ARTIST SHOWCASE: JAMES REYNOLDS

From football boot inspired clogs to footballs as American footballs to now, football shirt inspired denim jackets. Cult Kits catches up with one of it's favourite creators, James Reynolds to discuss his latest project and the inspiration behind it.

Cult Kits: First things first, Who do you support?

James Reynolds: I'm a Chelsea fan. So this is our 'transitional' period. We've had our moment in the sun but with the players locked into 8 year contracts we're playing the long game.

CK: What’s your earliest footballing memory? 

JR: Getting dragged to Crystal Palace v Oxford United at about 8 years old and being sat right next to the Holmesdale End. I couldn't see any of the football but I remember the halftime pie was decent.

CK: Tell us a bit about yourself and works?

JR: I work in advertising, but football has always been an outlet to do something more creative and with passion. Being able to mix both sport and art is the sweet spot. Hand-painting things also gets me away from a screen which is a bonus.

CK: How long have you been creating these pieces? 

JR: The hand-painted stuff started during a moment of boredom and exasperation around lockdown. I worked in Amsterdam for a few months and saw their traditional wooden clogs in those tourist trap souvenir shops, and being a boot geek I thought rather than windmills on them, they might look even better painted as R9's blue and silver Mercurials.

 

 

 

It was one of those ideas that was an itch that needed to be scratched. More boots were painted, that then lead to painting NFL balls into iconic Premier League balls, and now the jackets are the current obsession.

CK: How has your work been received? 

JR: The jackets have done pretty well amongst the fans. Seeing how a new jacket does is always a bit of a buzz. The reactions of the players who I've made jackets for have been great too.

 

 

I think a jacket evokes a lot of memories for them, and the fact that they have the only one in the world makes it even more special. Djibril Cissé wore his France one at Euro 2024, Alexi Lalas wore his USA 94 one on his podcast, and even though I don't speak Portuguese, I think Kaká liked his too. 

 

 

CK: Who/what do you go to for inspiration? 

JR: Inspiration usually comes when you're not looking for it. Rifling through flea markets usually sparks some ideas. I try not to doomscroll on Instagram too much but there's always something new being made. 

CK: Do you have anything exciting coming up? 

JR: I'm in talks with a few footballers who've asked for a bespoke jacket so there's some exciting pieces on the horizon. And there could be something in the works with the World Cup coming up.

 

 

CK: Do you have a favourite piece(s) ? 

JR: The R9 Mercurials are what started it all, but being able to give Kaká his AC Milan jacket was a special moment. I think his wife has stolen it off him now.

 

 

CK: What other work/creators do you admire? 

JR: A Store Like 94 and his Tours de Tat are amazing - he manages to find some outrageous bootleg stuff. His rugs are a stroke of genius too. MatsDrawing paints incredible portraits directly onto kits. He must have been working round the clock throughout the Euros. And HardInThePaint customises kits with his unique style, a look he definitely owns. BloodInBloodOut's mash-up kits are fantastic too. The Football Boutique in LA somehow sources kits and pieces I never knew existed. Their huge Nike Total 90 Aerow beanbag chairs are just the tip of the iceberg. Definitely check them out.

I also admire the shirt and boot collectors out there who have absurd collections and serious dedication. Even if it does make me wish I hadn't thrown those shirts out all those years ago. 

CK: Do you have a favourite football shirt? 

JR: I knew you'd ask me that question and I thought I'd finally chosen an all time favourite. But now I'm writing this I've changed my mind again so I'll pick a top 3. Shirts have different hits of nostalgia, either the player who wore it or just the design itself. The Argentina Away from 94 will always be a classic, both in design and as being worn by El Diego.

 

 

The Japan 98 with the flames on the sleeves was nothing I'd ever seen before. And their keeper shirt was even better. Long sleeves need to come back.

Inter have always had incredible kits, but their 1997 third kit takes first place for me. The grey/silver and black stripes, Pirelli sponsor and orange name and numbers, and worn by prime Ronaldo. If you're starting to think I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with R9, you'd be absolutely right.

 

 

CK: What do you think people should be looking out for in football lifestyle? 

JR: Umbro is a sleeping giant. They have such a rich football heritage and some iconic kits, they could be the brand to watch. There are a lot of brands out there that are getting involved in football but Umbro has been there from the beginning. If they brought back some of their retro designs like adidas have been doing recently, it's game over.

CK: When can we collab? 

JR: As soon as I get this last jacket done, I'm all yours.