ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2022) — In a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team and a player, the Orlando Pride and Erin McLeod today unveiled “The Futures Collection”, a clothing line driven and designed by the Pride goalkeeper. The Futures Collection pulls inspiration from McLeod’s many passion areas, from social justice and equality, to local ties to the Central Florida area and personal learnings.
All items of the collection - which includes a t-shirt, shorts, button down and bucket hat - are made from upcycled scrap materials, eliminating the need for fabric milling and reducing the climate impact from production, and designed with non-binary sizing.
The Futures Collection is now available for purchase at ShopOrlandoPride.com. A portion of the proceeds from each item sold will be donated to the Zebra Coalition, an Orlando-based non-profit that aids LGBTQ+ youth facing homelessness, bullying and much more.
The goal of the collaboration is to not only celebrate where we are going by recognizing where we have been, but to also blaze a path for future players to pursue their passions outside of the sport, as the name suggests.
“Fashion is always a way to express yourself, but then also express your views openly and outwardly. So I think this collection, what I want it to be, is really about my personal evolution. Recognizing that Title IX and the Voting Rights Act, and so many things helped give more opportunity and more say to more people, but also realizing that we have a long way to go,” McLeod said. “I hope that people can feel liberated when they're wearing this line and recognizing that we are whatever we want to be.”
With the Pride’s Mission Program in mind, the Futures Collection draws inspiration from four key areas: Mission Rainbow, Mission Planet Earth, Mission W and Mission Inclusion.
At first look, the bold zebra print of the button down, shorts and bucket hat stands out and serves as a nod to the efforts of The Zebra Coalition. The block “W” aligns with Mission W, underlined to represent women of all walks of life, with pink and blue tones drawing inspiration from the transgender flag.
The IX and 1965 symbols used across all items represent two historical moments, with the former celebrating 50 years of women in sport, while 1965 marks the year the Voting Rights Act was passed, which prohibited discriminatory voting practices and enabled easier voting access for Black Americans and other minorities.
The t-shirt front features a design uniquely crafted by McLeod, with the “ORL” representing the Pride’s home of Orlando, Florida. Above that, the crown is a token of McLeod’s favorite artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work in the 1980s provided commentary on racism and the social inequities that Black communities faced. The crown is also McLeod’s way of paying tribute to her teammates whom she calls, “the queens on the Orlando Pride”.
The triangle icon below the ORL is a reflection of the pink triangles that were used during World War II to identify and target members of the queer community, which has since been reclaimed by the community and stands as a symbol of power.
The design is completed with an equal sign, as the collection is not only made to be worn by anyone, but we are all the same regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other characteristics.
To bring The Futures Collection to life, McLeod re-engaged her passion for creating clothing that challenges gender norms, which grew from her time as co-founder of the brand Peau De Loup (PDL).
