Sounders partner with HOMETEAM to launch City in Motion collection

To commemorate the start of the Club World Cup and the Seattle Sounders’ involvement in it, the club has partnered with Seattle-based streetwear brand HOMETEAM to launch City in Motion, "a first-of-its-kind cultural campaign and limited-edition capsule collection honoring the spirit, identity and legacy of Seattle."

With the world’s game coming to Seattle in a newly expanded CWC format, this collaboration blends the city’s culture with the Sounders’ footballing heritage and hip-hop and streetwear sensibilities courtesy of the folks from HOMETEAM, perhaps most notably designer and brand founder Ben Kirschner. The collection includes a tee shirt, hoody, trucker hat and a customized version of the Sounders’ Anniversary Kit, all of which feature designs that represent a love for Seattle as both home and the home team on a world stage. As the Sounders said in social media posts promoting the collection, “this isn’t just a host city. This is our city in motion. This is home... And we love home."

The designs featured on the jersey, hoody and tee all utilize a wave motif across the HOMETEAM and Seattle Sounders word marks, perhaps most strikingly on the hoody, where “HOMETEAM” is rendered in a wave with the letters crafted from repurposed Anniversary Kits sewn on across the chest. The effect across the collection is a fresh look unlike anything we’ve ever seen from the Sounders. The jersey may not be everyone’s cup of tea, as the embellishments on the front give something of a NASCAR feel, paired with a distinctly street art-influenced design on the back calling out a host of international cities: Paris, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle, Buenos Aires, and Saitama. The rest of the designs are a bit more flexible in terms of how they’ll fit into your wardrobe, as primarily black pieces are accented with bright colors and word marks.

“This project is about more than merch – it’s about telling a story only Seattle natives could tell,” said Ben Kirschner in comments shared by the club. “This is an important global moment, but we also wanted to keep it close to home. I’m proud to bring HOMETEAM together with the Sounders to pay tribute to the city that raised me, to celebrate our people, and of course, to support our Sounders squad.”

The City in Motion collection will officially launch on Sunday, June 15 at 11 AM online and at HOMETEAM Gallery in Pioneer Square, ahead of the Sounders’ match against Botafogo RJ later that evening. In conjunction with the release there will also be a Soccer & Sounds free concert in Occidental Park later in the day featuring local artists Yonny, Travis Thompson and Yungtada. Performances will run from 3 to 6 PM.