FOR THE LOVE OF ARSENAL

IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE MYSELF, NELSON NDONGALA — AKA WHO?DU!NELSON — IN THREE WORDS, IT WOULD BE: FOOTBALL, FASHION AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

THESE THREE WORLDS DEFINE BOTH MY PASSION AND MY IDENTITY. EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME KNOWS THAT THEY ARE NOT JUST INTERESTS, BUT THE CULTURAL SPACES WHERE I FEEL MOST AT HOME.

FOR A LONG TIME, FOOTBALL HAS BEEN MORE THAN JUST THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GAME IN THE WORLD. THE NEW GENERATION OF ATHLETES IS RESHAPING THE SPORT — BOTH ON AND OFF THE PITCH. FOOTBALL IS NO LONGER CONFINED TO STADIUMS; IT HAS BECOME A CULTURAL FORCE THAT LIVES IN MUSIC, STREET CULTURE, FASHION AND DESIGN.

TODAY, FOOTBALL AND FASHION ARE INSEPARABLE.

THIS PROJECT IS MY PERSONAL EXPLORATION OF THAT CONNECTION — TOLD THROUGH THE LENS OF ONE CLUB THAT HAS SHAPED MY IDENTITY FOR YEARS: ARSENAL LONDON.

MY LOVE FOR ARSENAL BEGAN WITH A FEW JERSEY PURCHASES ON EBAY. WHAT STARTED WITH TWO OR THREE SHIRTS GRADUALLY GREW INTO A COLLECTION OF 58 JERSEYS, RANGING FROM VINTAGE PIECES TO THE NEWEST RELEASES.

FOR THIS PROJECT, I REINTERPRETED THE JERSEYS THROUGH THE LANGUAGE OF FASHION AND SNEAKER CULTURE. TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS, I STAGED THE COLLECTION IN A SERIES OF PHOTO SHOOTS — BRINGING FOOTBALL SHIRTS INTO A CONTEMPORARY FASHION AND STREETWEAR CONTEXT.

THE RESULT IS A VISUAL STORY THAT CONNECTS FOOTBALL CULTURE, STYLE AND PERSONAL IDENTITY.

FOOTBALL X FASHION X SNEAKERS X PHOTOGRAPHY —
FOR THE LOVE OF ARSENAL.

BECAUSE ARSENAL IS MORE THAN A CLUB.

ARSENAL IS IDENTITY.
ARSENAL IS LANGUAGE.
ARSENAL IS CONNECTION.
ARSENAL IS STYLE.
ARSENAL IS FAMILY.
ARSENAL IS A WAY OF LIFE.