^{Image via Henry J Kamara for VERSUS}

Crystal Palace have announced the appointment of Kenny Annan-Jonathan as the club’s creative director.

The move sees the South Londoners become the first club in the Premier League to appoint someone solely focused on apparel and fashion collaborations.

Kenny – a South London native – has previous experience of collaborating with brands such as 424, adidas, PUMA and Nike, as well as having a fashion and design background himself after creating his own clothing line in the mid 2000s.

His most recent venture – The MailRoom – is renowned for partnerships between some of the biggest brands and athletes in the world, including Wilfried Zaha, Michail Antonio, Olympic Bronze medalist boxer Joshua Buatsi, plus GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Ojie Edoburun.

Kenny’s initial focus will be launching the club’s Autumn/Winter range, by expanding the current apparel offerings in both the club store and online.

This appointment comes at a time when clubs are recognising the importance of levelling up their merchandise offerings.

Speaking to VERSUS, Kenny said: “Retail and marketing have been shifting for some time. Fans in most parts have been disconnected from club retail. Culture has evolved and there is an opportunity to match fans’ needs within the club’s infrastructure.

“Fashion is a form of expression and by implementing creative direction, we have the opportunity to build a stronger affinity with fans and storytelling.

“Club merch is uniform, but uniform has developed. We have to ask ourselves: “what do fans want to wear?” Fashion updates silhouettes all the time, but fashion in sport often lags behind. We can change that now.

“A club like Palace is the South London club. These opportunities allow the club to closer align themselves with homegrown talent – from musicians and artists – to engage with a club with such rich heritage. South London is the hub of so much culture and fashion, and apparel can allow us to tell that story.”

The role of creative directors in football is becoming an emerging trend. This year alone, MLS’ League Cup called on LA streetwear brand 424’s Guillermo Andrade to inform branding and marketing as well as create a clothing capsule ahead of the tournament’s launch.

The appointment of Kenny is an exciting one which aims to further propel and cement football’s role within fashion.

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