At a recent home fixture in Riyadh, Saudi designer Nora Al-Shaikh introduced a new design language for football culture. A group of women appeared in custom modest fanwear, and as a result, the intervention shifted attention toward representation in sports fashion. The piece blends modest silhouettes with subtle club identifiers, offering a contemporary, culturally grounded alternative to traditional jerseys.
Design rooted in observation and lived experience
The project emerged directly from stadium observation, and consequently reflects a user-led design process.
“I was at one of the Al-Nassr games and noticed there were many women in the stands passionate, engaged, and fully part of the atmosphere. Then I looked around and something really stood out to me: The men had fanwear jerseys, but the women didn’t,” she says.
“It wasn’t that women weren’t present they were very much there but there was no real consideration for how they might want to express that presence. Many were adapting what existed layering, modifying, or compromising but nothing felt intentionally designed for them. That’s when it clicked for me: the issue wasn’t participation, it was representation. Women were already part of the culture; the design just hadn’t caught up yet.”
As a result, the garment developed as both an aesthetic response and a functional solution. Moreover, the design prioritizes how women already dress rather than forcing them to adapt to existing sportswear formats.
“I know so many women who are passionate supporters both within my circle and beyond,” Al-Shaikh says. “Having been in the stands myself, and seeing that gap firsthand, I felt a real pull to do something about it. It wasn’t just an idea, it felt like a responsibility to create something that reflects how these women show up, in a way that feels true to them and their support for the team.”
Balancing identity, materiality and cultural nuance
Rather than pursue commercial rollout, the designer positioned the piece as a conceptual statement.
“I felt so personally connected to the idea. The intention was to create something meaningful for these women that acknowledges their presence and honors their fandom. Where it goes from here is something I’m leaving open,” she says. “For now, it’s about starting a conversation and allowing it to take shape naturally.”
At the same time, the garment integrates Al-Nassr FC’s visual identity with contemporary Saudi fashion codes. Therefore, it avoids direct replication of jerseys while maintaining symbolic continuity.
“The starting point for me was always the women themselves. I approached the design with the understanding that Saudi women aren’t a single, uniform group. There are different ways of dressing, different preferences, and different ways of expressing identity. From there, it was about creating something that feels natural to how they already show up, while still carrying a strong sense of team identity,” she says.
“I drew from Nassr’s jersey elements and color palette, reinterpreting them into a silhouette that feels more aligned with how I envisioned this piece; something that reflects the spirit of the game, but in a new and considered form.”
Collaboration and future implications for sportswear design
To scale the concept, Al-Shaikh partnered with Adidas and consequently aligned the project with global sportswear infrastructure.
“As soon as I recognized the gap, the next natural step was to find a sportswear partner that was closely connected to Al-Nassr and could help bring this vision to life. That’s what led me to Adidas. From the beginning, they were incredibly supportive of the idea. What stood out to me was how aligned they were with the intention behind it; they understood that this wasn’t about creating a product, but about making Saudi women fans feel supported and represented,” she says. “Having that kind of partnership made it possible to translate a very personal idea into something tangible, while also giving it the platform to be seen and understood more globally.”
The design debuted during a high-profile match against Al-Ahli Saudi FC on April 29, and notably reframed visibility within stadium culture.
“It means so much to me that (women) finally have something they can wear that expresses their fandom. More than anything, it’s about seeing them feel represented in a space they already belong to. These are women who have always been part of the atmosphere, the energy, and the culture of the game, and now there’s something that reflects that,” Al-Shaikh says. “To witness that in such a visible moment, in a stadium filled with that energy, makes it very personal. It feels like a small but meaningful shift, where women are not just present but seen.”
Looking ahead, the project signals a broader shift in design thinking.
“Women are present, engaged, and deeply connected to the game, and that should be reflected in how they’re considered from the very beginning of the design process. It’s not about adapting existing products, but about creating with intention, based on how women actually show up and express themselves. There isn’t a single way of dressing or engaging with football, and that diversity should be acknowledged,” she says. “More than anything, it’s about listening, observing, and designing with that reality in mind.”