Wearing the Win: The Story Behind DLSU’s Championship Shirt

When the De La Salle Green Archers closed their UAAP Season 88 campaign on top, the celebration did not stop at the final buzzer. For Varsity Lifestyle, the championship called for a shirt that carried the weight of the season and the story behind it. The result is a design meant to feel earned, premium, and unmistakably victorious.

According to owner Kirk Damasco, the starting point was clear.

“We really wanted of course to outdo ourselves in our previous designs.”

The benchmark was the 2023 DLSU championship shirt, which was already well received by fans. For Season 88, the goal was to raise the bar, not just visually but emotionally, creating something that reflected how difficult the road to the title had been.

The motivation behind the shirt is rooted in the Green Archers’ journey.

“The aim is to achive a premium and victory feel for the shirt. This is essential especially if we look back at the season of the Green Archers and the adversity they had to face and the character it required of them to be victorious in the end.”

That sense of struggle and resolve shaped every design decision, from color choices to detailing.

Black serves as the foundation of the shirt, a deliberate move to let the gold championship print stand out.

“We chose black to highlight the gold champion print as well as the proud DLSU colors.”

The contrast gives the shirt a heavier, more refined presence, setting it apart from typical fan apparel and leaning closer to something collectors would want to keep long after the season fades.

Details matter just as much as color. The laurels and emblem were added with intention.

“The laurels and emblem are to highlight DLSU’s prestige as a proud institution with its excellent basketball program.”

Rather than crowding the shirt, these elements frame the championship message and connect the win to the school’s longer history of excellence.

Fabric quality was another non-negotiable.

“We pride in the quality of the fabric we use as well as the time and dedication that Ken Sy, our head of creatives, devoted to making this VLC’s best champ shirt yet.”

THROWBACK: VLC’s Kirk Damasco on Designing UAAP 87’s Championship Shirt

The emphasis on material and craftsmanship reflects Varsity Lifestyle’s push to make championship shirts feel like premium lifestyle pieces, not just souvenirs.

There is also a quieter story behind the scenes. Championship shirts are prepared before the finals end, and not every design is guaranteed to see the light of day. In the event the outcome went the other way, Damasco shared that nothing would go to waste.

“We will be recycling the UP shirts into other useful merchandise such as shoe bags.”

It is a practical solution that also aligns with a more thoughtful approach to production.

The DLSU UAAP Season 88 championship shirt stands as a snapshot of a hard-fought title, translated into fabric, color, and detail. For fans, it is more than proof of a win. It is a wearable reminder of a season defined by pressure, resilience, and a finish that made the gold lettering feel deserved.