Icarus Cup. Now in its 5 year, the Icarus Cup is a potent blend of a grassroots community celebration and a football kit exhibition. Teams (80 for the upcoming edition in the brand’s hometown of Philly) come together with the promise of a good time and, importantly, a bespoke kit designed by Icarus. The likes of "Alexi Flawless", "Alcohóligols" and "Dirty Mike and The Boys" will all get to select their designs before the competition kicks off, adding a unique twist to proceedings and the potential for some early mind games.
By this point Icarus Cup kits are a reputation unto themselves. With virtually no rules to play by and a unifying theme for any given tournament, the jerseys are routinely some of the most creative you’ll see. Adding further interest is the collaborative nature of Icarus, with several other individuals and groups partnering to sponsor Icarus Cup kits and some having a hand in the designs themselves.
For Icarus Cup Philadelphia, which runs from Friday 11th July - Sunday 13th July, the theme for the kits was textiles around the world. Inspiration was drawn from Indonesian batik, Malian mudcloth and even the historic patterns found in textiles at Spitalfields market in London. The resulting designs are big on geometric patterns with a suitably wide colour palette to fit the worldwide theme. Amongst the various sponsor logos is our own, as we partner with Icarus for the first time.
To see more of the Icarus Cup as it happens head to @theicaruscup and for more on Icarus as a whole follow @icarusfootball.
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