London-based football club West Ham and South Korean streetwear brand Nivelcrack recently teamed up launch a limited-edition collection.

Shinjae Lee, founder of Nivelcrack and David Chaplin director of marketing strategy at West Ham break down the collaboration.

Lee set out to “reinterpret West Ham United’s deep-rooted heritage and fan culture through our [Nivelcrack’s] design language”. He explains that the fashion brand focused on translating West Ham’s identity into a “contemporary lifestyle”.

He says: “Given West Ham’s reputation for having one of the most passionate fanbases, a key challenge was expressing that strong identity in a way that feels both authentic and relevant today.

“Ultimately, the goal was to create products that offer existing fans a new way to engage with the club, while also resonating with a broader, design-conscious audience beyond traditional football consumers.”

For Chaplin, it was important that the launch truly “encapsulated” West Ham United’s DNA.

Chaplin adds that the collection brings together east London and Seoul- two cities that may seem completely different but are both equally “shaped by industry, community and evolving cultural energy”.

He says: “Working with Nivelcrack positions us in the football fashion market, helps us tell our own brand story in a way that resonates and ultimately drives awareness to the Club to a highly engaged audience.”

“This was seen by the launch event with the Korean Hammers, one of our fastest growing Official Supporters’ Groups, who brought their own passion for the Club to the event which was an incredible way to showcase what being a West Ham United supporter is all about whether that’s in east London, Seoul or anywhere around the world.”

According to Chaplin, the growth of the apparel and fashion category in football has been “monumental” over the past few years and it is increasingly becoming an integral part of footfall fan culture. Supporters are now finding ways to showcase their teams beyond just wearing a replica shirt.

He says: “Together with NIVELCRACK we wanted to create a range that accomplishes style for everyday wear, pays tribute to our DNA and heritage, whilst utilising the fashion space to bring West Ham United to new and existing supporter.

“The response and popularity there has been since the collection launched has only highlighted the demand there is for West Ham United to be at the forefront of the fashion space and has allowed us to bring our Club to new fans, whilst providing supporters around the world a way of showing their love for the Club beyond matchdays.”

Lee describes the partnership as an opportunity to expand the streetwear firm into the UK and European markets.

He says: “We are not only speaking to traditional football fans, but also to a wider audience that engages with brands through design and lifestyle. This kind of crossover is important to us, and collaborations like this help bring those different audiences into the same conversation.

For Chaplin, the collaboration gives the club the opportunity to reach its Asian audience. He explains that the continent has some of the club’s most engaged supporter groups, with over 50 Korean fans attending the Nivelcrack launch event.

Its Bangkok watch party for its game against Wolves sold out despite the fact kick-off was at 2am local time.

He comments: “By launching in Asia, we knew there would be high interest given the passion there is for the Club, the sport more generally and the influence fashion has in Seoul, so it allowed us to put on a launch event that resonated and generated traction to new audiences.

“Equally the growth of online and media interest in football fashion allowed us to collaborate with relevant social media and media titles, helping us broaden the collections reach.”

Lee adds it saw the collaboration as an extension of its positioning. He says: “While football remains our foundation, we have consistently approached it through a design-led, lifestyle perspective. Working with a club like West Ham United allows us to articulate that approach more clearly.

“It demonstrates how we operate across the intersection of sport, fashion, and culture, not just in concept, but through tangible outcomes.”

He says: “This collaboration builds on a series of projects we’ve developed with K League clubs, Venezia FC, and Club América, where we’ve consistently reinterpreted club heritage and fan culture through a design and lifestyle lens.

“Working with West Ham United -our first Premier League collaboration- marks an important step in scaling that approach globally. It reinforces our intention to position Nivelcrack as a brand that can translate football culture in a consistent and relevant way across different markets, rather than being defined by any single region.”

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