“[Palace] connect to a specific audience and I think that is the perfect DNA for relationships with streetwear brands. Because they come from the same place; the energy is the same”
Opposite page: blazer and t-shirt as before, cotton poplin trousers and leather shoes PRADA, beanie Kenny’s own
Grooming TAKUYA UCHIYAMA using BUMBLE AND BUMBLE., photographic assistants RORY COLE, styling assistants STOYAN CHUCHURANOV, ALVARO MERINO DE MENDOZA, ELOISE COLLET, production assistant GRACE CUTHBERTSON
In matters of fashion, though, conformity reigned. “I remember being the first one in my friendship circle to wear jeans back when south London was just grey tracksuits,” he says of his early attempts to define his own style. “South London had its own grip, but just through the elements of TV and music, I was able to create my own [style] through the wider lens of culture.”
In 2007 he created Playdot Apparel, a brand that blends streetwear and immersive artwork, with Kwasi Boateng. These were the early days of contemporary streetwear, when mood and personality were key distinguishers. Annan-Jonathan cites Pharrell, Nigo and Kanye West as formative influences on Playdot, and even the brand’s SKITZ mascot is reminiscent of the BAPE’s Baby Milo and Kanye’s Dropout Bear.
For Annan-Jonathan, starting Playdot kept him out of trouble and provided him with a platform on which his ideas and visions could be created and shared with the world. His core takeaway from the era was the representation of the underdog, a guiding principle that he carries with him today in his role at Crystal Palace. “It’s a Premier League club, so yes, it is a big club,” says Annan-Jonathan, “but at the same time, if you look at the Premier League table, it is one that still has a very grassroots, ear-to-the-ground element to it. There are certain spaces that I guess traditionally people don’t see Crystal Palace in, but I love [challenging] that.”
That said, something is brewing down at Selhurst Park in Croydon, where the club’s stadium is situated, and it extends beyond current results on the pitch, which currently leave a lot to be desired. AnnanJonathan’s role at the club is to help grow the fanbase and capture the fan of tomorrow, winning their attention away from consistent trophy winners like Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona. One of the ways he seeks to do this is by creating products that speak to fans beyond what they wear to games.
He is coy on the specifics, but the designer namechecks brands such as Aimé Leon Dore in successfully creating sports-related fashion that extends beyond the core fandom of the New York Knicks and Yankees. Annan-Jonathan sees no reason why clubs such as Crystal Palace can’t do the same, especially if they represent the DNA of a specific region. “Culturally, think about what you could do with Crystal Palace, the element and the essence of what they represent – their tagline is ‘south London and proud’. That’s mad,” he says, citing the likes of Stormzy, Nadia Rose, K Trap, Dave, Krept & Konan and Michael Dapaah as figures who have proudly carried the area on their backs.
“I had spoken to Crystal Palace about this seven years ago,” says Annan-Jonathan. “About cultural marketing. That’s how I actually ended up getting [the job], because I built out my own agency [where] I was having a number of successes with the same things, where I had people who were saying this [doesn’t belong] within that space. And rather than continuously asking, I just decided to do it. People wear New York Yankees hats all the time [even if ] they’ve got no attachment to [the team], you know what I’m saying? But stylistically it represents a culture, and we want to be able to design stuff that can exist outside of football.”
In recent years, football has begun welcoming partnerships with luxury fashion brands – think Wales Bonner designing Jamaica’s national team kit for adidas, or Y-3’s kit for Real Madrid. But the relationship between fashion, football and class is a complicated one for Annan-Jonathan, and he is keen to work the creases slowly and carefully. “I’m very conscious about how we service everyone within those spaces,” he muses. “What happens is you create all this dope product and services but then you get kids who can’t afford it. They don’t want to be spending £400 on a football shirt, you know what I mean? How do we still make it affordable and continue to create for [everyone across] the whole landscape?”
Traditionally, south London has always felt like an area annexed from the rest of the city. The lack of tube stations in the metropolis’s south-east corner, especially, has brought with it a collective feeling of isolation. “I think the good thing about [the club] is sometimes they are seen as the underdog, being a mid-table team,” says Annan-Jonathan of Palace, currently the only south London team in English football’s top flight. “They connect to a specific audience and I think that is the perfect DNA for relationships with streetwear brands. Do you know what I mean? Because they come from the same place; the energy is the same.”
He’s excited for the future of the game and how it aligns with fashion – and, more importantly, the fan of tomorrow. For Annan-Jonathan, a brand like Crystal Palace can grow into more than just a disruptor. It can lead the way for other Premier League clubs. “I think it’s important to tell those stories because that gap is where you’re able to bring people closer to the [clubs],” he reflects as we wrap. “Storytelling and design is definitely there for me. I’m passionate about that.”
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