Q&A with Offside Outlet

After working on the shirt of the summer Ayesha Brown releases the inaugural LEGENDS capsule under her Offside Outlet brand. Read our interview with the self proclaimed creative space invader

Offside Outlet is the bridge between football and streetwear fashion. The use of vintage football shirts allows us, to give garments a new lease on life but also create sustainably. Our creations are inspired by the fans, the players, and the teams. Football is all about heritage and we believe that through curation, design, and core brand principles, we are the bridge between football and street style fashion. Our logo (designed by Jordan Hall) is a representation of our take on the centre circle. The centre circle symbolically represents new beginnings. The kickoff, the start of a new game. A new opportunity to score. To win. To create. So when we get a football shirt we see that shirt in the same way we see the centre circle. An opportunity to create something new.

Thanks so much for agreeing to speak to us! Offside Outlet's LEGENDS capsule might be some people's first introduction to you as a creative but you've been active for a number of years. So how would you describe yourself as a practitioner to your new emerging audience?

I’ve been working across many different design fields for multiple years. I nickname myself as a ‘creative space invader’ as that’s pretty much what I do, I hop in to different creative spaces and just allow myself the freedom to explore and create. My main remit now is within graphic design for fashion, jersey specifically but I like to dibble in footwear customs and different areas from time to time to. 

We know you had a hand in the custom Arsenal shirt dubbed "the shirt of the summer". Did that give birth to the idea for Offside Outlet or were you planning it anyway?

 I had been playing around the idea of reworking vintage wears for a while but I wanted to find a medium that I could really make my own. So I guess it was great timing really to collaborate with Martyn on the Arsenal shirt. Martyn came up with the concept of what he wanted for the shirt, then I drew all the illustrations and printed the shirt myself by hand. Going through that process allowed for me to better understand the tech involved in the jersey material a lot of football shirts and informed my process in making Offside Outlet. 

It's great to see women gaining more visibility and we hear you're actually the admin of one of Clubhouses biggest football chatrooms. Could you tell us a little more about that?

Clubhouse as a platform is very exciting, as it’s new and emerging and still finding it’s feet really but has grown exponentially. Premier League Banter has over 50,000 followers and we are the biggest football club on clubhouse. We’re basically a space for fans to talk, debate and discuss everything football. From social issues such as racism, women’s football to the Champions League and watch alongs with the weeks biggest premier league games. 

You worked with the same creative team on this capsule as the Arsenal custom, what's the importance of keeping the same creative team for you?

For me I think it’s the consistency of quality. I think it’s important to work with people who understand the brand, the concept and what you are wanting to achieve. Through working with same people, collaboration is just really easy and as a team we all get along and most importantly genuinely enjoy working together. 

We love the legends you've chosen for this drop and we know you're an avid Leicester fan. Which Leicester players would you give legitimate legends status and can we expect any Leicester customs in the future?

I think Jamie Vardy has to have reached legend status now. Not just for his achievements with the club but also for the loyalty he has shown to Leicester city over the years. It’s been amazing to see his journey as well as Leicester City’s over the years. I will definitely be looking in to a Leicester jersey in the future, there’s a really fun concept that I have in mind that hopefully I’ll be able to share in the future. 

We love the fact Offside Outlet even has a playlist! Why is the culture surrounding football beyond the 11 vs. 11 on the pitch so important to the brand?

I think for me Offside Outlet is more than football, it’s about streetwear, U.K., inner city culture and there’s so much in UK black culture specifically, I gain inspiration from for my designs so as a brand it makes sense to touch on those things. 

We love the legends you've chosen for this drop and we know you're an avid Leicester fan. Which Leicester players would you give legitimate legends status and can we expect any Leicester customs in the future?

I think Jamie Vardy has to have reached legend status now. Not just for his achievements with the club but also for the loyalty he has shown to Leicester city over the years. It’s been amazing to see his journey as well as Leicester City’s over the years. I will definitely be looking in to a Leicester jersey in the future, there’s a really fun concept that I have in mind that hopefully I’ll be able to share in the future. 

We love the fact Offside Outlet even has a playlist! Why is the culture surrounding football beyond the 11 vs. 11 on the pitch so important to the brand?

I think for me Offside Outlet is more than football, it’s about streetwear, U.K., inner city culture and there’s so much in UK black culture specifically, I gain inspiration from for my designs so as a brand it makes sense to touch on those things. 

Shop the Offside Outlet Legends collection from 31/3/2021 here

Photography & Art Direction: Martyn Ewoma
Shirt Design/Production: Offside Outlet / Ayesha Brown
Models: Shelby Malaika Luke & Kelvin Osas
Make Up: Roisin Hazel
Styling: Nathan Lee

Special thanks for location to London's Finest Barber

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