‘Look good, play good’: Rotate links with Hummel to create fresh kits for the Danish National Women’s Football Team

Rotate’s looks are often found on dance floors, on the streets during CPHFW and, occasionally, on Lily Collins, but this spring the beloved Danish brand will find its designs somewhere else entirely: on the football pitch. Rotate has partnered with Danish sports brand Hummel and The Danish Football Federation (DBU) to design a new team kit for the Danish National Women’s Football team. In addition to the classic jersey and shorts kit, Rotate has also designed a collection that includes a tracksuit, a half-zip and socks for sporty off-pitch moments.

Related: Soeren Le Schmidt dresses the most dapper Danes for the Arts and Culture Ball

For Rotate co-founders Thora Valdimars and Jeanette Madsen, who were approached by Hummel with the proposition of a collab about a year ago, taking on this project was a no-brainer. “We are very proud to do this,” says Madsen. “There are so many Danish brands they could have chosen to collaborate with. For us, we’re all about empowering women – that’s what we stand for – so for us, it’s perfect.”

Aside from a few stipulations regarding logo placements and the inclusion of the Hummel chevron on the sleeve, Valdimars and Madsen were given the freedom to design the kit as they saw fit. Early conversations suggested going full-Rotate, with sequins or fringe, but that idea was quickly abandoned, particularly by Valdimars, who grew up playing football herself. “You would have to kill me before you put me in a sequinned football kit,” she says, laughing. “So I was like, ‘No, we can’t do that’. These are women who are trying to be taken seriously for their sport and for what they do. And so we needed to make something so that people could see that we’re serious about it as well.”

Instead, Valdimars and Madsen landed on a very Danish red accented with white and black details. Across the shoulders is a subtle monogram print that mashes up the Rotate “R” with the flower in the DBU logo. The tracksuit, meanwhile, features shoulder pads and cocoon-like pants for a very Rotate retro silhouette.

The fresh kit has gotten the seal of approval from the team, some of whom appear in these campaign images. “This collaboration is so cool because I genuinely like Rotate as a brand,” says Frederikke Thøgersen, who plays as a midfielder for the Danish national team as well as AS Roma. “When I saw the kit for the first time, I was immediately drawn to its retro touch and the classic collar. It perfectly taps into the old-school football jersey trend that’s making a comeback, blending nostalgia with a fresh, stylish edge.”

To say that Thøgersen comes from a football family might be an understatement. “As my mom often says with a bittersweet smile, in my childhood home, the television seemed to have only one channel: football,” she says, noting that her father, who “ruled the remote” played football in his youth.

For Thøgersen, whose style off the field is “feminine with a sport edge”, looking good can, in fact, result to better results. “Anyone who knows me, even just a little, can probably confirm that I put effort into my appearance,” she says. “I like to look good because it makes me feel good.” A good kit is a confidence-booster, which makes Rotate’s considered take on the kit even more significant than simple aesthetics. “It might sound slightly superficial, but I have to admit there’s something to the idea of ‘look good, play well’ – even if it’s purely mental. That said, it’s mostly part of my preparation for a game,” says Thøgersen. “Once the whistle blows, winning is what’s on my mind.”