Nigeria’s 2018 kit was a phenomenon, a rare example of a shirt that became instantly iconic not because of who wore it on the pitch, but because of how it resonated culturally and in fashion circles.
Three million people pre-ordered the shirt and shoppers queued outside Nike’s flagship store in London upon its release.
“We drew directly from Nigeria’s own kit history,” explains designer Wolff. “The 2002 kit was a reference – that brilliant shade of green was something I wanted to bring back. And we obviously drew inspiration from the 1994-95 kit as well.
“The goal wasn’t to invent something out of thin air, it was to pull on threads already there in the country’s footballing identity.
“The timing was perfect in a lot of ways. Nigeria was having a global cultural moment in fashion, music, poetry, art, film etc. The kit landed in the middle of that wave, and I think it resonated because the wave was swelling.
“Credit to the entire team at Nike who brought it together. A kit doesn’t become a phenomenon because of one designer. It becomes a phenomenon because a lot of people are doing a lot of thoughtful, thorough work.”