As women’s football continues it’s rapid growth, a parallel movement is taking shape off the pitch. Independent brands are emerging as powerful voices in the sport, using creativity, storytelling, and community engagement to shape how the women’s game is seen and celebrated. In the absence of consistent mainstream coverage and commercial backing, these creators are filling critical gaps – offering everything from high-quality print magazines to bold visual campaigns. Among them, Fifty1, AFTA Studios, and La Reina stand out as examples of how grassroots innovation is helping build a richer, more inclusive football culture – one that prioritises authenticity, accessibility, and fan experience.
What unites each of these independent brands is a shared spark: frustration with the gaps in women’s football culture, and a determination to fill them in their own way. When the team behind La Reina realised that, amid custom merchandise and sticker albums, a high-quality women’s football magazine was still missing, they decided to take matters into their own hands. The initial vision was to create a magazine that appealed to both new fans and those who had been following women’s football for years. While pursuing this goal, they also focused on making it visually compelling. La Reina has been inspired by the positive changes in and around women’s football over the past few years, driven by independent creators across various fields. Co-founders Rhys Webb and Mia Claydon, both award-winning journalists, lead the project, supported by a fantastic group of guest writers and photographers who contribute to each issue.
“Alongside a few close friends I’d worked with for a while, we decided to change that, fuelled by a desire to fill this huge gap in the women’s football experience.” — La Reina
While all the brands were born from a desire to fill a market gap, Liv McTigue shaped her brand around a passion for exposing hard-hitting truths and highlighting the educational side of the game. She wanted Fifty1 to be the voice behind the aspects that make you go, ‘Oh wow, we’ve still got a long way to go.’ Even though Fifty1 has a more educational, serious tone, it is mixed with cool editing to bring the vision to life and make it appealing to the audience. Liv’s initial vision was to build a page with strong engagement, which they’ve managed to achieve ever since launching.
Lastly, there’s AFTA Studios — the creative voice of women’s football. Founded by wives Becca and Jade, AFTA Studios began by illustrating all things Arsenal Women. Since then, it has evolved into a full-fledged creative studio, collaborating with the likes of The FA, the WSL, and DAZN. With a fan-first approach and a distinct artistic lens, they bring fresh, authentic perspectives to the sport. Grounded in a deep understanding of each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities, Becca and Jade are building something that not only feels true to who they are but also resonates with the broader women’s football community. Their work is a reflection of their values — supporting mental well-being, embracing individuality, and staying rooted in authenticity.
However, there are challenges when it comes to bringing your brand to life. For La Reina, the biggest struggle has been relying on word of mouth without the support of a huge marketing budget, making it more difficult to build a reputation, whether that’s with fans, brands, or club media departments. For Becca and Jade, the biggest hurdle is accessibility. The women’s football industry is still catching up when it comes to investment, limiting access to licenses, visibility, and funding opportunities. They also face the everyday challenges of running a creative business while balancing sustainable growth with the realities of mental health struggles. Moreover, many people still aren’t fully convinced of the value in women’s football storytelling, merchandise, and community-building through the art the team at AFTA Studios creates.
But it’s not only La Reina and AFTA Studios that have faced obstacles. For Liv, the founder of Fifty1, the biggest challenge has been finding data. Because men’s football has long received more investment, it’s still difficult to access factual information about basic things that should be recorded, but often aren’t, like a player’s first goal.
Looking back on their journeys so far, all three brands agree that there have been both positive and negative sides. The team at AFTA share that they didn’t expect the community response to be so immediate and heartfelt, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see customers returning again and again. But it hasn’t just been supporters who have made the journey so meaningful – players like Beth Mead, who supported AFTA Studios since day one, has had a positive impact not only on the brand but also on Becca and Jade personally. They are proud of showing the sport from their perspective, opening the eyes of many players, brands, and organisations alike.
Nevertheless, having a successful brand is never one-sided. La Reina shares that even though they have broad support from football fans around the world, they recently hit a huge brick wall when new regulations made it impossible for them to ship to the EU, resulting in a significant loss of audience. This loss felt like failing their supporters, especially some of their earliest followers, without any way to change the situation. Liv at Fifty1 explains that while they initially found success with a large following, it has been a journey to get the editing to where it is today, teaching herself the skills to meet the standards she envisioned. As Fifty1 has grown, the focus behind the content has shifted from simply covering interesting stories to also addressing more serious subjects like racism, misogyny, and sexism in the game.
“I don’t think followers actually equate to success. It’s more about engagement, people commenting and finding your content interesting.” — Liv Mctigue, Fifty1
But the ups and downs of founding a brand aren’t the only common ground these creators share – they also have the same goal: to contribute to the growth and visibility of women’s football. For AFTA, that contribution includes being part of a new, fan-focused wave of football culture that centres on passion and emotional connection between fans and players through art and merchandise. Becca and Jade are bridging the gap between official and fan-driven merchandise, bringing supporters closer to their teams and heroes in a way that’s never been done before.
While AFTA approaches this goal from the creative side, Fifty1 focuses more on the overlooked stories. They don’t hesitate to address situations that mainstream media might shy away from, turning those stories into bold graphics that grab attention and make people listen. At the same time, all three brands are raising the standards, speaking to fans who have waited far too long for football merchandise, stickers, meet-ups, and watch alongs.
“We’re here to show that football expression and journalism don’t have to be traditional – they can be fun, colourful, inclusive, and unapologetically different. Whether it’s through illustrated campaigns, limited drops, or player events, we want to keep growing the culture around the women’s game.” — AFTA Studios
“Would I want to share this to my story? That’s what I ask myself. Fifty1 resembles a lot of history, and we’re doing it in a way that’s cool and unique.” — Liv Mctigue, Fifty 1
All three brands share an optimistic view of what lies ahead for the women’s game. Liv at Fifty1 believes that in the next five to ten years, women’s football will look very different. She envisions attendance rates rising to levels comparable with men’s matches, with stadiums selling out week in, week out. But she’s clear that this will only happen if fans, clubs, and community initiatives work together to understand what supporters want and to make small changes now that lead to bigger growth later. To help make the game more accessible, Fifty1 plans to host watch alongs for tournaments like the Euros, creating spaces for people who can’t afford to travel but still want to be part of the experience.
La Reina recognises that the shift toward digital media will shape how fans consume stories. They launched their print magazine knowing it was a gamble in an increasingly online world but believed its nostalgic, coffee table appeal would resonate. Looking ahead, they expect the younger, digitally native fanbase to drive demand for more online content, and they are prepared to adapt to stay relevant and accessible.
Becca and Jade at AFTA Studios see the next decade as a time when women’s football will become more global, more commercial, and more community-led all at once. They expect to see more clubs prioritising the fan experience and more brands aligning creatively with players. To get ready, AFTA is scaling sustainably – strengthening relationships with clubs and athletes, expanding their collections, and exploring new formats like live illustration, digital drops, and international campaigns, to keep building the culture around the women’s game.
Even as their paths and creative styles differ, Fifty1, AFTA Studios, and La Reina all share a common goal: to contribute to a richer, more visible, and more inclusive future for women’s football. They each see a future where fans are more connected to players and stories, where independent creators can thrive alongside established organisations, and where the culture around the sport is as exciting and diverse as the football itself. Whether through bold graphics, illustrated campaigns, or high quality print, these brands are determined to play their part in shaping how the women’s game is seen, and felt, in years to come.
Each of these brands plays a vital role in driving the growth of the women’s game. We encourage you to check them out and show your support using the links below. We look forward to a future piece, where we’ll explore even more brands helping to shape the landscape of women’s football. A heartfelt thank you to all the brands featured for their time, insights, and contributions to this piece — your work continues to inspire and elevate the women’s game.
https://www.instagram.com/aftastudios
https://www.instagram.com/fifty1