In an era where football shirt drops blend into an endless scroll of slick player portraits and lifestyle shoots, AIK have done something genuinely different. In amongst the melee of familiar formulas, AIK’s reveal of their 2026 home shirt stands out as a masterclass in creative storytelling.
To mark their 135th anniversary, AIK chose to unveil their new home shirt using only artistic techniques that existed in 1891 – the year the club was founded. Rather than releasing the shirt in full from the start, AIK commissioned four Swedish artists to each create a teaser artwork showcasing one quadrant of the shirt.
To mark their 135th anniversary, AIK chose to unveil their new home shirt using only artistic techniques that existed in 1891 – the year the club was founded. It wasn’t just a nod to history; it was an immersive creative concept that blended tradition, craft, and modern football culture into something far deeper than a standard jersey drop.
Rather than releasing the shirt in full from the start, AIK commissioned four Swedish artists to each create a teaser artwork showcasing one quadrant of the shirt. The twist? Every piece had to be produced using tools, materials, and methods authentic to the late 19th century.
The result: four artworks – oil painting, wet plate collodion photography, a Belle Époque–style illustrated poster, and meticulous ink line drawing – which, when assembled, revealed the complete 2026 Nike home shirt. Over 200 hours of artisanal work went into the project, reflecting not just creative ambition but a thoughtful respect for the club’s origins.
Oil Painting – Klara Zetterholm
Zetterholm produced a 54 × 65 cm oil painting crafted entirely with 1891‑appropriate materials, from paint blends and brushes to a canvas mounted using nails rather than modern staples. Even the brushwork echoes the techniques of the time, giving the piece a textural, museum-quality authenticity.
Wet Plate Collodion Photography – Hans Jonsson
For the upper-left quadrant, Jonsson employed the painstaking wet plate collodion method – a photographic process originating in the mid‑1800s. The image was captured on a glass plate, sensitised with collodion, immersed in silver nitrate, and developed immediately in a portable darkroom. The final print, produced on period-style paper, reveals the shirt through a haunting, antique lens.
Belle Époque Poster – “Svalan” Sörblom
Sörblom’s 60 × 60 cm poster draws from the high-art style of the Belle Époque, using gouache, ink, and pencil to produce an illustration reminiscent of classic cultural posters from the era. It’s vibrant, theatrical, and unmistakably of its time.
Ink Line Drawing – Tessan “Fonfe” Graf
Graf’s 50 × 70 cm ink drawing strips the shirt down to its essential forms. Created stroke by stroke using late‑19th‑century illustration techniques, the artwork consists of thousands of individual lines – a slow, deliberate process that mirrors the meticulousness of early print illustration.
By embracing historic artistic craftsmanship, AIK tapped into the intersection where football meets art, identity, and storytelling. Instead of looking forward with this kit launch, they looked all the way back. And in doing so, they’ve set a new benchmark for what Creative Soccer Culture can be from a club perspective.
The AIK 2026 home shirt is available now from the club's online store.
