Top Boy, the critically acclaimed crime drama series from Netflix, which premiered its final chapter on September 7, will be sponsoring Hackney Wick FC for its 2023/2024 season, working with Foday Dumbuya (AKA founder of London menswear brand LABRUM), who has customised the new NIKE home and away shirts for the club.
For the announcement, the Top Boy cast including Araloyin Oshunremi, Cristale, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Ilani Marriott-Lodge, Ivan Burdon, Reniko Francis, and Savanah Graham, can be seen posing in the limited edition shirts.
The home shirt was teased by Homerton-born rapper Unknown T at the LABRUM fashion show during London Fashion Week on Saturday night.
The sponsorship of Hackney Wick FC, which was founded by former gang member Bobby Kasanga in 2015, will see a unique collaboration uniting Top Boy with a football club at the heart of the local community, and Hackney-based designer Foday Dumbuya.
Hackney Wick FC is the borough’s first-ever semi-professional football team with male and female teams from age 8 up. Each season, Hackney Wick FC hosts the ‘32 Borough Cup’, bringing together 32 youth teams from across London in a one-day tournament aimed at ending gang rivalries.
LABRUM has designed the shirts to celebrate the interweaving communities and the 32 boroughs of London. Both the home and away shirts Include a zig-zag motif, inspired by traditional African art, to represent the community and different cultures interweaving.
The 32 postcodes of London are woven into the fabric. The shirts contain the Top Boy logo on the chest and LABRUM's logo on the right sleeve. The logo for Hackney Wick FC’s charity, THINK OUTSIDE THE BLOX is featured on the left sleeve.
“These shirts embody the essence of interwoven communities and pay tribute to London's remarkable 32 boroughs. Drawing inspiration from the captivating artistry of traditional African motifs, the zig-zag patterns represent the beautiful tapestry of cultures that intertwine within our city."
– Foday Dumbuya (Creative Director & Founder of LABRUM)
..."This kit is more than just a uniform; it is a symbol of unity, resilience, and the strength that arises when diverse communities come together. We should embrace the power of collaboration, celebrate the beauty in our differences, and create a legacy of unity that extends far beyond the game.”
"Top Boy's sponsorship of the club is the best possible thing for the next generation of Hackney Wick FC players. The cost of living is impacting families harshly, so this sponsorship means more free football for young people in disadvantaged communities.
We are forever grateful for the lasting legacy of the show and hope to find our Top Boys and Girls on the football field. Top Boy is investing in the next generation of ballers."
– Bobby Kasanga (Founder of Hackney Wick FC)
..."The 32 Borough Cup HWFC organises helps unify different young people from across London and the importance of togetherness is incorporated in the new kit as all postcodes are recognised.”
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TOP BOY S3 SYNOPSIS
Sully’s actions at the end of the last series have rewritten his business rules with Dushane. As new shared problems arise, everything they've built comes under threat from forces outside and within their empire. Can they coexist by the rules of the road they’ve lived by their whole lives in a world that is changing before them? Or can there only be one Top Boy?
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