UEL partners with Umbro China

The University of East London is proud to showcase the final designs of a student research project with Umbro China. 

Students from the University of East London have been working to a fashion industry brief set by General Manager of Umbro China, Keith Cheng, over the last six months.  

Balancing design innovation, creativity and business acumen, students were tasked with creating unique designs focusing on the Chinese consumer market.  

The designs are based on the four key themes demonstrated by Umbro over the decades - Britishness, Football, Classic Aesthetics and Quality. They build on Umbro’s legacy of not only classic solid football boots Speciali, but also crafting every world class match shirt for England.  

The students further explored three categories: Streetwear, Modern Heritage and Eco-Sports Performance, culminating in high-quality design outcomes which has become the hallmark of Umbro since its inception in 1924. 

The students worked in a cross-university collaboration with Applied Sports and Exercise Science (ASES), Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), Games Design, Animation, Film, Photography, Interior Design, Architecture & Fashion Journalism to create outcomes at an industry standard for the Chinese consumer. 

Collections combined the values of UEL and Umbro China, including human wellbeing, sustainability, inclusivity and diversity and of course football culture, which is central to the expression of Umbro’s product and brand attitude.  

Each month designers presented to the Umbro China team - both digitally to the headquarters in Xiamen and physically at a selection panel of outstanding work on 24 April 2023, at the University’s Docklands Campus.  

The project outcomes were launched in an installation and presentation at the University’s Stratford campus as part of the University's 125th Anniversary celebrations. 

In attendance was Mr Keith Cheng, General Manager of Umbro China, who announced the final winners who will be continuing the project to its conclusion in bringing the project to the Chinese market, including internships, employment contracts, factory visits, press and launches in China. This strong partnership between Umbro and UEL will enhance the relationship between Umbro China and the potential up-and-coming talented design students at UEL.  

Keith Chen, General Manager of Umbro China said:

We started discussions last October and the objective was to offer students industry experience with this project. The students work far exceeded my expectations. It was incredible to see what they produced - it was much more than fashion and incorporated other elements, bringing different departments together.  "