Aston Villa Kits 23/24

[Demitri_C]

1 minute ago, StanBalaban said:

They will have input from the kit "supplier" and, I assume, must take some cues from the theme of the brand.

I think the away kit is fine, the home kit looks much better in the flesh and the training and travel gear is actually pretty good.

I know its personal preference so its all down to perception but i honestly think that away kit is one of the worst we have had. Its juat hideous !

I like some of the training gear. Hopefully get a better away kit next year

[GarethRDR]

That would have worked perfectly well for a goalkeeper kit.

If not for the **** wash out badge, obvs.

[roonst83]

It's naughty and I like it.

[AvfcRigo82]

37 minutes ago, StanBalaban said:

The kits are designed and manufactured by Fanatics. Just as the Kappa ones were, and the Luke.

Castore have their badge popped on the kit in return for paying the club plenty of cash.

*Naivety alert*

So, Fanatics design every single design for every single kit - home, away, 3rd etc. - for every single team that they have a deal with in the world..?

Does a representative from each of the manufacturing brands (Castore, Luke, Kappa etc) all visit Fanatics HQ one day and just sit at a big table in a glass building all taking it in turns to bid 'Yes' to each of the shirts when they are held up by the Fanatics guy hosting the whole thing?

Or is it a case where fanatics draw up a stencil of any kit and then just customise the colours to it to suit that team?.. ping it over in an email to the guy at Castore.. "What about this one for the Southampton Home Shirt?

Castore reply with either "Yes, perfect" or "No, that looks shit, show us another design".

I'm probably wrong on both of those hypothetical scenarios.

Again, apologies for my ignorance on this subject. I assumed until recently that all the kits were designed and manufactured by that brand (Puma, Umbro, Kappa, Castore, Macron etc.) and Fanatics were just the distributor for them all in big huge Amazon.com style warehouses type operation housing all of these kits in their distribution centres for every team on the planet that they have deals with.

I know we have some great guys on this forum who work in the industry and can probably educate me much better on the subject one day as I now find it a bit of a fascinating process how it all takes place.

[AvfcRigo82]

10 minutes ago, GarethRDR said:

That would have worked perfectly well for a goalkeeper kit.

It was the usual style of design we witnessed in the early 90's era of the PL and teams kits, Mad patterns etc.

I'm sure Oldham Athletic could be used as an example.

But this shirt just looks..  weird.

[est1874]

20 minutes ago, GarethRDR said:

That would have worked perfectly well for a goalkeeper kit.

If not for the **** wash out badge, obvs.

Vomit.

[withes_shin]

I'm not convinced by this, there looks far too much detail on the lion than the badges on the home and away kits.

[Mazrim]

1 hour ago, Jas10 said:

Castore when they design their kits:

 

Castore when someone actually likes their kits:

They didn't think much of Homelander.
Awaylander is a bit bland for many.
Hopefully 3rdlander hits the spot.

I like it from what I can see anyway.

[fightoffyour]

Any chance it is the GK kit?

[StanBalaban]

33 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

*Naivety alert*

So, Fanatics design every single design for every single kit - home, away, 3rd etc. - for every single team that they have a deal with in the world..?

Does a representative from each of the manufacturing brands (Castore, Luke, Kappa etc) all visit Fanatics HQ one day and just sit at a big table in a glass building all taking it in turns to bid 'Yes' to each of the shirts when they are held up by the Fanatics guy hosting the whole thing?

Or is it a case where fanatics draw up a stencil of any kit and then just customise the colours to it to suit that team?.. ping it over in an email to the guy at Castore.. "What about this one for the Southampton Home Shirt?

Castore reply with either "Yes, perfect" or "No, that looks shit, show us another design".

I'm probably wrong on both of those hypothetical scenarios.

Again, apologies for my ignorance on this subject. I assumed until recently that all the kits were designed and manufactured by that brand (Puma, Umbro, Kappa, Castore, Macron etc.) and Fanatics were just the distributor for them all in big huge Amazon.com style warehouses type operation housing all of these kits in their distribution centres for every team on the planet that they have deals with.

I know we have some great guys on this forum who work in the industry and can probably educate me much better on the subject one day as I now find it a bit of a fascinating process how it all takes place.

It's a really good question, to one I don't know the answer. My assumption is that both club and manufacturer has their own "brand book" and Fanatics would use this as the basis to design the team kits. I guess it's just one extra layer to a manufacturer designing the kits for a club.

@NurembergVillan would know more though.

[NurembergVillan]

2 minutes ago, StanBalaban said:

It's a really good question, to one I don't know the answer. My assumption is that both club and manufacturer has their own "brand book" and Fanatics would use this as the basis to design the team kits. I guess it's just one extra layer to a manufacturer designing the kits for a club.

@NurembergVillan would know more though.

In the vast majority of cases, the brands are designing, developing and manufacturing kits. That's it.

Where Fanatics built a business model for themselves was picking up some of the work that was a PITA for the brands - licensed team product like caps, tees, accessories, fanwear etc. Across a load of teams that's a load of hassle. Fanatics take all that work and pay a percentage to the brands. The brands will usually have sign-off on those products.

Then Fanatics bought Kitbag, which gave them access to the distribution of both brand-created product and their own.

The Villa deal, as Doctor Tony (I think) said, is/was unique in that Fanatics were taking on the design and manufacturing and then "selling" the logo space to brands who didn't have the logistics to make kits themselves. This is apparently what Napoli have been doing with EA7 too - although here it's the club designing and producing and EA7 having their name dragged through the mud every two weeks when yet another substandard kit is released.

My understanding is that this business model worked ok for 12 months, but after that (and promotion) the sort of brands willing and able to pay the money to Fanatics were also the sort of brands who would want their own product, designed and made to their own spec, showing up in the Premier League.

So season 1 of Kappa, the designs had already been created by Fanatics and approved by the club. Then the Kappa deal came about and they wanted to use their own templates etc, so the eg green design was transposed onto the Kappa uniforms and manufactured (I believe) by Fanatics' suppliers - who are a really good factory, working with brands like Nike and Puma.

From season 2 of Kappa onwards, I believe the brands have taken control of everything with regards design and manufacturing but continue to lean on Fanatics/Kitbag for some distribution support - which is great for a brand like Castore who don't have their own partners and stores all over the world like the bigger brands would.

Once this Fanatics deal expires I would expect we'll be signing directly with brands, with all of the additional distribution and exposure that brings.

I also understand that the Wolves/Castore deal is done through Fanatics too, although this one is different to ours. The gameday and replica shirts are "proper" Castore product, but the sideline product (training and travel) is Fanatics designed and made with a Castore logo. This is why Wolves' sideline product retails cheaper than Villa's - fewer fingers in the pie.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[StanBalaban]

3 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said:

In the vast majority of cases, the brands are designing, developing and manufacturing kits. That's it.

Where Fanatics built a business model for themselves was picking up some of the work that was a PITA for the brands - licensed team product like caps, tees, accessories, fanwear etc. Across a load of teams that's a load of hassle. Fanatics take all that work and pay a percentage to the brands. The brands will usually have sign-off on those products.

Then Fanatics bought Kitbag, which gave them access to the distribution of both brand-created product and their own.

The Villa deal, as Doctor Tony (I think) said, is/was unique in that Fanatics were taking on the design and manufacturing and then "selling" the logo space to brands who didn't have the logistics to make kits themselves. This is apparently what Napoli have been doing with EA7 too - although here it's the club designing and producing and EA7 having their name dragged through the mud every two weeks when yet another substandard kit is released.

My understanding is that this business model worked ok for 12 months, but after that (and promotion) the sort of brands willing and able to pay the money to Fanatics were also the sort of brands who would want their own product, designed and made to their own spec, showing up in the Premier League.

So season 1 of Kappa, the designs had already been created by Fanatics and approved by the club. Then the Kappa deal came about and they wanted to use their own templates etc, so the eg green design was transposed onto the Kappa uniforms and manufactured (I believe) by Fanatics' suppliers - who are a really good factory, working with brands like Nike and Puma.

From season 2 of Kappa onwards, I believe the brands have taken control of everything with regards design and manufacturing but continue to lean on Fanatics/Kitbag for some distribution support - which is great for a brand like Castore who don't have their own partners and stores all over the world like the bigger brands would.

Once this Fanatics deal expires I would expect we'll be signing directly with brands, with all of the additional distribution and exposure that brings.

I also understand that the Wolves/Castore deal is done through Fanatics too, although this one is different to ours. The gameday and replica shirts are "proper" Castore product, but the sideline product (training and travel) is Fanatics designed and made with a Castore logo. This is why Wolves' sideline product retails cheaper than Villa's - fewer fingers in the pie.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Thanks NV, that was

 

[NurembergVillan]

On a separate but related note -

 

Nice picture of our handsome Spanish CB.

But on closer inspection -

**** useless.

Disastore.

[Roitorb]

That badge looks ducking aweful. Why not do the white the other way round.

[The_Steve]

Can’t wait to drop Fanatics and Castore. Please, no more bus seat designs. 

[Chindie]

It's not going to be a classic year for Villa kits clearly.

I still can't get over how hideous the home kit is, it's **** tragic. I get that our basic style is pretty rigid, claret body light blue sleeves, but so is Arsenal's and they usually end up with something decent looking. Our home kit this year is horrific. So cheap and nasty looking.

[sharkyvilla]

21 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Can’t wait to drop Fanatics and Castore. Please, no more bus seat designs. 

Seems to me most the other brands have gone with the funky (shit) designs too.  Must be the 'in' thing.  Nike seem to have to do it just to differentiate teams, what with their crap template.

[fightoffyour]

35 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said:

On a separate but related note -

 

Nice picture of our handsome Spanish CB.

But on closer inspection -

**** useless.

Disastore.

Absolutely shambolic. He's missed a hair shaving.

[MNVillan]

As others have mentioned, it’s stuck between being a clean look and being “so bad it’s good.”

I don’t mind it for a third shirt, but if we’re going the “weird” route, let’s get WEIRD with it.

[AvfcRigo82]

14 hours ago, NurembergVillan said:

In the vast majority of cases, the brands are designing, developing and manufacturing kits. That's it.

Where Fanatics built a business model for themselves was picking up some of the work that was a PITA for the brands - licensed team product like caps, tees, accessories, fanwear etc. Across a load of teams that's a load of hassle. Fanatics take all that work and pay a percentage to the brands. The brands will usually have sign-off on those products.

Then Fanatics bought Kitbag, which gave them access to the distribution of both brand-created product and their own.

The Villa deal, as Doctor Tony (I think) said, is/was unique in that Fanatics were taking on the design and manufacturing and then "selling" the logo space to brands who didn't have the logistics to make kits themselves. This is apparently what Napoli have been doing with EA7 too - although here it's the club designing and producing and EA7 having their name dragged through the mud every two weeks when yet another substandard kit is released.

My understanding is that this business model worked ok for 12 months, but after that (and promotion) the sort of brands willing and able to pay the money to Fanatics were also the sort of brands who would want their own product, designed and made to their own spec, showing up in the Premier League.

So season 1 of Kappa, the designs had already been created by Fanatics and approved by the club. Then the Kappa deal came about and they wanted to use their own templates etc, so the eg green design was transposed onto the Kappa uniforms and manufactured (I believe) by Fanatics' suppliers - who are a really good factory, working with brands like Nike and Puma.

From season 2 of Kappa onwards, I believe the brands have taken control of everything with regards design and manufacturing but continue to lean on Fanatics/Kitbag for some distribution support - which is great for a brand like Castore who don't have their own partners and stores all over the world like the bigger brands would.

Once this Fanatics deal expires I would expect we'll be signing directly with brands, with all of the additional distribution and exposure that brings.

I also understand that the Wolves/Castore deal is done through Fanatics too, although this one is different to ours. The gameday and replica shirts are "proper" Castore product, but the sideline product (training and travel) is Fanatics designed and made with a Castore logo. This is why Wolves' sideline product retails cheaper than Villa's - fewer fingers in the pie.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Thank you for taking the time to share this insight @NurembergVillan, very much appreciated and fascinating stuff. 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by AvfcRigo82