Collection launches today on NFLshop.com ahead of Deaf Awareness Month this September
New York, NY (August 31, 2023) – The National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with Deaf civil rights lawyer and entrepreneur Alexis Kashar, founder of LOVE SIGN™, today announced the launch of the NFL ASL Collection by LOVE SIGN™, the first NFL-licensed merchandise collection featuring American Sign Language (ASL). Available beginning today on NFLshop.com, the NFL ASL Collection by LOVE SIGN™ includes t-shirts by Homage and hats by New Era featuring the logo and colors of all 32 clubs, and the ASL handshape sign for the phrase “I Love You.”
The ASL sign for “I Love You” is a combination of three signed letters – I + L + Y – and is used by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and many others globally to express love, unity and friendship.
“Rooted in inclusivity, the NFL ASL Collection by LOVE SIGN™ allows the NFL to celebrate our diverse fanbase, while also allowing our fans to express their fandom using one of the most recognized signs in American Sign Language,” said Anna Isaacson, SVP of Social Responsibility at the NFL. “Alexis Kashar has been a tremendous partner, providing the guidance needed for the NFL to create an authentic ASL collection.”
To further drive the inclusiveness of the collection, the accompanying visuals for the collection incorporate Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community members and allies and was shot on a Deaf-friendly production set.
“I am thrilled to be part of this collaboration to bring the power of ASL and love to NFL fans everywhere,” said Alexis Kashar. “With this debut collection, the NFL continues to lead the way for raising awareness and elevating inclusivity.”
The NFL’s engagement with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community goes beyond the merchandise collection. Since 2009, the NFL has collaborated with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) with support from Alexis Kashar to promote the closed captioning of Super Bowl commercials to ensure full access to this cultural phenomenon. In 2010, the relationship was broadened to include bringing talented Deaf and Hard of Hearing performers to the Super Bowl to present ASL renditions of the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and other pregame songs. In 2022, for the first time, Deaf and Hard of Hearing artists performed a live ASL rendition of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which was streamed worldwide. In addition, the NFL Kickoff game on September 7, 2023, will include an in-stadium ASL performance of the National Anthem.
To shop the NFL ASL Collection by LOVE SIGN™, visit nflshop.com.
About Alexis Kashar and LOVE SIGN™
Alexis comes from a multi-generational Deaf family with a rich legacy in advocacy and innovation. As a civil rights lawyer, she discovered that the most compelling form of advocacy comes from the power of human connection. A distinctive necklace that she wears featuring the ASL sign for love is a constant conversation starter highlighting the significance of ASL and the discussions it inspires. This led to the creation of LOVE SIGN™, a brand under RoseBYANDER ©, a Deaf and female run company.
Rooted in authenticity, the inaugural jewelry collection has already graced venues from the Oscars red carpet to the White House. In 2023, LOVE SIGN ™ expanded into apparel through a collaboration with the Academy Museum of Motion Films to celebrate the Academy Award winning film, CODA, and now is in its first ever launch with the NFL. The design used in the NFL collaboration is a unique design celebrating both the beauty of the love sign and the movement that is associated with the use of the sign.
