Neville Brody designs “modular, shape-driven” typeface for England Women’s kit

Neville Brody of Brody Associates design studio has collaborated with Nike to create typography for the new England women’s football kit, introducing “a more modular, shape-driven aesthetic”.

Brody Associates has a long-standing relationship with Nike and its design director of global football graphics Lee Murphy. Brody says that Nike chose to work with him again for this project “to continue the narrative they started by designing the men’s 2014 World Cup fonts”.

“Creating something that will sit comfortably and naturally on a global stage, yet bring dynamic and an appropriate narrative is always daunting, especially with so many stakeholders”, he adds.

Explaining that the new women’s font is an evolution from the original, Brody reveals how they typeface was “reworked to both reflect the difference in kit form and the kit pattern”. The key differences are that the new typeface is “slightly lighter, taller” and emphasises its angles “to align with the core textile designs”, he says.

Legibility was a key consideration, and the typeface aims to combine “a sense of creativity with surprise”, according to Brody. He adds that he borrowed “the stencil feel” from the original by integrating a line through the centre of each number, which also introduced “a more modular, shape-driven aesthetic”.

The typography also formed part of the wider aesthetics of the kit, which seeks to celebrate 100 years of Wembley Stadium with a nod to its art deco origins. This has inspired its colour palettes, patterns, and gradients.

The new uniform also tried to be more considerate of the athletes wearing them. The previously white shorts have been switched out for blue after players from the England women’s team lobbied for a more period-friendly colour. The new home and away shorts also incorporate Nike’s Leak Protection period technology, which comprises a built-in, ultrathin absorbent liner in the shorts.

The new kit and typeface debuted today (Thursday 6th April 2023) in the first ever Women’s Finalissima, which is a standalone game pitting the reigning champions of Europe and South America against one another.

The Lionesses will also wear the kit at this year’s Football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.