When Gotham FC decided to launch its first-ever third kit, the club opted for a bold and striking design that captures the energetic, bustling nature of the tri-state area while incorporating the club’s history and winning legacy.

On February 26, Gotham unveiled its new “Lady Liberty” third kit that is turning heads off the pitch and received a big thumbs up from the players inside the dressing room.

Gotham’s vice president of brand and fan experience, Laura Petro, spoke to South Ward Central to share all the details of a multi-year design process that led to Gotham taking the field in brand new unis in 2026.

How the Multi-Year Design Process Came Together

Petro played a hands-on role in bringing the new kit to life from the concept stage all the way through its official unveiling.

“The design process of this kit started even before my tenure at Gotham,” Petro explained. “Something that probably most people don’t realize is we work on these kits like years in advance, because it’s a process with Nike and the league, and there’s a lot of parties involved. I’ve been here for two years, but I have a lot of context and can talk a little bit more about it. I think one, as you may know, part of the color choice was really to give an homage and a tribute to our legacy as Sky Blue FC, as well as that nod to the New York City flag, of course, which is blue, orange and white.”

Since rebranding from Sky Blue to Gotham in 2021, the club’s official colors “sky blue”, “Gotham black” and “cloud white” have become familiar to supporters. The creation of a third kit allowed the club to experiment with new colors and themes that still captures the club’s identity.

“The other thing that’s super fun is that this is Gotham’s first-ever third kit,” she continued. “The fun thing about third kits is you can go a little more wild than maybe your primary and secondary, so I think this was such a fun way to showcase kind of the bold side of Gotham and really show up in a very iconic New York way that speaks to not only the New York fans, but I think it really speaks to our region, our fans, and is really just like a fun and bold expression of our identity.”

The third kit features a large lower right image of the Statue of Liberty among the orange, navy, sky blue and white colorway pattern.

“I think what we always try to do with our brand is really showcase the energy of New York, but it’s really about speaking to the region, and I think whether you live in New York or New Jersey or Connecticut, you really relate to that iconic Statue of Liberty,” she said. “I think it is such a good representation of the energy of our community in the entire area. So, I think for us it’s like the boldness and the energy and the iconic nature that something like the Statue of Liberty represents for our community. Those are some of the key pieces that were important and one that we wanted to obviously pull through in that design process, and really speak to the community that we represent.”

Excitement for the Kit Builds Ahead of Gotham’s Home Opener

Upon being presented with the new kit, Gotham players were desperate to take the pitch in the vibrant new uniform.

“We had several players ask us, ‘How many times do we get to wear these on game day? So, I think that’s a good indication,” Petro stated. “They were definitely excited by it. I think one thing, too, that’s really cool to see is, like, you see it on a computer screen, right, when you’re in the design process but when you then see it come to life, I think it even exceeded all of our expectations.

“It just looks so good in person, and I think everyone has kind of had a very similar reaction of, like, oh, this is cool. It’s a statement, you know? That’s the fun thing about kits, and especially third kits. It’s fun at the end of the day, and it’s a fun way to express our identity and a fun way for our fans to hopefully be all rocking it at our home opener next weekend. So, I think the response has been really positive so far.”

With the new 2026 NWSL season days away, it won’t be long before Gotham FC dons their first-ever third kit in competitive matches. Could they wear it for the first time in the March 21 home opener against the North Carolina Courage at Sports Illustrated Stadium? We’ll soon learn that answer.

“I will say the best way to find out is coming to our home opener on March 21st,” Petro said. “So, cross your fingers. But our kits will also be at the home opener on March 21st for sale.

They’re already for sale online, but for fans, that will also be the first time you can purchase them in person. So that’s definitely a great opportunity to see it in person, touch, feel, and hopefully get your kit for the season.”

A big portion of Laura’s role with Gotham is connecting with supporters to drive fan engagement and loyalty.

“I oversee our whole marketing organization, which basically consists of fan experience,” she said. “So we have a kind of sub team focused on fan fest, watch parties, bar program, merch, like everything, season ticket member events, like gifting, those blueprint jackets that you may have seen out in the wild, everything kind of for our fan experience, content and social.

“So that one’s always the most self-explanatory, everyone gets it, but any content that we put out into the world and then marketing – so how do we then grow our fan base? How do we sell tickets, get more butts in seats and get more people coming to the game? I oversee all of those things and have an amazing team who really works on all those three areas to really bring the end-to-end experience to life, starting from, we get you to buy a ticket all the way through.

“Hopefully, you’ve fallen in love with Gotham and become a season ticket member, and we keep you in the fan base. I have a very fun job and a job that I feel very honored to get to bring all these things together. Like I said, I have an amazing team who are just super passionate about growing our fan base, connecting with our fans and really highlighting our players and their stories. We get to do a lot of cool stuff.”

All the hard work put in by Laura and her staff will pay off when Gotham players are sprinting toward goal in their “Lady Liberty” jerseys. Fans will have the opportunity to see the new kit up close, at least in the club shops, as part of Gotham’s home opener festivities.

Supporters will be eager to welcome Gotham back home to Sports Illustrated Stadium and soak in the championship ring ceremony.

“My last plug is to come to our home opener on March 21st. Definitely want to welcome the champs home in style. So I hope to see everyone there.”

Following Gotham’s NWSL season opener on Saturday against expansion club Boston Legacy FC at Gillette Stadium, the Bats will host three consecutive home matches at Sports Illustrated Stadium as the champions look to start off the 2026 campaign with a hot start in front of home supporters.

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