High-profile athletes used to make money by inking licensing deals with retailers that use their name on jerseys and shorts. ⁠
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Today, sports stars like Russell Westbrook, Allyson Felix and Megan Rapinoe are among a growing number of athletes who are launching their own labels, with full financial and creative control.⁠
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Athletes traditionally favoured lucrative licensing deals with established fashion brands — often marketed as collaborations — in which retailers like Nike and Adidas use an athlete’s name, image and likeness to sell a pre-produced line of clothing or sports gear. Today’s new athlete-backed brands run counter to this formula, producing seasonal collections without using their founders’ names on a logo to attract fans.⁠
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It’s a new category of apparel startups that’s gaining investor interest too, as venture capital firms and large strategic retailers alike see potential in celebrity-backed e-commerce brands with a social impact angle.⁠
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Read the full story by BoF’s Daniel-Yaw Miller. [Link in bio]⁠
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✍🏻 @danielyaw_⁠
📷 @russwest44⁠
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