Aries are Releasing a Footie-Inspired Capsule Collection With Umbro

Aries and Umbro have published a frenetic, colour-soaked campaign shot by Lea Colombo in anticipation of their collaborative unisex, 10-piece capsule collection. After taking inspiration from gabber-rave-football culture (scroll through images of raves from the '90s and you'll come across a fair few Umbro jackets and pullovers in the dance), Colombo's images feature young Londoners playing footie with their dogs. 'Playing amateur football was off limits during lockdown, so we started playing football with our dogs instead,' says the founder of Aries, Sofia Prantera. 'While researching the creative with Lea we found amazing footage of known footballers like Messi training with their dogs. This combined with the beautiful work of Dutch artist Rineke Dijkstra became the inspiration for the project.'

Dijkstra, who is from The Netherlands, made a name for herself in the '90s with her delicate photographs of gangly adolescents at the beach. Likewise, Colombo and Aries are a match made in heaven; Colombo experiments often with acrid pinks, reds, oranges and greens in her photographs, while Aries are partly responsible for the resurgence of tie dye clothing in a psychedelic palette. This is not the first time Aries have collaborated with a sportswear brand – in 2020, the brand collaborated with New Balance, with a campaign video shot by David Sims.

Aries was born out of a self-proclaimed love of 'trash culture, outsider art and illustration,' reflecting Prantera's fascination with garment dyeing techniques. And with garments splashed in muted purples, lava reds and sky blues, the Aries x Umbro collaboration marks yet another iteration in the brand's experimental approach to colour and clothes.

The Aries x Umbro collaboration will be available to buy on www.ariesarise.com from 24 June