An Interview With: Vittorio Vitelli

How did you get into football kit design?

Back in 1989 Ennerre was a one of the leaders in the football kit design industry in Italy and fortunately for me the company was owned by a few friends of mine! My mother was also a design teacher so when I was around 18 years old I already had some experience with design, when you add to this that I am a lifelong football fan and shirt collector it was destiny!

Can you talk us through what the design process is like?

The design work I see now is all designed through computers but the work that my generation was involved in all started with a pencil and a sheet of paper, I feel that, that aspect of the design process should always remain the same, saying that my daughter is always telling me that sometimes I'm too romantic.

What was your first design?

I introduced myself to Ennerre with two ideas that I had for Napoli: the blue jersey with white wave and chest and shoulders and the relative red one with the white and blue wave.

Was there a particularly proud moment?

Of course, the proud moment was when i watched on television Maradona dressing the blue one with wave playing against Juventus in the Italian Super Cup 1990, in that occasion Napoli won 5-1. That was a definite highlight!

Do you have a favourite design?

I grew up during the era that Adidas, Umbro and Admiral dominated the industry, and I couldn't tell which of those brands I loved the most. My favourite shirt is probably the 1980 England admiral kit, but I was struck of the German 1990 home shirt from Italia 90, that shirt changed everything!

As a kit designer is there a Holy Grail kit that you wish you'd have been involved in?

Probably the Germany 1990 Home but, to be completely honestly, I couldn't have done better! I only have one regret from my time in football shirt design: not getting a job with Umbro after I met with the manager, unfortunately my English wasn’t good enough to secure it!