Universal Language, the Edinburgh football fashion brand, gears up for growth after a Thistle Street pop-up

Football shirts are everywhere, but finding something that captures a club's culture rather than just its badge is harder. That gap is what led school friends Christie Aitchison and Pete Burt to launch Universal Language, an Edinburgh brand making fan-focused clothing inspired by Scottish football.

The idea began when Christie struggled to find a suitable gift for his father, a Hearts fan, that really reflected the club. He took the concept to Pete, and the pair built a brand designed to celebrate club identity.

They bring complementary skills. Christie has commercial and marketing experience from running his own agency, while Pete spent more than eight years as a designer in professional football, working for Hibernian and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Edinburgh.

Since launching in December 2024, Universal Language has built a following of more than 3,000 customers, sold 5,000 products and attracted 1.5 million monthly social media views. Collections focus on Hearts and Hibernian, with an expanding Scotland national team range, and the brand has also added an Aberdeen collection. Everything is designed in Edinburgh and printed or embroidered in the UK on sustainably produced garments.

The brand opened a pop-up shop on Thistle Street to coincide with the World Cup, and has reshaped its strategy with support from Business Gateway, which helped review its brand communication, provided specialist intellectual property guidance to trademark the brand and protect its designs, and ran pitch preparation sessions.

Christie said the support came at exactly the right time and gave the founders confidence that they were heading in the right direction, adding that protecting what they have created matters more as the brand grows. Business Gateway adviser Julie Batten described Universal Language as a strong example of what happens when a genuine idea is backed by sound business thinking.

The brand has also raised more than £2,500 for its charity partner, MND Scotland, through sales of a commemorative T-shirt.

For fans looking for a Christmas present with a bit of local character, it is worth a look.

Collections are available to buy on the Universal Language website.