For Hattie Crowther, football has never just been about the scoreline. The Hull-born, London-based designer has built a reputation by turning one of sport’s most recognizable objects — the football shirt — into something far more complicated. Across collections like F*** FIFA and F*** The Fans, Crowther has used kits as vehicles for protest, identity, and social commentary, challenging everything from racism in football culture to the systems that govern the sport itself. Her work exists somewhere between sportswear and activism, where garments become conversation starters rather than merchandise.

Yet beneath the politics, there has always been something more personal driving her work. “Football, to me, is kind of a space to explore culture and storytelling and community and belonging,” Crowther says. “The football jersey exists beyond aesthetics. It tells stories and memories.”

That perspective can be traced back to her upbringing in Northern England, where Crowther grew up surrounded by football culture long before she began building a career in fashion. While she started making clothes at age 12 and selling them on Depop, it wasn’t until later during her education and eventual move to London that she began connecting design with larger conversations around identity and social issues.

Today, Crowther’s work is informed by both worlds. Her Northern roots remain central to her perspective, while East London’s queer communities helped shape her commitment to creating genderless clothing that challenges traditional sporting archetypes. “I guess it’s looking at masculine archetypes and deconstructing them and rebuilding them to be something completely different,” she explains.

That process has become the foundation of her design practice. Whether transforming football shirts into corsets, tailoring garments around sporting references, or creating politically charged capsules, Crowther approaches every project with the mindset of a researcher as much as a designer. “It’s kind of like writing an essay every time,” she says of her practice. “Going in with an argument and then coming out with not an answer, just a better understanding of the space.”

That philosophy is especially visible in her latest project: an exclusive capsule collection debuting at this year’s Hypebeast Cup in New York. The collection skips famous victories and championship moments for something harder to pin down: memory.

Each garment functions as what Crowther calls a “wearable archive,” drawing inspiration from four World Cup moments that continue to live on in football culture long after the final whistle. Hidden graphics, altered crests, custom typography, and subtle references are woven throughout the collection, inviting viewers to uncover stories buried beneath the surface.

One piece nods to Brazil’s 1994 World Cup triumph through Bebeto’s iconic baby-rocking celebration. Another looks to Michael Owen’s unforgettable solo goal against Argentina in 1998. A US-inspired design is inspired by Landon Donovan’s dramatic stoppage-time winner against Algeria in 2010, while a France jersey revisits Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt during the 2006 World Cup Final. Though the common thread might appear to be about victory on the surface, Crowther insists that she’s more focused on memory. “I don’t particularly remember what England scored in the last World Cup for a certain game,” Crowther says. “But I can tell you certain moments from it.”

For Crowther, football’s cultural power lives in the stories people keep telling years later, not in the stats. The collection’s campaign follows the same logic. Instead of casting traditional models, Crowther photographed students, friends, collaborators and lifelong football supporters in spaces connected to the sport: fellow creatives, but also educators, videographers and football obsessives from her own community. The shoot favored a lived-in, family setting over a polished studio — closer to where football culture actually lives.

That same instinct, chasing what’s real over what’s polished, feels especially relevant as the World Cup returns to North America and football’s cultural influence continues to expand beyond the pitch. As Crowther puts it, “Football is owned by the world. It’s not owned by a single nation.” In her hands, the sport becomes a way into bigger conversations about identity, class, gender and belonging. The clothes are just where those conversations start.

If there’s one thing Crowther’s work consistently argues, it’s that football shirts were never just football shirts. In her hands, they become artifacts of protest and belonging, vessels for stories waiting to be retold.

Hypebeast: Your work often sits at the intersection of football and activism. As a designer, what continues to draw you back to football as a source of inspiration?

Crowther: Football is more than a sport to me. It’s a space to explore culture, storytelling, community, and belonging. The football jersey exists beyond aesthetics. It also holds stories, memories, and people’s lived experiences. That’s what interests me. There’s so much integrity and storytelling that already exists within football culture, and I think it’s important to dive deeper into those moments.

Many of your projects challenge traditional ideas around sportswear and masculinity. How do you approach that in your work?

Crowther: I think a lot of it comes from looking at masculine archetypes and deconstructing them, then rebuilding them into something completely different. Football has traditionally been viewed through a very specific lens, but people’s experiences of the sport are incredibly diverse. I’m interested in creating space for those different perspectives while keeping the language and history of football intact.

Collections like F*** FIFA and F*** The Fans tackled difficult conversations around football culture. What role do you think fashion can play in those discussions?

Crowther: It’s always about sparking dialogue. I’m not trying to push a narrative onto anyone. I think fashion can be a really powerful medium for asking questions and encouraging people to think differently about a situation. My process always starts with research and understanding a subject as deeply as possible. The garments become a way of opening up those conversations.

You’ve described your design process as a form of research. What does that look like in practice?

Crowther: It’s kind of like writing an essay every time. I go into a project with a question or an argument, spend a lot of time researching, and then come out the other side with a better understanding of the space. It’s rarely about finding an answer. It’s about uncovering layers and understanding the context around something.

Tell us about the capsule collection you’ve created for Hypebeast Cup.

Crowther: The collection is built around football memories rather than football results. Each piece acts as a wearable archive. There are hidden graphics, layered references, and little Easter eggs woven throughout the garments that reference specific World Cup moments. I wanted people to discover those details over time, in the same way football memories are uncovered and retold years later.

What kinds of moments inspired the collection?

Crowther: We’ve referenced four different World Cup moments from different countries and eras. There’s Bebeto’s celebration for Brazil; Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina; Landon Donovan’s last-minute winner for the United States; and Zidane’s famous red card moment with France. What interested me wasn’t whether those teams won or lost. It was how those moments have stayed with people.

Why focus on memory rather than victory?

Crowther: Because that’s how most people experience football. I couldn’t tell you what England scored in every game of the last World Cup, but I can remember certain moments perfectly. Those are the things that live on. Football survives through memory, not statistics.

As football continues to grow globally, especially with the World Cup arriving in North America, what excites you most about the future of the sport?

Crowther: Football has an incredible ability to bring people together. It’s one of the few things that’s genuinely global. It’s owned by the world, not by any single nation. I’m always interested in the people around football: the communities, the relationships, the traditions. That’s where the most interesting stories are.

Finally, what do you hope people take away from your work?

Crowther: I hope people look a little deeper. Whether it’s a football shirt, a memory, or a conversation, there’s usually more beneath the surface than we first realize. If my work encourages people to question something, learn something, or see a different perspective, then it’s done its job.

This summer, Hattie Crowther joins Hypebeast Cup New York with an exclusive capsule collection inspired by football’s most enduring memories.

For more from the designer, follow Crowther on Instagram.