AFC Toronto unveil 2026 secondary kit with Candice Kaye collaboration

AFC: The Heart of Toronto’s Football Culture

AFC Toronto revealed its 2026 secondary kit on Wednesday, introducing a design created in collaboration with Toronto-based textile artist Candice Kaye that reflects movement, collective play and the club’s evolving identity.

The new jersey builds on the club’s artist series, following its inaugural collaboration with Erika Flores, and continues AFC Toronto’s effort to connect football with the city’s broader creative community.

AFC’s Artistic Influence on Team Identity

At the core of the design is a system of individual elements that come together across the fabric. Each shape carries its own presence, but gains meaning through its relationship to the whole, mirroring the way a team operates on the pitch.

“Design, for me, has always been about how individual elements come together to create something larger than themselves,” Kaye said. “The real beauty happens in how they move together, how they build rhythm and flow.”

That concept translates directly into the visual identity of the kit. The layered textures and patterns are intended to evoke motion, with forms that appear to shift and connect depending on perspective. The result is a jersey that emphasizes fluidity rather than static structure, aligning with the club’s playing philosophy.

AFC Toronto leadership framed the collaboration as a continuation of the organization’s identity-building process, both on and off the field.

“This collaboration reflects how we continue to build as a club,” said CEO and co-founder Helena Ruken. “It captures movement, connection and how a group comes together over time to create something bigger.”

From a design standpoint, the kit maintains continuity within the club’s established palette. The base returns in Serene Sky, a tone that has become central to AFC Toronto’s visual language, while Warm Winter accents are incorporated through the sleeves and detailing.

The approach reinforces brand consistency while allowing for creative variation through Kaye’s artistic influence.

Beyond aesthetics, the collaboration represents a broader strategy. AFC Toronto has positioned its kit launches as cultural touchpoints, using partnerships with artists to extend the club’s presence beyond traditional sports spaces.

That strategy was reflected in the launch event itself. To mark the release, the club hosted a live activation at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, where Kaye recreated the jersey design as a large-scale artwork in real time. The installation translated the kit’s patterns into a physical format, emphasizing the connection between material, movement and environment.

The activation also highlighted the club’s intent to engage with audiences outside of matchday contexts, using design and art as entry points into the brand.

As AFC Toronto continues to establish its identity, collaborations like this play a role in shaping how the club is perceived. The focus on collective expression, both in design and messaging, aligns with a broader narrative around teamwork, community and shared creation.

The 2026 secondary kit becomes another piece of that narrative. Built through layered elements and influenced by textile practice, it reflects a club still defining itself, both in how it plays and how it connects with the city.