About

Passing Pattern was born from my obsession with football and design. For me, these two worlds have always been deeply connected. This publication is my way of exploring their overlap: how visual culture shapes the game, and how the game, in turn, leaves its mark on design.

Of all the facets of football, kit design is the one I keep coming back to. Anyone who knows me might call my collection habit "borderline problematic," but I like to think of it as a healthy obsession. My partner and friends might laugh when I track down a rare away shirt from 1996, but they also see how much joy and meaning I find in these pieces of fabric.

Because they aren’t just fabric. Kits are time capsules. They hold memories of goals, tackles, friendships, and heartbreaks. A shirt isn't just worn by a player on the pitch; it’s carried by fans in the stands, on the streets, and in our collective memory. A great kit becomes a shared artifact that binds player and supporter, club and city. When you wear one, you're participating in something bigger. You're making a statement, carrying a history, holding the club, and yourself accountable to something that matters.

That’s the spirit behind Passing Pattern. Whether you're flipping through a print issue or scrolling past a post on Instagram, you'll find stories that celebrate the beauty of kits and the memories stitched into them. Thanks for reading! If you’re ever in Chicago with a pair of boots, I hope we can share the pitch someday. And if you ever want to talk kits, culture, or collaboration, my inbox is open.

- Alexander Tsanov

Image Use & Attribution

Passing Pattern exists to tell meaningful stories at the intersection of football, design, and culture. Visual material used on this site and in our print editions serves that mission, appearing alongside original essays, interviews, and editorial work that offer critique, commentary, or analysis.

We prioritize the use of public domain, Creative Commons, and artist-permitted images. In cases where we reference copyrighted work, such as historic kits, club crests, or press images, we do so under fair use principles for editorial purposes only. Images are cropped, contextualized, and credited whenever possible to reflect their role in visual storytelling.

If we’ve used an image of yours and you’d prefer it not appear here, please reach out via [insert email]. We’re happy to add proper attribution or remove the image upon request.