Orlando Pirates take to the runway in Johannesburg
On 24 October, Orlando Pirates players walked the runway at South African Fashion Week. It was the first time a club from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League had headlined its own show at the event. The club and Adidas used the occasion to unveil a limited-edition third kit for the 2026-27 season.
The show at Hyde Park Corner
The show, called Field to Fashion, was held at The Forum at Hyde Park Corner. Four local labels and designers dressed the players: Neo Serati, David Tlale, Good Good Good and Yona. The footballers took to the catwalk just like ordinary models, wearing pieces from the collections.
The AW27 season ran from 21 to 25 October. AW27 means autumn/winter 2027, so the designers were showing clothes that won’t reach the shops for almost another year. The programme included 27 debut collections. Field to Fashion was given the second-to-last slot, right near the end of the week.
The SAFW press release bills the show as a world first, because this time the club itself was in charge of the production. And to be fair, no high-profile precedent springs to mind. Footballers have walked runways before, but usually as guest stars for a particular designer.
The logic looks simple enough. The show pulls in people who usually watch football, and the club gets a shot at winning over people who might never set foot in a stadium but regularly buy clothes.
The third kit and Soweto
The evening’s headline product was launched alongside the show. The Orlando Pirates third kit for the 2026-27 Betway Premiership season is maroon, with a geometric pattern across the shirt inspired by the rooftops and urban landscape of Soweto. The palette also features red, muted orange and lilac.
Game designers often work the same way, with a narrow palette built around a single motif. In online slots, the symbols on the reels tend to stick to a few related shades, or the payline gets lost against the background. The Wild Tokyo Casino catalogue at https://wildtokyo-denmark.com/ shows how differently the studios making online casino games tackle this. Some opt for flat geometry, others for detailed backlit backgrounds.
The run is limited, but the club’s announcements haven’t said exactly how many kits were made. The kit went on sale in club stores on 25 October, the day after the show, and will be available through Adidas and selected retailers from 30 October.
The kit hits the street
Football shirts stopped being just for supporters a long time ago. People wear them with jeans and to concerts, or buy them for the colour and the pattern, with no thought for who’s in the matchday squad. Kit makers know this full well, which is why third kits are increasingly designed with the street in mind.
Orlando Pirates have taken the next step, and quite a bold one. The club wrote the shirt launch into the fashion week calendar and handed its players over to the designers. Those who follow Neo Serati or David Tlale saw footballers in an unfamiliar role, while fans were probably hearing some of the designers’ names for the first time.
Adidas looks set to benefit too. A limited release with a Soweto backstory and a runway show behind it is easier to sell as a fashion item. In theory, the five-day gap between the club-store launch and the wider release should help build demand.
The choice of designers is interesting in its own right. With four different labels in one show, the club got several looks at once, from formal to streetwear. That’s plenty for one evening.
What’s next
The kit goes on general sale on 30 October. If it sells out quickly beyond the club stores, other PSL clubs may well want a slot in next season’s SAFW programme.
