SEASON meets: The Daring Design Students Behind FC Basel 1893’s 2025/2026 Kits
Words Zoe Allen
Images courtesy of FC Basel 1893 and Alamy
FC Basel 1893 had a hot conclusion to last year’s Swiss Super League campaign, finishing top of the table while donning a kit featuring fiery design language. Today, the iconic side introduces its 2025/2026 kits, which are a cool contrast to its predecessors. ‘Merging currents’ is the central design theme of the collection; a sentiment that speaks to not only the ebbs and flows of the Rhine and its strength and shape, but to Basel’s positioning as a creative hub and global community. “The Rhine flows. It represents Basel as a place of recreation, a transport route, and a symbol of quality of life,” FCB writes in an official communique. The kit was developed through a collaboration between FCB, their neighbours at the Masterstudio of the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW, and in partnership with design students Connor Muething, Livia Simoni, Hasan Rosman and Vladislav Rüegger.
Both Simoni and Rüegger have completed their studies in fashion design at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW. Simoni is now a Zurich-based fashion entrepreneur and founder of Canyls, a sustainable business-casual brand. Rüegger, also known as VASR, works across fashion, digital media, and speculative design. Rosman, who studied Industrial Design, returned to Malaysia before completing his Master’s degree due to personal matters. Muething, on the other hand, hails from the United States, holding a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is on track to complete his master's degree in scenography in 2026.
FC Basel 1893 Home jersey, 2025
The collaboration officially kicked off in October 2023 and was open to Masterstudio students studying fashion design, industrial design, and scenography within the Academy. According to the designers, the parameters given were quite open-ended, and from the 20 students from 14 countries that expressed original interest in participating, it came down to Muething, Rüegger, and Simoni who saw the kits through to completion. Developed in collaboration with supplier Macron, which is set to produce FCB’s kits through 2028, the home kit features dark red and dark blue stripes, with a curved element inspired by the movement of water running across the collarbone. Meanwhile, the away kit merges red and blue into a light violet and pays tribute to the sparkling surface of the Rhine with embossed, glossy stripes.
“It was natural that we thought that we should work together, since we’re neighbours,” says Vanessa Serrano, FCB’s Head of Brand Design, Graphic and Motion. “We have this vibrant city full of creatives, and this collaboration is a way for the club to get closer to Basel and its designers.” FCB’s stadium, St. Jakobs-Park, is located 1.5 kilometres away from the Basel Academy of Art and Design campus; a mere 20-minute walk separates the two Swiss institutions. Originally, the project was meant to be open to students pursuing their bachelor’s degrees in fashion design. “But I thought, why keep it just in fashion? It would be far more exciting to design the kit collaboratively with the other studios,’’ says Jacqueline Loekito, Leader of MA ICPD Studio Fashion Design and Deputy Head of Masterstudio Design ICDP. Loekito served as a leader and liaison between the student designers and FCB during this project.
Below, SEASON zine chats with Serrano from the legendary Swiss side; design students Muething, Simoni and Rüegger at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW; and Deputy Head of Masterstudio Design ICDP Loekito, who came together to create this year’s home and away uniforms.
FC Basel 1893 Away jersey, 2025
ON BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE COLLABORATION
Livia Simoni: “I played football for almost ten years, so for me, this was a 'super' passion project. I was so excited when I was told about it. That’s also why I continued working on it for a year and a half, because I wanted to see it through to the end and witness the impact that we could achieve with the new design.”
Vladislav Rüegger: ‘I moved to Switzerland in 2002 during the golden age of FC Basel and experienced the team in a very intense time. Working on this project came with a sense of prestige. When we began working on the design, it was a very difficult time for the club. We were unsure where this shirt would fit in, if it would even be worn in the first league. But we went through these hard times together and it felt like a big release to see the final design. The team grew so much in this time with us, becoming the best in Swiss football again. The whole process was very emotional, but very great as a fan and as a designer.’
Jacqueline Loekito: "I believe FC Basel holds a special place in the hearts of the local community. When I first arrived at St. Jakob-Park, I was struck by the fans' unwavering passion and support—it was truly inspiring. Being part of such a major project was an incredible opportunity for the students, especially given the rich diversity of cultures they represent."
Livia Simoni’s draft designs
ON THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE KITS
Connor Muething: “The start of the process from our side was very open. We threw everything at the wall to begin with. Our biggest challenge was to take our bold ideas that had potential and to fit them into the UEFA guidelines.”
LS: “It was about this feeling of community and the connection with the city and the people themselves. We brainstormed and looked at the different symbols throughout Basel that have the purpose of bringing people together and creating relationships. We realised that both FCB and the Rhine share this power, and when we made this connection, we wanted to bring them together.”
VR: “There’s a lot of history behind both FCB and the Rhine. We studied the objects and myths that make Basel what it is, such as the Rhine and the bridges that connect the two sides of the river. Basel is such an old city that has never been destroyed, which is such a privilege. This served as a big inspiration for me.”
CM: “Because the club is so old and has consistently kept its brand elements, it feels like a very nice language to tweak a bit and still have a big impact. The club’s history as a resource was very strong; the cuts they used to wear back in the day and drawstring clothes. I think that with the darker colours that are on the home kit, it feels really impactful because of this consistency with their colours and logos, and makes the contrast of the new additions very strong.”
“We have this vibrant city full of creatives, and this collaboration is a way for the club to get closer to Basel and its designers.”
ON KIT DETAILS AND STORYTELLING
VR: “There’s a German word, 'Heimweh,” which means homesickness or the feeling of missing your country. This was one of the niche stories I tried to add to the design of the kit, which I feel is represented through the curves and lines.”
LS “We looked so much at the shape of the Rhine and tried to play with the form. That curve is so visible in the home kit, but if you didn’t know the story, you probably wouldn’t know that it’s referencing the curve the Rhine takes throughout Basel. That’s the detail I hope is communicated well to fans and that they connect to it.”
CM: “I like that the team colours are being used as an accent on the home kits. The traditional red and blue are used to outline the darker colours of navy and maroon, which I think is a really strong detail.”
JL: “One of the highlights was exploring the FCB archive, showcasing home and away kits from the 1960s to today. It was fascinating to witness the evolution in style, materials, and technical innovation throughout the decades."
Connor Muething’s draft designs
ON CONTEMPORARY FOOTBALL KITS
CM: “The contemporary language of all kits feels super strong as well. I thought about how Young Boys, another Swiss side, also used a high-end German studio [Bureau Borsche] last year for their kits. We also looked at some of the elements that people are using now, such as alternative fabrics, which manifested in the away kit’s shiny elements. We weren’t just referencing the club’s history, but also contemporary motifs.”
Vanessa Serrano: “When we began the design process, we hadn’t even released the 2024/2025 kits, which featured the flames. It was important to consider what design should follow up on something like that, and not do something that was even crazier. The shirt is the most precious thing a fan can wear, and we thought that fans would need to go back to tradition in some way again. With the stripes on the kit, it’s very traditional, but with the curves that represent the Rhine, it has something special.”
“I played football for almost ten years, so for me, this was a ‘super’ passion project.”
ON THE LEAD UP TO THE RELEASE
CM: ‘Being here in Basel, the FC Basel kit is a very sought-after item. This past year, they were selling on eBay for hundreds of Francs. I think it’s a level above being just a fashion item, and I’ve never experienced designing something that just has such a life of its own. I’m so curious to see how it's received, because throughout this process, we were told that the FCB fans possess a lot of willpower to push the club in certain directions. It’s very beautiful, and unlike sports where I grew up [the United States]. The fans are really with the club, and I’m just interested to see how they’ll react.’
LS: ‘I’m curious to see if the fans will connect to the story behind the design and if it will have an impact on the club and fan culture. I just hope that it has a positive impact.’
VR: ‘To share an anecdote about how deeply this city and FC Basel are connected, I was helping out at my friend’s restaurant a few weeks ago and there was a huge group of people there. I asked him who all of the people were, and he told me it was the fan club of FCB. I just served them food without me knowing, and they saw my face, and now I’m about to serve them their 2025/2026 kits.’
VS: ‘I hope that our fans are surprised with how it's both very classical, but also features a lot of twists. I want everyone to feel right at home wearing it. I think it’s very elegant and wearable, and I hope to see a lot of people just walking around the city in it.’
Vladislav Rüegger’s draft designs
Both FC Basel 1893 2025/2026 kits are available now in the online fan shop and at the Joggeli fan shop. Adult jerseys are 99CHF each.