When Ashlyn Harris retired from soccer after the 2022 NWSL season, she stepped into a new role as Gotham FC creative director. As such, she’s had plenty of time to think about NWSL kits: The good. The bad. The ugly.
In the latest episode of Snacks, co-hosts Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams asked Harris about the latest crop of NWSL uniforms, and the former goalkeeper didn’t hold back.
The Portland Thorns’ polarizing Ed Hardy-style kits?
“I hate it. It’s just so far out,” she said. “I just, I don’t love it. I don’t get it. I don’t even get it.”
While Mewis likes the Thorns’ tattoo-inspired design for being “different,” Williams posed the question: “Is different always best?”
“See, this is why people need creative advisors,” Harris said. “Because it was a miss for me. But if they love it, go on sister.”
Still, Harris likes the Thorns’ kits better than those of the San Diego Wave.
“I can tell you the one I dislike the most is definitely San Diego,” she said. “I don’t know what happened there. That looks like pop art from a U-9 girls team.”
Overall, she wants to see more interesting looks across the board in the NWSL, noting that “in general we could be a little bit more creative and fun with our women’s jerseys.”
“I don’t necessarily really love any, I’ve got to be honest,” she said. “There’s none that I’m like ‘Woah, they did that right.’”
Harris is in talks with Nike on potential third kits, limited edition kits and collaboration kits to bring spice to the Gotham FC fashion lineup. But she also noted the tough task teams face to produce the kits due to supply chain issues and production backlogs.
“Production after COVID is difficult,” she said. “Getting things in on time – trust me, I’m in the thick of it designing out capsules – it’s not easy. It’s coming from different places that are backed up and it’s hard. It’s harder than it seems.”