On 12 April the Westminster Menswear Archive launched Umbro 100: Sportswear x Fashion, a major free exhibition in London exploring 100 years of British sportswear and its influence on fashion designers around the world.
The exhibition is running between 12-28 April at Ambika P3, a space for contemporary art and architecture, developed from the vast former concrete construction hall at the University of Westminster.
Over the last century, sportswear has evolved from its functional, athletic and sporting roots to become the daily uniform for billions of people around the world. Founded in 1924, Umbro has been central to this revolution.
Today collaborations between sportswear companies and fashion brands are the norm, but Umbro’s collaboration with Paul Smith in 2002 was the first to include a whole range of garments, including jackets, sweatshirts, polo shirts, t-shirts, as well as luggage and leather accessories. It marked the beginning of this trend. Since then, Umbro has collaborated with over 60 different designers and brands including Kim Jones, Paul Smith, Vigil Abloh, Peter Saville, Christopher Raeburn, Supreme, Nigel Cabourn, Aitor Throup, Palace and Vetements.
In celebration of Umbro’s centennial year, the exhibition uses over 120 examples drawn exclusively from the Westminster Menswear Archive to explore how the relationship between sportswear and fashion has evolved.
It is presented in five sections, Manchester, England, Tailored, Replica and Diamond, and features a variety of designers. These include Kim Jones, Supreme, OFF-WHITE, Aries, Vetements, Patta, Paul Smith, Bikkembergs, Philip Treacy, Aitor Throup, Peter Saville, Patta, House of Holland, Christopher Raeburn, Pretty Green, Peter de Potter, FORSOMEONE, Eliminator, Numerals, John Smedley, ALMOSTBLACK, Hanon, NOWHERE FC, New Order, R. Newbold, Factory Records, Nigel Cabourn, Gio Goi, SWEET SKTBS, Rowing Blazers, KANGHYUK, Palace, Slam Jam and N.HOOLYWOOD.
Highlights of the exhibition include collaborations with British and international designers, a section dedicated to Aitor Throup’s highly influential Archive Research Project from 2011, historical examples of Umbro’s sportswear from 1936 to the present day, and historical football shirts from Manchester City, Manchester United, AFC Ajax, Scotland and England.
Professor Andrew Groves, the Co-curator of Umbro 100, said: “Though collaborations between sportswear companies and fashion designers are now commonplace, Umbro was at the forefront of this, with their collaboration with Paul Smith in 2002. While other sportswear companies had previously produced footwear for designers, the Paul Smith collaboration was the first to result in a full collection between a designer and a sportswear company being produced. As such it is a landmark moment and led to later collaborations with some of the world’s most important fashion brands, including Off-White, Vetements, and Supreme.”
Dr Danielle Sprecher, the other Co-curator of Umbro 100, said: “We spent over five years sourcing these rare collaborations from all over the world, including Japan, Korea, the United States, Brazil, Ukraine, Italy, France and China, demonstrating Umbro's global reach. The exhibition is the first time they have been seen together, allowing visitors to see how such a diverse range of designers have reinterpreted British sportswear through Umbro.”
The exhibition directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education, as it is a space to learn about the history of fashion and how it has evolved over time. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Fashion courses at the University of Westminster.
