Ellesse Re-enters the U.S. Market Through New Licensee

Ellesse crosses the pond in the midst of global chaos. The sports fashion company, founded in 1959 in Italy, is taking over distribution of the brand in the United States. The company, which has been owned by the British group Pentland Brands since the early 1990s, has signed a licensing agreement with The Iconic Brands Corporation, according to WWD.

This pact between the two companies includes both the design, manufacture and distribution of Ellesse items in the United States, which will focus on the retail channel, as opposed to the traditional scheme of the Italian company.This expansion is driven by Jack Richardson, who comes from the sportswear company Canterbury and joined the company last year as vice president.

Ellesse thus enters a playing field dominated by giants such as Nike or Under Armour, which in the United States have their local market, but also with Adidas or Fila. “The brand wants to regain a place in this conversation,“ said the company, which exited the U.S. market for just over a year after terminating the two licensing agreements with which it previously operated.

Ellesse plans to open four of its own stores in the country by 2027.

“While these companies did a great job, we believe we need a single entity to manage the entire U.S. market, as well as a team that understands what the brand was like in the past, the new direction we are taking and is willing to invest in the company for the long term,“ Richardson told the same media outlet.

In this context, U.S. entrepreneur Todd Furniss founded The Iconic Brands Corporation, solely to manage the Ellesse license in the country. Furniss is not only a former athlete, the sports fashion company pointed out, but he was also the first American athlete to sign a contract with the Italian brand.

Ellesse’s distribution will be structured through retail, with the intention that 70% of sales will be channeled through the website, and four own stores that will open the doors in 2027, of which the location is not yet known. The remaining 30% of the business will be divided between department stores and local outlets such as sports clubs.