A young Rochdale player has launched his own range of stylish streetwear.
On the pitch, Harry Lee is a stylish, ball playing centre half and he’s pretty stylish off the pitch too. The 17-year-old prospect at Rochdale has launched his own brand of clothing which is already proving a winner among his friends.
Harry’s streetwear styles blend baggy, casual and urban silhouettes with haute couture in premium fabrics and his first collection features hoodies with kangaroo pockets, comfy joggers with branded satin detailing, and soft T-shirts with ‘passion becomes success’ embroidery on the upper neck-line.
Much of his HL13 clothing range of streetwear was designed after training at his digs and Harry said: ‘I’m a young footballer, but clothing has always been a passion of mine and I have enjoyed spending time sourcing fabrics and manufacturing the products in Portugal. When I’m training I have time in the afternoons to do the drawings.’
Harry spent lockdown at home in Newton-le-Willows with dad Stuart, mum Nicola and 12-year-old brother George who have all helped him get the business up and running. And he added: ‘Football is my biggest passion and I want to become a professional. If that happens, I’ll have to ask my family to help out more with the clothing.’
Until lockdown meant an early end to the season, Harry was playing in an integration team at Rochdale made up of first year professionals and scholars. Time will tell what impact Covid will have on football clubs; the lack of matches meant a sudden drop in the money coming into the club which could lead them to concentrate more on developing young talent, or mean they tighten their belts and focus more on the success of the first team.
Rochdale will be hoping for some more success on the pitch this season - although they flirted with relegation from League One last season, they have had some good cups runs in recent seasons and there is an established pathway from the club’s Spotland ground to the Premier League; Harry’s young team-mate Luke Matheson signed for Wolves last year in a £1m deal.
But while he might have the prospect of European football, he doesn’t have a clothing brand and dad Stuart – himself a pretty useful midfielder for Warrington in the North West Counties League – said: ‘From an early age Harry was interested in fashion and he wore things that were a bit different to other lads his age, more Couture Club than JD Sports, and he still does now.’
The difference now, of course, is that Harry designed the clothes he’s wearing. ‘I do the sketches of how I want the track suits, shirts and hoodies to look and that’s pretty much how the finished piece looks,’ he said. ‘My designs go to a company in London and they’re manufactured in Portugal.
‘It’s casual street wear but the quality of the clothing is what sets it apart. There are different ways you can wear it - it’s all clothing that could be smart or more casual but it’s all made with very high quality materials. You can tell as soon as you feel it that it’s good quality. Quite a few of my mates are wearing it.’
To see more of Harry’s first collection, go online to hl13limited.co.uk
