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Rastah has always been experimental with its designs. Its clothes have a uniqueness to them that makes people turn and take a second look. That principle applies to a new accessory that’s going to be on display at the brand’s pop-up in New York City from today (Wednesday) that pays tribute to Pakistan’s ties to the FIFA World Cup — a football.

The label unveiled a special football incorporating the different techniques that give Pakistani fashion its signature touch. We wouldn’t exactly take it out for a field test, but it’s gorgeous to look at.

In its Instagram post announcing the project on July 7, Rastah said the idea emerged three weeks ago when the team asked, “What if we made a football entirely by hand?”

It explained that they wanted to use “techniques our artisans have spent decades mastering” like ajrak block printing, hand embroidery and embellishment.

The ball features different fabric and brocades, with pearl embroidery tracing the borders of the fabric.

The team at Rastah said it was “one of the most technically demanding pieces we’ve ever made”, but there was “something poetic about it”.

They explained their inspiration came from Pakistani craftspeople who have made millions of footballs for FIFA tournaments over the years, including the ones used in the ongoing World Cup. These craftspeople, the team said, “are rarely part of the story”.

Some of the FIFA World Cup balls are made in Sialkot for Adidas. It began supplying footballs to international markets in the 1950s, and the industry has only grown since.

This project was a homage to them in Rastah’s own language. It was also a tribute to the brand’s “artisans who continue to preserve centuries-old techniques” and “a country whose manufacturing excellence has quietly shaped the world’s biggest sporting moments”.

The post said the project was driven by the belief that “tradition doesn’t belong behind glass; it can evolve, experiment, and become something entirely new”.

Through it’s colourful take on streetwear and Pakistani crafts, Rastah has made Pakistan proud a number of times, becoming the first Pakistani brand to showcase at London Fashion Week and winding up in the wardrobes of A-list celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Timothée Chalamet.