Aston Villa announce technical kit partnership with LUKE 1977

Amid the terminated deal with Under Armour just a few short weeks ago, Aston Villa have found a new technical partner. The Birmingham-based menswear brand, LUKE 1977 alongside fanatics will make the new kits.

It did not take long for Aston Villa to overhaul a large portion of their commercial side of football. First it was the cancellation with technical partners Under Armour. Then it was the internal sponsorship of Bodymoor Heath Training Ground by the club’s holding group. Now, Jack Grealish, James Chester, Albert Adomah & Co. will be outfitted by a new designer for the upcoming season.

Birmingham-based menswear brand LUKE 1977 and American retail giant Fanatics have teamed together to design, create, and market the club’s new kits in an innovative technical partnership, Aston Villa announced.

The partnership is a first-of-its-kind, per the press release. Aston Villa is the first English team to adopt a a three-party agreement with a leading manufacturer and U.K. fashion brand. Of note, Fanatics will have full control of the Villa Park store and e-commerce.

For those not near Birmingham (like myself!) who maybe have not heard of LUKE 1977, here is a primer:

"“LUKE 1977 is a contemporary menswear fashion label with Birmingham engrained in its DNA.  The brand, headed up by Birmingham bred Aston Villa fanatic Luke Roper, will maintain the quality and heritage of a kit that has played such an iconic, significant role in the Creative Director’s life. This partnership has allowed Aston Villa to provide fans with a kit that has resonance with its Birmingham roots and ultimately develops its engagement with the local community. Known for its market leading technical tailoring and unique sport’s utility designs, LUKE 1977 worked collaboratively with Villa and Fanatics on the design element of the club’s 2018/19 kit. The design benefits from the input of lifelong Villa fan Luke Roper, who understands the history of the shirt, and the technical prowess of Fanatics. As both retail partner and kit manufacturer, Fanatics will operate a full vertical-manufacturing model, meaning the new kit, bearing the LUKE 1977 brand logo, will be managed by a single company from production to point-of-sale. This means fan merchandise enjoys faster speed-to-market in an increasingly on-demand world.”"

It should be interesting to see how these kits turn out. Ultimately, player comfort and reliability end up being the most unheralded parts of any new shirt sponsorship. LUKE 1977 will be the sole insignia on the shirt alongside the Villa crest; therefore, goodbye, Unibet.

You can get 20% of Roper’s website using discount code – LR20STAV