Olivia Entwistle

Football / Femininity

Textiles - BA (Hons)

School of Design

dianeentwistlelondon@gmail.com

Diane Entwistle London website

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Olivia Entwistle CV .pdf (216.62 KB)

Image of girl wearing football shirt in front of Arsenal stadium

Project description

For my BA (Hons) Final Major project I have developed a Textiles collection for my proposed luxury fashion label, Diane Entwistle. Diane Entwistle is vintage inspired elevated athleisure, combining 80s vintage football with Victorian antiquity. Masculinity and femininity is explored, aiming to locate a ground for harmonious existence.

The concept for my project originated out of desire to integrate femininity into sportswear. I enjoy dressing in football clothing because of the masculine silhouette it allows me to adopt. However, as football is inscribed with qualities associated to masculinity, this often masks my feminine identity. Therefore, my collection embraces a more feminine form of streetwear.

My outfit photographed at the Arsenal stadium. A large part of my brand identity references vintage Arsenal, as my family is from Islington and support Arsenal football team. Hence, the red and white stripes of Arsenal feature throughout my collection.

My final collection features transformed football shirts and knitted mohair shorts. These shorts are a reference to football shorts but are cropped to make them more feminine, and made from silk mohair as they are luxury athleisure.

Sustainability is a core value of my brand as I rejuvenate vintage materials to become luxury fashion. For my collection, I sourced delicate Victorian lace and doilies and used these to embellish vintage football shirts. I bought all the football shirts secondhand and renewed them from waste by adding feminine details and my branding. This is important as football shirts are made from non-recyclable materials such as polyester; meaning they would eventually end up in landfill and pollute the earth.

By elevating them for a luxury market, I hope to turn them into covetable, treasured items. This appeals to football fans and people who appreciate football fashion alike, as football shirts are popular across many audiences.

In the piece opposite, I removed the original vinyl number 10 and added a sheer detail using luxury chantilly lace. I also sourced vintage pearl necklaces which I cut up and repurposed into a beaded border.

A transformed vintage Umbro football shirt and knitted silk mohair shorts with CAD embroidery branding.

Girl wearing football shirt in front of Arsenal stadium

Social Context

By introducing femininity into masculinity, it encourages a softer, more socially sustainable form than the toxic presumptions. Historically, men have been denied emotive personalities. Therefore, my collection creates a space for men to embrace femininity, and a space for women to engage in masculine dress whilst retaining their femininity. My audience is those who wish to embrace an androgynous gender identity.

An aspect of my collection is inspired by vintage football stripes and tartans. I have studied the colour compositions of 80s football shirts and developed knitted punchcard samples from this. I experimented with several different knit techniques such as intarsia, tuck and partial knit. As my brand is for the luxury market, my knitted samples are made with the highest quality fibres: 100% cashmere, silk mohair and pure cotton.

Diane Entwistle inspires a retro aesthetic for a modern audience. The brand has a vintage identity and reinvigorates 80s football colour palettes for a contemporary customer. Hence, I have ensured the colours are relevant for the current luxury market whilst paying heed to their heritage.

My plaid knitted samples were inspired by a Scottish vintage football shirt. By using 100% cashmere and silk mohair, I have recontextualised the football pattern to become luxury. I also digitally embroidered a rose to add a feminine touch.

Image of knitted samples and football shirt

The football shirts from my collection are accentuated with handmade antique textiles, reintegrating femininity into their masculine silhouette. This elevates football clothing to become elegant and refined, juxtaposing its traditional casual identity.

CAD embroidery applied in innovative ways. Rose cross stitch embroidered onto knitted cashmere, and custom lace embroidery onto a second hand wedding veil..