Kappa released Greek Super League side Athens Kallithea’s third kit on October 10th and we can say one thing for sure, Kappa doesn’t miss.
Known for pushing the boundaries of football fashion, Kappa’s latest release, an all-black third kit for the 2024/25 season, echoes the aesthetic success the brand achieved with Venezia in recent years.
Back in the top division of Greek football for the first time in 18 years, Athens Kallithea continue to make their mark on the style front with this kit.
The brain behind this blend of football and fashion is Athens Kallithea president and creative director Ted Philipakos. His vision to make the club a trendsetter in both the football and fashion worlds is clear in every aspect of the club’s branding.
The kit features a stealthy, blacked-out aesthetic with dark anthracite logos, exuding a sleek look. Apart from the club and Kappa logo on the front, Kappa’s branding is also seen in the anthracite colour on the shoulders.
It also has a traditional collar with a textured trim at the edges, adding subtle detail to the otherwise clean, monochrome design.
The Greek club enlisted the help of Munich-based studio Bureau Borsche to design the black-on-black kit, which features the club crest, Kappa logo and the ΕΜΣΤ wordmark of the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens in a subtly reflective material.
While Kappa’s designers have been on point with the kit’s design, the brand’s marketing strategy has also played a key role in its success.
Sticking to the philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Kappa has returned to a tried-and-true formula that worked wonders when they used it with Venezia: enlisting Greek model Theopisti Pourliotopoulou to showcase the kit rather than players modelling it.
Pourliotopoulou, who gained widespread recognition for her appearances in the Kappa x Venezia campaigns, is once again front and center for Athens Kallithea’s kit launch.
Her presence in these campaigns has become something of a signature for Kappa, blending high fashion with football culture in a way that few models can.
While it’s known that her management company, Agencia Models in Greece struck a deal with Venezia FC during their launch, we’re yet to figure out if it was a similar dealing between the agency and the club or has Kappa signed up the model for future shoots as well.
After multiple shoots there’s nobody that can question that Pourliotopoulou has an undeniable knack for making football kits look fashionable.
Fans were pleasantly surprised to see her sport Venezia kits two years in a row, and her appearance in the Athens Kallithea campaign would have surely delighted fans as well.
For those who hoped to get their hands on this stunning kit, the window of opportunity has already closed.
Released on October 10, the Athens Kallithea third kit quickly sold out, leaving latecomers to navigate the resale market. The shirt isn’t even available on the popular ClassicFootballShirts website.
Available in both short-sleeve and long-sleeve options, the kit’s limited run has only increased its desirability among collectors and fans alike. Both these options were priced at €90 and €100 respectively.
The partnership between Athens Kallithea and Kappa, along with the continued collaboration with Pourliotopoulou, is proving to be a winning formula for all three involved.
By bringing back the model who first helped Kappa push the Venezia brand into the mainstream, they’ve created another fashion-forward masterpiece that’s captured attention both on and off the pitch.
Under the creative direction of Ted Philipakos, and with Kappa’s expertise in design and marketing, Athens Kallithea is positioning itself as one of the fashionable clubs in the footballing world.