Photos : Adidas
"The hand-painted look was just all about reminding us that this is the human touch," says Pharrell. "If you think about the earliest artwork up on the caves, or the monoliths and sculptures, all these things were made with our hands. It's like we got to remind ourselves that we have the machines and still have hands. And, that one of the greatest connections ever is to shake someone's hand." Even if, of course, he's designing jerseys for the one sport where use of the hands is discouraged.
His line of thinking takes on newfound significance in a year when soccer games are being played to empty stadiums. Going to a soccer match is a maximalist experience: the top-of-the-lungs fight songs, the cheers and roars, the creaking of the bleaches, and the groans of disappointment. Now, the game is played in near silence, and fans watch from home. Pharrell and Adidas have managed to give fans' favorite jerseys a sense of the human spirit in a year when the sport needs it more than ever. And to Pharrell, that was the heart of this project, beyond the bold colors and slick design: "This was about reminding people that we each can have a personal touch between each other."
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