Adidas and Mexican social impact design label Someone Somewhere have expanded their collaboration with a new Mexico National Team Third Kit Collection, merging contemporary sportswear design with generations-old Indigenous embroidery traditions. The project highlights the growing intersection of craft, fashion, and cultural heritage while placing artisan-made work on one of football’s largest global platforms.
Developed alongside more than 150 women artisans from Naupan, a municipality in Puebla’s Sierra Norte region, the seven-piece collection reinterprets the Mexico National Team’s third kit through hand-embroidered details rooted in local textile traditions. As a result, the collaboration transforms performance apparel into a platform for cultural storytelling and material craftsmanship.
The collection incorporates embroidered versions of the Trefoil logo, the Mexico National Team crest, floral motifs, and abstract fireworks-inspired graphics. Meanwhile, the handcrafted embellishments create a visual dialogue between contemporary football culture and Mexico’s rich textile heritage.
To celebrate the launch, adidas hosted an embroidery workshop in Los Angeles led by artisans Catalina Secundino Pérez and Petra Secundino Pérez. During the event, designers, stylists, and creatives gained insight into the techniques and labor that go into each garment. Consequently, the workshop emphasized the role of craftsmanship within contemporary design practice.
Embroidery as Cultural Preservation and Economic Empowerment
For the artisans of Naupan, embroidery serves as more than a decorative expression. Instead, it functions as a vehicle for preserving cultural identity, community memory, and intergenerational knowledge.
“When I feel very proud when I embroider,” said Catalina Secundino Pérez.
The artisans create garments using techniques passed down through generations. Furthermore, traditional attire remains an important part of daily life within the community.
“We come from a community where every woman wears what they embroider,” explained Petra, tracing the vibrant, multi-layered ensemble, base blouse, lace quechquemitl, and belt she created freehand.
Beyond cultural preservation, the project also supports economic opportunities for Indigenous women artisans. Petra and Catalina lead Mujeres Unidas Chakalxochitl, a collective that produced the embroidery featured throughout the collection. Over time, the initiative has grown from a small gathering of relatives into a network of more than 300 artisans across Mexico.
“On the one hand, these textile traditions are beautiful,” says Catalina, “but it’s also a way for us to bring more possibilities to our family and support their livelihoods.”
Craft Enters the Global Football Stage
The collaboration represents a notable moment for artisan-led design within international sports culture. Notably, the collection marks the first limited-edition release of a Mexican artisan-made garment connected to the national football team.
Last month, Catalina and Petra placed the third kit jersey in the adidas archive in Germany, creating a permanent record of the project within the brand’s design history. Consequently, the collection extends beyond apparel into the broader conversation surrounding craft preservation and cultural representation in contemporary design.
“For me, it’s very beautiful to embroider,” added Petra. “Every time I do it, it’s like giving a little bit of love to the ones that taught me how.”
The Mexico National Team Third Kit Collection is available through adidas and selected retailers, offering a design-led interpretation of football apparel shaped by Indigenous craftsmanship, community collaboration, and cultural continuity.