COVER IMAGE Custom dress by Hadiyah Hussein
The football shirt is no longer reserved for match day. As this summer’s World Cup brings the sport back to the centre of the cultural conversation, Pinterest’s Summer 2026 Trend Report reveals just how far the jersey has travelled beyond the terraces. Searches for “World Cup shirts” have surged by 840%, while styling terms like “shirt with heels outfit” and “shirt and bubble skirt outfit” point to a growing appetite for reimagining sportswear through a fashion lens.
For a new generation of designers, the football shirt has become a canvas. A new wave of independent labels are transforming vintage kits into ruched tops, sculptural dresses, accessories and homeware, giving discarded sportswear a second life while challenging traditional ideas about fandom, femininity and sustainability. From cult fashion favourites to emerging makers, these are the designers turning football shirts into some of the most covetable pieces of the summer.
HAIRY MARY
Known for its punk-inflected tartan kilts and irreverent approach to upcycling, Hairy Mary has become a cult favourite among London’s fashion crowd. Fresh from opening a new store at 79 Brewer Street, the label regularly incorporates vintage sportswear into its collections. One standout piece transforms a classic black-and-white striped football shirt into a pleated skirt dress, perfectly capturing the brand’s talent for turning familiar garments into something entirely unexpected.
HADIYAH HUSSAIN
Few designers understand the transformative power of drapery quite like Hadiyah Hussain. Known for creating flattering, body-conscious silhouettes, the designer recently reworked Arsenal kits into custom looks for Nakeira Westmaas at the 2026 GUAP Gala. Alongside bespoke commissions, Hussain has also released a capsule of upcycled football pieces featuring ruched tees, ruffled skirts and asymmetric tops, all designed with an impressively inclusive size range.
SOPHIE HIRD
Long before football shirts became fashion’s latest obsession, Sophie Hird was pushing the possibilities of sportswear. The London College of Fashion graduate built her practice around upcycling vintage kits, creating flamboyant, made-to-order pieces that challenge football’s traditionally masculine image. From ties crafted from jerseys to jackets constructed from goalkeeper gloves, Hird’s work remains some of the most inventive in the space. More recently, she’s expanded into accessories and homeware, including lamps cast using historic football shirts.
NICOLE CHUI
Multidisciplinary artist Nicole Chui approaches football memorabilia through the lens of craft and storytelling. Best known for her intricate embroidered works, which often explore identity, resistance and community, Chui recently introduced a series of football rosette-inspired accessories. Made from fabric offcuts and finished with hand embroidery, the pieces channel the energy of tournament season while remaining rooted in her thoughtful, deeply personal artistic practice.
HATTIE CROWTHER
If anyone has helped define the intersection of football and fashion, it’s Hattie Crowther. Using retired shirts, scarves and sporting memorabilia, the designer creates one-of-a-kind pieces that have become a blueprint for sustainable football style. Recent projects include a custom Chelsea goalkeeper jersey dress for England keeper Hannah Hampton, a Formula One crossover with VCARB FC and Soft Armour, a series of sculptural headpieces made from retired football kits that explore fandom, identity and protection.
KITTEN
For those who prefer their football references with a dose of flirtation, Kitten offers a distinctly coquettish take on sportswear. Founded by Kate Bowman, the cult label has become known for ruched football tops that sit alongside its sheer slips and romantic separates. Worn by Olivia Dean and beloved by a growing fashion following, Kitten transforms athletic jerseys into pieces that feel equally at home on a night out as they do on the sidelines.
CONNER IVES
Conner Ives has built a reputation as one of London’s most influential independent designers through his commitment to upcycling and his ability to make sustainable fashion feel genuinely desirable. Aside from his now infamous ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt, his ruched football shirt tops, worn by everyone from Alex Consani to fashion insiders across London Fashion Week, have become some of the most recognisable examples of how sportswear can be transformed into contemporary luxury fashion.
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