At Thomas Late we were delighted to be invited to the private viewing of the Design Museum’s Football: Designing the Beautiful Game exhibition.
This is the first major exhibition devoted to design and football. It shines a light on all the amazing work done by architects, engineers, inventors, designers, and fans that makes the “beautiful game” so beautiful.
My own personal love affair with football began when I was 8 years old, whilst attending my very first match at St James’ Park in Newcastle with my father. Now, years later in my role as a designer at Thomas Lyte, I find myself in a wonderful place where my passion has become part of my profession. We are proud to work with football clubs, players and associations all over the world in the design and craft of elite silverware and bespoke objet, so I was intrigued by the prospect of this new exhibition.
The Design Museum is a world-leading museum covering all fields of design, from architecture to graphic design, from fashion to industrial design.
Upon arriving at the museum in Kensington, we were welcomed into a huge atrium, winged by walkways, which rises up to a dramatic sweeping roof – an architectural marvel which remains from this building’s former life as the Commonwealth Insitute. Here we were treated to a champagne reception, whilst we met up with friends from within the football industry, before speeches from Museum Director Tim Marlow and Exhibition Curator Eleanor Watson.
With anticipation amongst the crowd building, it was time for kick-off.
As you walk through the doors you are immediately introduced to the scale of the subject of this exhibition. It is stated that some 265 million people around the world play football regularly, and it’s estimated that 3.5 billion people (over half the world’s population) watched the 2018 World Cup.
The first of the five sections of the exhibition focuses on ‘Performance’, and it is here that you are introduced to footballing footwear royalty. The interplay between form and function is so clear here, as you are guided through the progression of football boots from Victorian era high-cut leather soled boots to the multi-coloured synthetic ‘slipper-like’ footwear of today. My personal highlight however was seeing the iconic PUMA King-Pelé boots, worn by arguably the world’s greatest striker, in the greatest international tournament there has ever been, won by the greatest team there has ever been.
The section dedicated to ‘Identity’ is as curious as it is joyful. In particular I was drawn to the exhibits focusing on football kits, where design meets superstition. Here I discovered that the famous yellow Brazilian national kit emerged after the team suffered a humiliating loss to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup Final, while wearing their traditional all-white kit. It was subsequently deemed unlucky, and a national competition was launched to find a replacement. The winner was 18-year-old newspaper illustrator Aldyr Garcia Schlee who created a design that united all four colours of the Brazilian national flag.
A vibrant display of classic football shirts makes for enjoyable viewing in the centre of the exhibition. Here you can indulge in a little 80s and 90s nostalgia, whilst pondering the kit designer’s brief and how they navigate the fine line between creating a cult classic or an object of ridicule.
Starring as part of the ‘Spectacle’ of the show are two of English football’s most coveted trophies, the Emirates FA Cup and Vitality Women’s FA Cup, as crafted by Thomas Lyte.
As the Official Trophy & Silverware Supplier to The FA, the Design Museum were introduced to Thomas Lyte to help with the trophy related content of the exhibition. We were delighted to be able to assist with facts, photographs and in the procurement of trophies, but many thanks are due to Chelsea Women FC and to Arsenal FC for the generous loaning of their Thomas Lyte-made trophies.
Thomas Lyte’s work is also highlighted in the exhibition catalogue, which features contributions from figures across the world of football and design, from broadcaster Martin Tyler to VP of design at adidas Sam Handy.
Football: Designing the Beautiful Game takes you on a journey through over 500 objects, films and interviews in sporting performance, kit development, and stadium design and offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in the stories of club legacies and game legends including Messi, Pelé, George Best and Diego Maradona.
The curation is focused and thought-provoking throughout, providing a uniquely rare perspective on the world’s most watched sport.
You don’t need to be a football fanatic or a professional designer to enjoy this exhibition. This fun, ambitious and inclusive exhibition offers so much insight on a sport that is at the forefront of technological and societal change, and I would recommend a visit to all.
‘Football: Designing the Beautiful Game’ is at the Design Museum, London, until 29 August.
Read about our press mentions and awards for the project
We have selected a number of case studies that demonstrate the broad range of our capabilities designing and making in precious metals.
