MLS today announced that it will hold Jersey Week from Feb. 25-28 to celebrate the art and detail of every club's jersey. The initiative will kick off with a Feb. 25 event in N.Y., held in conjunction with the Red Bulls, at which artist Curtis Kulig will unveil original pieces of art featuring the 19 MLS clubs. The league will hold 11 additional local events where teams will unveil new primary, secondary or third jerseys. Twelve clubs will unveil at least one new jersey this year. Starting in '14, all 19 MLS clubs will unveil at least one new jersey every year. Each year's jersey release will see a new theme, and this year’s is “Jersey as Art” (MLS). In N.Y., Jack Bell notes many teams "around the world are in the habit of modestly tweaking their shirts each season to, well, sell more merchandise.” MLS Senior VP/Consumer Products Maribeth Towers said, “It’s part of what makes it different and interesting, and it’s something fans look forward to. At the same time, we did not want to detract from what they do in their local markets. The clubs had a tradition creating interesting launch celebrations, our goal is not to take it over, but to bring onto a platform to raise the profile what they are doing individually.” Bell notes all of the new jerseys “will be available for order at MLSgear.com and MLSgearcanada.ca” (NYTIMES.com, 2/11).
