MIRKO BORSCHE Mirko Borsche: Venezia generates 4 million euros per year with its jersey!

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Hi Mirko, could you introduce yourself ?

I’m from Munich, born at Tegernsee, 52 years old and I’m a graphic designer. I studied graphic design at Kingston University, London, and the University of Applied Sciences Augsburg, Germany. I founded Bureau Borsche in 2007.

Can you tell us what was the initial goal of Bureau Borsche ?

We strive for a good balance between art direction, design, and creating our own projects. Our design ideas are known for their versatility and are based on the experience that design is a source of learning, understanding and joy. We provide design and communications consultancy to clients across all sectors and we love to dive deep into our own minds to create original work in the fields of art, subculture and design.

Your Bureau has gained an increasing mainstream audience with your work on Venezia shirts. Can you tell us the beginning of this partnership with Kappa and Ted Philipakos ?

Ted was responsible for choosing the designers. He chose me. Kappa, then, helped us turn our ideas into reality, while maintaining the highest of performing standards. We have previously worked with fashion brands such as Supreme and sporting goods manufacturers such as Nike. Kappa knew that, which is why they trusted us. And we had a partner who we could say: “You once made a jersey in this and that cut. We’d like that again.”

Have you been surprised by this amazing success with Venezia and Kallithea ?

At Venezia, we knew from the outset that the fan community was relatively small. As the club was newly founded, we first designed the shirts for the home and away games. We decided to win over the tourists who come to Venice. Instead of buying a Venetian mask or a gondola in a snow globe, tourists can now take a jersey with them. It was really important to us that the jersey goes with jeans or a skirt. That’s why we staged every shoot as a fashion shoot, mainly with female protagonists who come from Venice, to speak with the voice of the city. That seems to work. FC Venice now generates 4 million euros a year with the home jersey.

When your work for a club, like Venezia, Athens or Inter Milan for example, what is you goal ? What do you try to tell through the artistic direction and the jersey ?

It’s one of the trickiest topics you can tackle as a graphic designer. Soccer is such an incredibly democratic field, the target group is incredibly broad and you’re dealing with a lot of tradition and passion. It’s actually almost impossible to do a redesign. The photography is incredibly important. It simply never happened before, a young woman in a soccer jersey sitting in an ice cream parlor. We had never made jerseys before, so we concentrated on what we do best, namely art direction: finding good photographers, good casting, good locations and thinking about how we could stage it. We knew that the platforms would jump on board if we delivered good material. Then as many people as possible simply have to repost it. In the last three years, I’m sure some people have made better jerseys, but nobody has seen them.

Venezia now generates 4 million euros per year with its home jersey!

Football shirts are very important for supporters because they want it to stick to their club history and legacy. Is it a difficulty for a creator like you and how do you cope with it ?

Its very difficult! Many people join in, whole generations share in the excitement, from the three-year-old to the 99-year-old to the person who has a tattoo of the club crest on their back or the person who has covered their roof in the club colors. There are few things that are so culturally unifying, across target groups and political opinions. Every change is a great disappointment. Redesign never feels like positive news, it means that the old is bad.

What are your inspirations and influences ?

The group of people surrounding you everyday are very influential, but that is so different from person toperson.

How do you explain football shirts have become so important in fashion lifestyle nowadays ? 

There are lots of brands, also luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga once again featured soccer shirts, launching collections. When we started with jersey design three/four years ago, it wasn’t that wild, but now there are launches, extra launches and collaborations with fashion brands everywhere. At hip-hop concerts, every second young person is wearing a soccer jersey, whether they’re a boy or a girl. Plus it’s fashionable, you can combine it with anything. And there is such a collector’s mentality, you don’t just buy the home jersey of your club, you have 40 at home. It’s all about looks and, like collecting Pokemon cards, special features: “Do I have the one with Cantona on the back with the right shirt number and Champions League flocking?”

I’m sure that over the last three years, there have been more beautiful jerseys, but no one has seen them…

Do you think it could last ?

The collections of fashion is always looking for references and looking back to the past. Soccer has never really gone away. If you look back, you see boxing legend Mike Tyson, Liam and Noel Gallagher, but also many Hollywood actors walking around in the jersey of former French international Thierry Henry, for example. There are many pictures online of Snoop Dog wearing a soccer jersey. When he was on a concert tour in Europe, he wore the jersey of the home team in every city he performed in for a while. In general, the 90s are in demand. These are designs with a more generous, baggy cut.

By the way, do you enjoy football ?

I like football and I like jerseys. I’ve been a FC Bayern fan since I was two or three years old.

Do you remember your first football shirt ?

My favorite jersey is the FC Bayern one from the 1992/93 season with Opel as sponsor and the three blue stripes.

What are your ambitions and your dreams for the future in football shirts and artistic direction ?

Old logos are cool. The more retro, the cooler, for an authentic touch. The perfect jersey is best when it is very reduced. Because it becomes really nice by leaving things out. This overloading with details and colors is somehow terrible.