There are jerseys — and then there are statements.
On Tuesday evening inside City Foundry, St. Louis City SC unveiled a Tina Turner kit, featuring jerseys, shorts and other soccer apparel. Bathed in shimmering gold and anchored in unapologetic civic pride, the Adidas collaboration honors the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll and the city where Anna Mae Bullock became Tina Turner.
The Tina Turner kit marks what City SC called the first Adidas collaboration with a female music artist on a soccer kit.
“Not only did Tina Turner change music, she impacted culture over decades and continues to permeate it today,” said Carolyn Kindle, CEO of St. Louis City SC. “We are so proud to honor the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll and her deep ties to St. Louis.”
Turner moved to St. Louis at age 16 and graduated from Sumner High School. It was here — in East St. Louis clubs and on local stages — that she found her voice.
“St. Louis is literally where she became Tina Turner,” said Matt Sebek, City SC’s Chief Experience Officer. “It’s where she took the microphone. It’s where she found her voice.”
That origin story is woven into the jersey’s design.
Inspired by Turner’s electrifying stage presence, the kit shimmers in gold — a reinterpretation of City SC’s original Energy Yellow and a nod to the gold standard Turner set throughout her career. Red piping along the jersey collar and cuffs mirrors her signature lipstick and nails. Her signature, rendered in City SC Red, stretches across the back, while a metallic gold silhouette rests near the hem.
Accents in black frame founding partners Purina and BJC HealthCare, alongside the MLS and Apple TV patches.
“It’s bold and it shimmers in the light,” Sebek said. “It’s a nod to her hair, her metallic dresses, her stage attire. There’s really a lot to take in.”
The kit will serve as City SC’s secondary jersey for the 2026 and 2027 MLS seasons.
Kindle also shared a personal connection reflecting Turner’s generational reach. As a teenager, her mother and friends once piled into a hearse and drove to East St. Louis to see Ike and Tina perform. Kindle pointed to her mother in the audience Tuesday evening.
Wearing a windbreaker from the collection bearing Turner’s signature, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle waved with a broad grin.
“She’s here today to kick off this once-in-a-lifetime collaboration,” Kindle said.
City officials and club leaders framed Turner’s story as one that mirrors the resilience of St. Louis itself.
“We think her story parallels St. Louis,” Sebek said. “There were ups and downs, rough edges, but ultimately triumph. It’s a fundamental belief that our best days are not behind us.”
City SC’s tribute extends beyond the pitch.
The club announced a partnership with the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), with a portion of kit sales supporting a Tina Turner-focused curriculum allowing students to explore her music, choreography and cultural impact.
“Local kids will discover the power of music and how performance makes it even more meaningful,” said Erwin Bach, Turner’s husband and longtime manager, who described the collaboration as “a homecoming for Tina.”
Indigo Sams, COCA’s president and CEO, called the initiative deeply personal. Sams shares a Sumner High School connection with Turner.
“Art heals,” Sams said. “Tina’s music healed people. That’s what we try to do here — help young people find their voice. Tina deserves this time to be honored and lifted.”
Students from COCA’s vocal program offered a preview at Tuesday’s launch with a rendition of “Proud Mary.”
The celebration continues with a Tina Turner pop-up shop at City Foundry from Feb. 11 through Feb. 20, featuring exclusive merchandise and artifacts from Turner’s personal collection.
City SC will also host Tina Turner Night on Aug. 22 at Energizer Park when the club faces the Houston Dynamo.
But perhaps the most powerful moment will come Feb. 21, when City SC players debut the kit during their first home match of the season.
“Our players have been blown away,” Sebek said. “From 18 to 28, everybody knows Tina Turner. They may not know her full backstory, but her music has never been more popular.”
TikTok may have introduced her to a new generation.
St. Louis introduced her to the world.