UNSUNG

A limited edition capsule ring collection awarded to 100 unsung heroes of the Chelsea FC community.

Made possible as a recipient of Chelsea FC x VERSUS Blue Creator Fund.

A fisted hand showing off a Chelsea-themed ring. A polished silver signet ring with a Chelsea rampant lion shining out ahead of a rough sanded background. On the band, either side of the oval shaped face, two Chelsea Tudor roses are embossed into the ring.

a rectangular thin band ring on a man's hand, angled to show a tyre print pattern along the side, reminiscent of the chelsea 2021 home kit.

Close up of a man's hands to show a large square signet ring. The ring is simple, with a retro-style Chelsea Lion engraved in its face.

A close up of a woman holding a copy of 'UNSUNG' zine, a blue magazine with a large photo of chelsea fans in the stands at stamford bridge. She also holds a blue ring box with a gold 'proper chels' emboss. On her hand, she wears a thin chelsea themed ring.

The ring designs were inspired by Chelsea FC history and created with a complementary zine to highlight & celebrate the community.

Zine spread: We all recognize and celebrate the faces on the pitch, but Chelsea extends further than the players. Through this project I wanted to explore the different ways people get involved and contribute to the club and highlight and celebrate some of the amazing work done. Rings are a symbol of unity, the wedding ring especially carrying a connotation of a promise of love and devotion; similar to the love and devotion that so many community members show to our club. One thing I would love football to adopt from US sports is championship rings, as although this collection is made to be awarded like medals, I like the idea that our community champions get to wear it in their every day as both a reminder of their work and love for Chelsea. When it came to finding inspiration for this project, I focused on diving into the archives and including aspects of old emblems, as these are the symbols that best represent the club. I developed and designed three distinct rings, one called ‘The Pride’ another ‘Proper Chels’ and lastly ‘Forever Blue’. Each ring draws on its own references and history and shares its own, distinct messaging. For ‘The Pride,’ I wanted a traditional signet, so chose the rampant lion first featured in our 1953 emblem. Having the lion shine through a textured background rather than be down adds unique texture. Roses have been a key feature of our historic and more recent emblems, so I decided to include these in the shoulders of the ring. For ‘Proper Chels’ I wanted to celebrate the iconic retro lion seen in what I believe was our best kit era. I kept the design clean to let the lion take... [continued in next image]

[zine spread] centre stage, with its weighty body to make more of a dramatic statement. ‘Forever Blue’ is the only ring in the collection to feature kit aspects. The print across the side resembles that on the home kit for our 20/21 season, a kit that saw major success on the pitch with a men’s champions league title and women’s domestic quadruple. While it may look ‘plain’ this print paired with the emblem roses makes for a subtle ring that still carries a lot of meaning. The unifying statement ‘proper chels’ being engraved to the inside of each ring brings the collection together, reminding our community champions exactly what they are. This project wasn’t just about creating rings, it was about gifting them too, identifying community champions within the wider Chelsea community and honouring them for the contributions they make to this special club. There were a few obvious choices for me, but I broke the list down to 5 main categories; players with strong community/ creative links, charity staff and ambassadors, creatives, club staff, and of course fans. With the help of the BCF ambassadors and contacts within the club and foundation, we brought our list of 100 champions together to reflect the range of contributions made by the wider community. Building the list and getting to meet some of these core community members has been one of the most exciting parts of the project for me, and I can now more than ever appreciate everything that goes into making Chelsea the club we are.

"Having only moved to London recently, my Chelsea experience is split into two. Living in Birmingham surrounded by no other Chelsea fans, I relied heavily on the wider community to make each matchday special. Tuning into games from the comfort of my sofa, it was the content creators’ previews and other fans online, live tweeting alongside me that created my match day atmosphere. Whenever we played in my home city, travelling fans brought the spirit of Chelsea up with them, never failing to make me feel welcome.

Now, living in London, I get to be part of the home crowd sharing cheers with fans from all different backgrounds united by our love for Chelsea. I get to experience the result of the hard work of so many stadium staff that turn a ground into our home. Each matchday is now a captivating experience, where the fans’ shared passion reflects the dedication of those behind the scenes.

Football is not just about on-pitch successes but also about being part of a thriving community.

‘Unsung’ is about the two women who ‘adopted’ me at our women’s FA cup game at St Andrew’s. The steward who shared my heartbreak at our UWCL semifinal. That one twitter mutual who always matches my energy on the timeline. Regardless of how you show your Chelsea pride, your voice is heard and appreciated. Now I’ve had the opportunity to explore the Chelsea community and meet some community champions myself, I am excited to share Unsung with you all."

CAD - Project Management - Product Development

Next project

Google Sites

Report abuse