Credit: adidas
Built in partnership with adidas, the 2026 "Carolina Kit: Crowns Up" goal was to bring the club back to one of its most recognizable rallying cries and a core club visual that started it all in 2022. The design reintroduces a cleaner, refined version of the iconic primary kit with a strong Charlotte FC Blue base and bright whites. This kit was designed to feel classic, connected, and unmistakably Charlotte.
This kit, like all others with adidas, was developed across a two year process, beginning with a focused narrative around returning to the club’s visual foundation at a pivotal moment for the sport in North America. Compared to the previous Carolina Kit: Explore that was bold and strayed from a traditional club primary, the direction was intentionally to return to our roots with a clear emphasis on reestablishing Charlotte FC Blue, reducing unnecessary black accents, and creating a cleaner expression of the club on a global stage with FIFA World Cup 2026 being hosted in America and Charlotte's home stadium hosting the 2026 MLS All-Star Game. Key storytelling elements, including the continuous crown spire taping and both custom signoffs, were developed in house to reinforce connection between club, city, and supporters. While adidas owns the performance product template and athletic apparel construction, this kit was shaped with strong internal intention to create a modern primary with regal tones of elegance.
INTENTIONAL DESIGN
BLUE BASE
Choosing a true Charlotte FC Blue base was an intentional reset for the club’s primary identity. While the previous primary kit aimed to represent the Carolinas through a multi-tone gradient, it ultimately introduced too many shades of blue and moved away from the club’s most recognizable core color. As a young club still defining its visual equity, this decision brought us back to a cleaner and more confident expression of who we are. Heading into a landmark moment for soccer in North America, it was important that our primary kit put Charlotte FC Blue front and center. The beautiful part about our blue is that it tests "light" for MLS competition guidelines
CROWN SPIRE TAPING
We wanted the sleeve and collar taping to feel both familiar and intentional, using the upward spires of the Charlotte FC crown as a subtle design detail woven directly into the kit. The continuous, repeating pattern turns a recognizable brand element into something functional and symbolic, with each crown literally pointing up in a visual expression of “Crowns Up.” Beyond serving as a small brand easter egg, the connected pattern represents the idea that our club, supporters, and city are all part of the same fabric.
WHITE COLOR BLOCK SLEEVES
The white color block sleeves were a deliberate return to one of the most recognizable details from the original Carolina Kit, reintroduced in a way that feels brighter, cleaner, and more refined. By pairing crisp white sleeves with a true Charlotte FC Blue base and carrying the white through the adidas shoulder stripes, the overall look feels more elevated and intentional than previous versions. Stripping back extra accents allowed the kit to breathe, creating a sharper and more unmistakable primary identity.
SIGNOFF STORIES
Carolinas Connected (Jock Tag): The two-state lock up of North Carolina and South Carolina is a familiar icon and element across all Charlotte FC branding. This new iteration physically unites the Carolinas with Charlotte and the Crown as the connector where all our fans come together to support the club.
For The Crown (Back of Neck): A classic club slogan brought to life visually with brand typefaces – Everything we do is For The Crown with the city of Charlotte and the Carolinas on our backs.
Chess Set Concept: Modern, regal, smart, clean, bold. Draws inspiration from the strategy, tactics, and intelligence shared between chess and football and the parallels between the Queen being the most powerful player in the game and Charlotte being the Queen City. Bold modern checkerboard reimagined in white and Charlotte FC blue, clean lines, and giant chess pieces as props in the foreground and background.
The result is a clean, confident return to the club’s roots, drawing from the inaugural season while refining it for today. By leaning into core colors, simplified design, and familiar details, the kit feels unmistakably Charlotte FC and more aligned with traditional primary kit culture across the global game.
Kit Launch Video
For the kit launch video, which is usually the club’s lead content piece for a moment like this, I worked closely with our Senior Video Manager, Ian Kunsey, to help shape the overall creative direction. I gave input on things like script tone, player selection, and location ideas to make sure the piece felt aligned with the story we wanted to tell.
What made this one especially unique was that, for the first time, we were actually able to shoot with players in Charlotte. Because of the MLS calendar and preseason schedule, that usually is not possible for a February kit launch. This year, the timing worked in our favor while the team was in market for the first part of preseason, which made it possible to root the video more authentically in the city.
On set, I mainly helped guide and adjust smaller moments when something felt a little too forced. One example was with Kristijan Kahlina, who is most comfortable speaking in Croatian. One of the original lines did not feel super natural, so I suggested he say it in his native language instead, which ended up fitting the tone of the scene much better.
Social Content
As a millennial who grew up on Harry Potter and knowing Harry Toffolo's personality and British roots, I simply could not pass up the opportunity to get this TikTok sound on this set.
CREDITS:
Kit Design: adidas x Taylor Banner (Charlotte FC)
Signoffs: Taylor Banner (Charlotte FC)
Photography:
- Hollow Body Images: adidas
- Locker Room Images: Alana McCallion
- Flat Lay: Alana McCallion
- On-Pitch Action: Taylor Banner
- Chess Production Set: Alana McCallion (Creative Direction: Taylor Banner)
- Gradient Production Set Bee Trofort-Wilson (Creative Direction: Taylor Banner)
Graphics:
- Hannah Keiser, Nathalie Cairo, Jordyn Flood, Mikaela Heyboer, Taylor Banner
Video:
- Ian Kunsey, Ryan Luparello, Marco Yanez, Alex Warrington, Madeline Oliver.
[ It takes a village! ]
