This summer, lovers of women’s sport can experience an innovative new hub for fans and players, right in the heart of the capital. Style Of Our Own (SOOO) London – a first-of-its kind store on Regent Street – opened its doors on 5 June. Built with fans at its core, SOOO London is a space to shop, support and engage with the biggest events in the sporting calendar. For players and supporters of women’s sport, this is the space we have been waiting for.
For too long, women in sport have been treated as an afterthought and expected to be grateful. SOOO London flips that perspective on its head. Bringing together more than 20 women-led businesses, the aim is to finally address the unmet needs of athletes and fans. Backed by Mastercard and founded by Laura Youngson of Ida Sports – a sports company that creates football boots specifically for women – the initiative aims to celebrate the stories, style and impact of women’s sport’s biggest stars, while trying to dismantle the barriers that have historically kept them on the sidelines.
“This is the summer of women’s sport in the UK,” says Charlie Carrington, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Mastercard. “From the Euros to the Rugby World Cup, fans are coming together to support their favourite teams and being inspired to take to the pitch.”
While 2023 still tops the all-time viewership figures for women’s sport in the UK – no surprises perhaps given that it was a World Cup year – 2024 remained strong, and was actually the most watched year for women’s domestic sport in the UK, with 44.7 million viewers tuning in. And while the success of the Lionesses may have sparked a new wave of enthusiasm, the boom in popularity stretches across football to rugby, netball to golf, and everything in between.
At SOOO London, you can catch every unmissable moment this summer with screenings that foster a sense of community – and the vibe is already kicking. In June, the Eurobasket watch party for Team GB women hosted by Sneaker Sisterhood moved 200 free tickets in 48 hours, and SupportHers Collective held a lively screening of the Lionesses v Jamaica for female and non-binary fans.
The SOOO events programme is also packed out. In June, Maggie Murphy recorded the first live episode of her podcast Expected Goals, then Brighton & Hove Albion player Fran Kirby spoke on a panel, and young tennis fans got to question the legendary Billie Jean King. At the end of July, She’s a Baller teamed up with Mastercard to host Everyone’s Game – an event that encouraged fans to try out a new sport, with a station to personalise sports gear.
At SOOO you can shop your entire kit bag all under one roof, from football boots designed for women to the latest Lionesses shirt, aesthetic lifting gear to activewear, sports bras to period underwear. There’s even somewhere to get your caffeine fix, with Fair Shot CIO – a charity that employs adults with learning disabilities – setting up a pop-up coffee shop in the store.
Created with the support of Westminster city council and The Crown Estate, SOOO London was selected from more than 1,000 applicants as part of the Meanwhile On project, with the council granting funding and relief on business rates, while Mastercard provided help with the fit-out and marketing to make this dream a reality.
“The space helps small businesses thrive,” says Carrington. “It gives fans a place to find their community and makes it easier than ever for women to play the sports they love in gear which is made for them.”
You can find SOOO London at 245 Regents Street, open until October
