I would say like football, it's intended to be shared/worn by everybody.

Obviously the designs on the scarves are borne of football phraseology but within a double-entente/entendre that holds a sexual connotation also. What kind of target market do you have for these kind of items and how important in a design respect is the choice of words?

When I started out designing the scarves, my intention all along was to leave them open to interpretation. I selected phrases that were familiar football terms but also had sexual overtones to them.

I thought it would be an interesting process to see what people's reaction would be when they first saw them. The football fan would see the scarf, the colours, and the words and understand that this is an interpretation of a footie scarf while at the other end of the scale would be people that have never watched a football match in their lives and know nothing about the culture of the sport but see PENETRATION and either like the graphics and have a sense of humour about it or look at me with utter disgust. I like that.

Coming from a fashion background I am reaching out to the fashion crowd (we launched in Colette in Paris) that enjoy colourful and graphic designs while also trying to attract the football fans that are looking for something a bit unique and special that they can wear to the ground or wear out.

But for the fans, the use of terms on the scarves aren't universally flattering to the teams. For example, let's say the green and white scarf is suitable for Celtic fans, would a Celtic fan specifically be inclined to wear a scarf that implied his or her team played long ball football?

The goal was to match each phrase with the club that played that brand/style of football on the pitch. For instance, The Gunners play an attacking style of football so I selected Penetration, Juve play more of a defensive game so I felt Double Team was appropriate. Obviously each club's style of play changes over the years but that was not the only determining factor. From a design perspective I tried to create a scarf that looked graphically and visually interesting when flat/when worn, which colour combinations worked with a particular style of font, how did the colors and font work with the background pattern, etc. so there were other factors to take into consideration.

The prices are noticeably high in comparison to what the average football fan would spend on a club-specific supporter scarf. The items are cashmere so obviously of quality but does the creation of high-end football supporter products reflect the evolution of the football fan into a more affluent example of society?

I think so. Football fans today are a reflection of the how the sport has grown and changed, especially the last few years. You only have to look at the amount of money being invested into clubs, players, marketing, stadiums, TV rights, etc.

The sport is a business now more than ever and in order for it to be successful, clubs must cater to a much more affluent audience like never before.

And I'm not the first person to take notice of this fact. Comme Des Garçons designed some incredibly fantastic football scarves for one collection. D&G dressed the Italian National Team for the World Cup and were recently in the press for collaborating with AC Milan.