Diana Al Shammari is the artist and designer who’s responsible for some of the most hyped jersey drops in the game right now.

The evolution of jersey culture has been fundamental to the football-fashion explosion, with lurid performance-driven product from the early 2010s making way for a more considered aesthetic that’s at home in stadiums, in the streets, and at fashion weeks. While big brands and collab culture have taken headlines for so much of this change, individual creators have also made their mark via customisations, upcycling and bespoke one-of-ones.

‘The Football Gal’ is leading this charge. Using the art of embroidery to creatively uplift contemporary football pieces, Diana has made some of the most in-demand limited-edition pieces in football culture. Earlier this year, she collaborated with Jules Koundé to create his own jersey after the Barça defender previously stepped out in Al Shammari’s embroidered Japan x Nigo kit.

Diana Al Shammari makes the first-ever VERSUS 50 – a new list with Chivas Regal that celebrates the individuals rising up to shape new football culture. We spoke to Diana about the rise of ‘The Football Gal’, her desire to pave a way for other women in football, and how the spirit of Chivas Regal's "I Rise, We Rise" mantra underpins his work.

Looking to the future, what’s the one thing you still want to achieve?

I want to keep doing what I’m doing right now but make it bigger and better than ever. I want to bring ‘The Football Gal’ into partnerships with more brands, more clubs, more players. I’d love to inspire more people to take up a hobby and make it the next big thing.

How do you take inspiration from others?

I love seeing new artistic interpretations of football. Whether that’s through music, fashion, design – I love to consume art in all its forms, and when different artforms come to life through the lens of football that gives me a lot of inspiration.

How do you hope to inspire others?

Being a woman in football isn’t easy. It’s a super male-dominated industry and making a place for myself at the table was quite hard, but it’s important because I can use my position to create more space for others just like me.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation to score big?

Take a bet on yourself. You only have one life and one chance to accomplish everything you want – if you don’t take a chance on yourself, nobody else will.

What’s the biggest change we need to see in football?

I think it’s really important, especially with issues like racism, to hold people accountable for their actions. Clubs haven’t done a good enough job up until now.

What do you love most about football culture right now?

I love the ever-changing artistic interpretations of the game. When art combines with football the result is always unexpected, and what I do fits into that bucket. People find my work weird or wonderful, and I want to see more people produce work that gets the same reaction.

Diana Al Shammari features in the first-ever VERSUS 50 with Chivas Regal. Find the full list here.

VERSUS: Who are you and what do you do?

Diana: My name is Diana Al Shammari, I’m an artist, designer, embroiderer and founder of ‘The Football Gal’, which is a project I started in 2017 reinventing football shirts through the art of embroidery.

What resistance have you faced in your journey so far?

I’ve definitely faced resistance externally and internally. Externally, as is the case with any artistic endeavour, whenever you try something new you find people that don’t like what you do. I always need to remind myself that I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s okay!

Internally, I’ve always faced imposter syndrome – statistically, women face imposter syndrome more than men so it makes sense – but also I have to remind myself that I deserve to be here. I’ve worked hard to get where I am and it’s taken persistence and dedication.

What’s some of the work you’ve been most proud of?

Last year, I created a couple of football shirts for Joe Jonas – he wore them on tour and that was a huge deal for me, it’ll sound silly, because he was my ultimate teenage crush! A few months after that, Jules Koundé – who is not only great on the pitch but very stylish off it – bought my Japan third kit. I had no idea it was him when the order came through and was super surprised when he wore it before one of his Barcelona matches. The picture got posted and it went everywhere online – he didn’t have to do that but it was really nice of him to do so. It put more eyes on my work, but also pushed the art of embroidery far more among other people. That’s been cool to see.

Where do you find motivation?

My motivation comes from remembering why I started this and my journey so far. Ever since I was little, I always loved football and football shirts but growing up in early 2000s Iraq – during the war – playing football wasn’t an option for us as kids. I couldn’t express my love for football freely and safely so when I had the chance to move to a safer country and pursue my passions, I always wanted to keep football close to me. My motivation is to make my younger self proud and inspire other girls who might not have had the chance to play football when they were younger to pursue a different side of the game.

What’s one thing you did that changed the game for you?

I was always open to learning new things. I wanted to learn from others, ask questions, and find mentors. I tried to find people that paved the way for people of colour in football and for women in football.