Palermo. Late hour. Outside: rain on warm stone. Inside: a room you only find if you know exactly what you’re looking for. It’s about cuts, fabrics, history, and identity. Nothing is written yet – but something big is in the air. You can smell it. Read more about a meeting that never took place – at least officially.
Trattoria Trapani, not far from Palermo Centrale. A light drizzle falls. The city is soaked in atmosphere. Salvo and I are sitting in the back room of a restaurant that no one suspects exists during the day. It feels like a movie set in The Godfather – and despite the late hour, it smells amazing – fresh tomato sauce and panelle. A friend set us up with this place. Our most important contact in Palermo.
One of the staff brings us three plates of pasta: Aglio e Olio, alla Norma, Napoli. Alongside: panelle, caponata, and a small bowl of molica di pane – spot on. To drink: Peroni Nastro Azzurro, ice cold.
We appear relaxed. But we’re not. We’re waiting for someone.
Suddenly: the door opens.
The Architect Arrives
A man enters the room with an aura you can’t fake. Mirko Borsche. Probably the biggest name in the jersey game. Millions of people wear shirts he designed – without even knowing it.
A quick glance, a brief nod. No small talk. His eyes say: I’m not here for the food.
He sits, examines the steaming plates – then looks at us.
„What’s with all the food, guys? You think we’re here for fun?“
We hesitate. We thought it’d be a good icebreaker. We’re just about to say: „Try the…“ – but he’s already at it. Panelle, right off the bat. One bite. Then another. He eats slowly, like someone rediscovering his childhood. He doesn’t say anything – but we can see it: Love at first bite. We know that feeling.
„Alright then,“ he says, „You want a Palermo jersey for Serie A? Perfect timing. I’m in. Showtime.“
He gets into it. Colors, fabrics, cuts. The words shoot out of him like from a jersey sewing machine. Then he smiles.
„By the way: That idea? Could’ve been mine. Chapeau, guys.“
He doesn’t waste time.
More Than a Kit
„One thing you need to know. There’s no blueprint that always works,“ he says calmly. „We’ll base it on what works – on and off the pitch. A good jersey should work effortlessly with your everyday wardrobe. It has to show character without being too loud. The players wear it with pride – but so do the people on the street. It’s identity. For everyone who feels the club.“
We nod, impressed. Then cautiously ask: „Do you think we can convince Dario Mirri & Co.?“
„I think that’s no problem,“ he says. „Usually, they get what we do – and they want it. But we need to be clear from the start: we honor the jersey code – Home, Away, Third, Warm-up. We don’t tear up traditions. We restore them. And we always do it »with« the club – not »for« the club.“
He pauses. Then grabs Salvo’s arm.
„Palermo goes beyond tradition. Palermo has power. You feel me?“
He pulls out a black Moleskine. Inside: countless sketches, fabric samples, color palettes, logos, neat handwriting. Heavy stuff. The notebook seems made just for this project – and it’s already packed.
„We need to get started by November at the latest. Design in autumn, first sample by May, then tweaks. Lead time? Depending on the manufacturer: one to two years.“ Then he smiles. „I think with Puma Italia, it’ll move a bit faster.“
Genius, we think. This guy’s got the entire process mapped out. Yes!
Then he looks at us, assessing.
„And you? Any updates from the marketing department? Is Gaetano and his team on board?“
„Almost,“ we say.
His face turns serious. No enthusiasm.
„Almost? That’s your part. I did my homework, guys. Now it’s on you. He’s our key player. No Gaetano, no pink jersey. He and his team have won awards for this stuff – shook hands with Martin Scorsese. They just dropped the new Pinkit. As a pro, he knows: every jersey is just the start of the next. Don’t screw this up.“
The Pinkit as the New Souvenir
But then he switches back into visionary mode. Talks about the Palermo jersey as a souvenir. An object of desire – especially for non-football fans.
„The Pink Jersey will be the new Palermo souvenir. Forget the Pigna Siciliana. You know Travis Scott? The thing with the HSV jersey wasn’t random – it was a statement. Priceless. And we’re going to create that same effect – but even bigger.“
He gets more intense, more confident.
„In Venice, it worked brilliantly. No good souvenirs there – but now damn cool jerseys. Tourists take home a Venezia shirt. Just because it looks dope. Matches jeans. Matches life.“
Then he leans in, takes it up another level.
„I’ve already got a concept for the launch. Most people – as you know – don’t have pro athlete bodies. That’s why we don’t put athletes in the kits. We go with stylish people. Men and women. So people see: This is how it looks on the street. We were the first to do that – and it worked. Our signature move. Should’ve patented it.“
Numbers Don’t Lie
He leans back, proud. Then drops the ultimate mic-drop:
„When it comes to numbers, there’s usually no more debate. I think in Venice we did almost four million euros per year. Just with the home jersey. 97 percent went abroad. Small club – massive impact. Brutal.“
He smiles.
„We’ll do the same in Palermo. Just bigger. This will go beyond. I can already see it.“
We ask quietly: „And the fans? Will they be into it?“
He hesitates, then slowly nods.
„We’ll need to be careful. After the logo redesign at Inter, I got death threats. Tattoo pics, insults, DMs in Italian – I know words now even Rocco Siffredi wouldn’t think of. One thing’s clear: You two have to win over the Curva Nord. Some groups hate everything. Others will love it. That’s your job – and for heaven’s sake, don’t forget Paco!“
He grabs another panelle. They seem to power him.
Built Around a Legend. Made for the Future.
„One more thing,“ he says. „We need a player. A face of the jersey. Someone to design it »around«. In Athens we based the home kit on Éric Cantona and David Beckham. For Cantona, the collar. For Beckham, the number font – national team vibes. Bam!“ He pauses. „That reminds me – years ago I sketched something for Borussia Neunkirchen, all about Mike Frantz. Never showed it. Maybe we should dig that up.“
„And for Palermo?“ we ask.
He doesn’t hesitate for a second.
„Luca Toni. No question. Top scorer. Palermo legend. Bayern Munich favorite. World champion. Aerial beast with a toothpaste grin. That would be personal to me – as a guy from Munich and a FC Bayern fan. If we build the jersey on his spirit – it’ll soar.“
He grins.
„And I’ve got a good connection to him. We sometimes grab lunch – at the Osteria Italiana in Munich. You know that spot? We also shot our Champions League jersey for FC Bayern there. The pasta’s almost as good as here.“
Then he leans back. Takes a breath. Stands up. Puts on his coat. Looks at us – a mix of scrutiny and »I like these guys«.
„If we do this right, it’ll top everything we’ve done so far. Even the Venice project will look tame. And once it’s all signed and sealed, we’re going to the first big Serie A match at the Renzo. Inter or Milan. With panelle outside the stadium, of course. Luca Toni will definitely come. No way he’d miss that.“
He taps the table twice and walks out.
What’s left behind: No panelle. An empty bottle of Nastro Azzurro – when did he drink that? A few fabric samples. And us. Blown away.
We look at each other.
What a guy. The Ronaldinho of kit design. Unquestionable.
This won’t be just a jersey.
It’ll be a manifesto.
Better yet: It’ll be a Mirko Borsche jersey.
And we’re in.
#pinkit // 2026/27
