Sportswear brand Ellesse, which was founded in Italy in 1959, is relaunching in the U.S. with its new U.S. headquarters in Dallas. The company has relaunched its U.S. e-commerce platform and plans to open a flagship store in Dallas.
Pentland, which owns Ellesse, announced last year plans to relaunch the brand in the U.S. market, focusing on tennis and ski, as part of a new licensing deal with The Iconic Brand Corporation (TIBC). Under the agreement, TIBC will design, develop, produce and market Ellesse apparel and accessories in the U.S., in collaboration with Ellesse's London team.
“Launching Ellesse back into the U.S. market is an important moment for the brand globally and for me personally,” said TIBC Chairman Todd Furniss, who in the 1978, was the first American tennis player sponsored by Ellesse. “Being able to launch this next chapter from Dallas is a privilege, especially given the craftsmanship our team has brought to the collection. We’re eager to finally bring Ellesse to American courts and begin building a long-term presence in the American market.”
Ellesse first entered the tennis category in 1974 and was worn by Chris Evert when she won Wimbledon in 1982. Boris Becker wore the brand when he won Wimbledon in 1985. Today, Ellese is represented on the professional tour by Croatian Donna Vekić and Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, and plans to expand its U.S. presence through multi-year partnerships with the Cincinnati Open beginning in 2026 and the Charleston Open in 2027.
“Dallas is uniquely positioned to become the epicenter of the next era of tennis and sport culture in the United States,” said Duwayne Miller, CEO of TIBC. “We’re proud to build Ellesse’s U.S. headquarters in a city with one of the country’s most vibrant and passionate tennis communities. Tennis deserves a brand that seamlessly combines technical innovation, authentic heritage, and modern cultural relevance. History has shown that when the right brand enters the market at the right moment, it has the ability to shape the future of the sport.”