What does it take to design for a national team? Beyond performance, it requires cultural fluency. Like the ability to understand what sport represents to a nation. How emotion, pride, and identity shape performance. And how heritage can be reinterpreted for the present without losing meaning.  

At KISKA, cross-studio collaboration meets deep local insights. With over a decade of experience in China through our Shanghai office, we work at the intersection of culture, design, and elite performance – translating lived understanding into design stories that resonate. On and off the court. 

For Yonex and the Chinese national badminton teams, this meant creating products that athletes trust at the highest level which audiences instantly recognise as symbols of excellence. The project unfolded in two parts: an elite apparel collection developed exclusively as competition and podium wear, and a reimagined range of badminton bags designed to bring professional-level thinking to a broader audience. 

Our work began with direct engagement with players and coaches, uncovering not only functional requirements but the emotional drivers that matter when performance is under pressure. These insights shaped every decision; from materials and construction to fit, graphics, and detailing.

Multiple visual narratives were explored, drawing from Chinese culture, the speed and precision of badminton, and the collective spirit of the national team. The final direction, ‘Flaming Glory’, interprets fire as a symbol of inner strength and continuous momentum. Dynamic line work and graphic systems express intensity and motion, while China’s national colours — red and gold — are reimagined in a contemporary, performance-driven language.

The bag collection applied the same thinking to everyday use: smarter organisation, improved comfort, and a confident, modern aesthetic rooted in real player needs.