Akara

Why do we wear jerseys?
We wear them because they give us a sense of identity, belonging, a community.

As a football fan and a player, I used to collect jerseys every season. And whenever we formed a team or joined a new tournament, the first thing we did was buy jerseys.

As a kid, I used to watch football late at night on weekends because of the European time. And on Monday mornings at school, we’d talk about it like it was our job. We’d defend our teams when people said something about them, and we’d fight to protect them.

Because that’s what a jersey does, it connects you to something bigger than yourself. A team. A belief. You wear it because you want to belong, to a community of people who think like you, feel like you, and live like you.

And identity is the strongest form of persuasion. You start doing the things your identity would do. You live in a way that protects it. And slowly, you become it. You are molded by it.

It gives you a sense of belonging — a place where you feel seen.

And that made me think, what would my jersey be? If someone wanted to belong to my brand, to the message, the mindset, the faith, what would they wear?

So I created this jersey.