The retrò Arsenal collection for Christmas

We are fast approaching Christmas and as tradition would have it, Arsenal are launching a retro collection that draws on the deep heritage of the North London club, bringing back designs that have shaped its history. Previously, these collections were produced in collaboration with adidas Originals, the Gunners' sponsor from 2019, while this year Arsenal decided to do things in-house and rely on an early 00s club legend, Ray Parlour. The "Pele of Romford", as he was ironically dubbed, was a mainstay of Wenger's Gunners, who won the Premier League three times. Far from the crystalline class of a Thierry Henry or the style of Ljumberg and Vieira, Parlour represented the working-class soul of the Invincibles and his style on the pitch is reflected in the collection presented at Ray's Fashion Parlour pop-up shop in Soho on 2 December 

Launched in a video featuring footballers EddieNketiah, WillianSaliba, MartinOdegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko, the collection features 11 items, all inspired by the time Parlour wore the Gunners jersey. A throwback to the era when the jerseys were signed by Nike and the main sponsors went by the names of JVC and Dreamcast, among the best known and most popular with local fans. Ray Parlour himself explained how "The noughties were a fantastic decade for Arsenal, so it’s great to be part of the collection that pays homage to one of our golden periods. I’m buzzing to open the doors of Ray’s Fashion Parlour to our supporters and give them a chance to get their hands on our new collection".

The collection is is available online on the Arsenal Direct website, here.