{"id":41863,"date":"2025-05-09T13:43:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T13:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/kitroomcollective\/?p=41863"},"modified":"2025-06-06T10:52:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T10:52:42","slug":"jefferson-osei-stitching-ghana-unity-through-their-latest-national-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/kitroomcollective\/?p=41863","title":{"rendered":"Jefferson Osei: Stitching Ghana\u2019s Unity Through Their Latest National Kit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
When Jefferson Osei was given the chance of designing this year\u2019s Ghana national team kit, he had a clear vision: to unite the nation through a jersey that celebrates the vibrant and colourful cultural heritage that spoke to his own upbringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to create a kit that every Ghanaian could be proud of and wear, no matter their tribe or background,\u201d Osei says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Osei’s Up-bringing<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a successful fashion designer and co-owner of streetwear label Daily Paper, Osei spent much of childhood in both Amsterdam and Ghana where his identity was shaped by a rich tapestry of music, dance, and food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d say the music element in particular influenced me. I personally got inspired by superstars like Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur. They didn\u2019t just introduce me to amazing music, but to style and fashion and the power of self-expression,\u201d Osei reveals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During long and arduous school days, Osei unknowingly sketched the path to his future: \u201cIt started more with drawing than designing,\u201d he recalls. \u201cMainly out of boredom really, I would sketch sneakers, football cleats, and jerseys. I remember I used to love drawing a lot of the 90s Umbro Ajax tops and the gold Arsenal Sega jersey that they wore winning the league at Old Trafford in 2002.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What began as boredom-fuelled drawings in the back of a classroom soon evolved into a creative blog that laid the foundations for Daily Paper. Alongside Abderrahmane Trabsini and Hussein Suleiman, two childhood friends, Osei used the blog to cover local fashion, sport and music in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese were always our three pillars for content and from the very beginning, we knew we wanted to carry this core focus into the brand as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the blog for four years, Daily paper was founded in 2012, a contemporary streetwear brand coming out of Amsterdam that proudly honours the founders\u2019 African heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbderrahmane is from Morocco, Hussein is from Somalia, and I\u2019m from Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe all come from different corners of Africa, each nation bringing its own unique traditions, aesthetics and flavour and we try to reflect that diversity in everything we create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfrica as a whole carries a vibrancy and energy that you\u2019ll struggle to find anywhere else and we\u2019re proud of this and embrace it fully.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daily paper has since grown into a global fashion label, trailblazing much of the premium streetwear scene, worn by the likes of Jay-Z and Michelle Obama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Osei, the goal was never just fashion, he aimed to make waves in football too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe simply grew up on football. I still play futsal in the highest league in the Netherlands. From street football to supporting Arsenal and Ajax, it\u2019s always been a part of our upbringing and has been central to who we are.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2022, Daily Paper partnered with Dutch giants Ajax and created some of the season\u2019s most talked-about kits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCollaborating with Ajax was incredible, it\u2019s obviously a massive club but it\u2019s our home town so it just felt natural. Bringing together our cultural influences with Ajax\u2019s rich history made it something truly special,\u201d Osei Proudly reveals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their pre-match top, in particular, made headlines and epitomised what their brand is all about, featuring striking East African beadwork-inspired prints in the bold Pan-African colours of red, black, and green.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe wanted to celebrate Amsterdam\u2019s multiculturalism whilst reflecting the roots of our brand.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The success of the Ajax collaboration elevated Daily Paper\u2019s global platform but also opened the door for Osei to personally design this year\u2019s Ghana national team kit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done several collaborations with Puma, and they reached out again for another lifestyle collection. But we felt like we\u2019d already explored that direction, especially with our 2017 fictional football collection inspired by Puma\u2019s 20-year relationship with African football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our relationship with Puma is long-standing, from football tournaments in Ghana to supporting our events in Africa. They reached out again to see what was possible, and we saw an opportunity to work on something that was on our bucket list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Initially, the collaboration was set for Afcon 2025, with hopes to extend through to the 2026 World Cup. But with Puma going through budget cuts, we\u2019re not sure if it will be extended to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Osei was clear in his vision: not just to design a beautiful kit, but to tell a story and leave a lasting impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom an authentic perspective, it made complete sense as I could mirror what we\u2019re doing at Daily Paper and that is to bridge the gap between people from their motherland and the people from the diaspora. Having one foot in the western society and having a cultural background and identity in Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe made sure that the design was connecting and building a bridge between those two worlds and thus far the two worlds and demographics have responded very well to those jerseys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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