A 24-year-old photographer from Minas Gerais, Brazil, Maikon Alves is responsible for our powerful new jersey design. A design that will be seen all around the world, worn by our teams competing in various major tournaments.
Alves conceptualized the jersey in July, the result of studying eight different design concepts. This is the design that came out on top, a representation of our competitiveness, as well as the success of all of our teams and players.
What was the inspiration for this jersey?
I tried to show the traits and the strength of Team Liquid. The flow, the waves, the horse logo… Of course, I tried to capture the horse, all the speed, the flow of its mane.
Why did you decide to include the stripes?
Because I see Team Liquid as a team with extreme expression in esports, more than the other teams. The stripes outline Team Liquid’s strength.
What do they represent?
The stripes represent something like victory, along with the golden detail. I would say it would be a pursuit of victory. It represents something Liquid is always looking for. Winning, gold… So the gold lines are in relation to that, as well as the five players in a lineup symbolized by the five lines as well. Like a constant race in search of victory. And the search is very laborious, taking effort and time.
Why did you use the colors you did?
So the case for the blue and the darker colors is because we wanted to make it a darker color without moving too far away from the team's theme, which is the blue. We decided to leave the darker parts of the jersey as navy blue, which the fans always want and request. The white, in contrast, adds some brightness.
We wanted this design to differentiate us from other teams, who often use solid colors in their jersey. So it’s what makes us different, not only on playstyle or as an organization, but also on our jerseys. Everyone who sees this jersey can remember it’s Team Liquid.
How long have you been designing?
Indirectly, it’s almost six years working in design. But on design of jerseys or jersey concepts specifically, it’s almost been one year or so.
What got you into design in the first place?
A long time ago when I was about 12 years old, I went to a friends house to play PS2 games. And one day I got there and I saw him messing around with Photoshop. He was changing the color of things, and after that I knew I wanted to mess with Photoshop, too. I started changing colors of things and everything else.
Brasileirando 🇧🇷 | @TeamLiquid Concept pic.twitter.com/DRtePJHbog
— mKzinn (@mkzinn_) July 1, 2019
What got you involved in Team Liquid for this project?
I first met the Rainbow Six roster. I was a huge fan of them before they were a team, but then they started to reunite. I was already a huge fan, and I was a fan of Team Liquid as well. So seeing them playing together made me want to show the Brazilian fans that I was also a fan through design.
The design I came up with for this jersey was using colors I would want to wear myself. I made a concept and the guys from the team liked it, along with the players, the staff, and the fans. They all liked my work. And then I got in touch with the TL guys.
So, to sum it up, it was a passion for the game, the team, and the players, and to show what I would like to wear on Team Liquid. That’s how I got involved with the team.
