Ellesse returns to the US with Dallas headquarters and a tennis-first relaunch

Ellesse, the Italian sportswear brand founded in Perugia in 1959, has officially returned to the United States, launching its e-commerce platform at ellesse.us and anchoring a new American headquarters in Dallas.

The relaunch marks the brand's first dedicated US presence in years and reintroduces it through the summer 2026 tennis collection, now available direct-to-consumer. Designed for modern play, according to the company, the collection focuses on fabrication, proportion and performance, balancing technical function with design informed by the brand's history on court.

The US business is powered by global brand owner Pentland Brands under a long-term licensing partnership with The Iconic Brands Corporation, which oversees development and distribution in the American market. Beyond the digital storefront, the company is planning a flagship retail presence in Dallas.

"Launching Ellesse back into the US market is an important moment for the brand globally and for me personally," said The Iconic Brand Corporation chairman Todd Furniss, who happens to also be the first American tennis player sponsored by Ellesse in 1978. "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."

The choice of Dallas is deliberate, according to the company. "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 The Iconic Brands Corporation. "We're proud to build Ellesse's US 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."

A heritage the brand is leaning on

Ellesse was founded by tailor Leonardo Servadio, whose initials — L.S. — gave the brand its name, and was among the first to move a wordmark to the exterior of a garment in 1967, a move it credits with helping to invent designer sportswear. The brand also points to its Semi Palla emblem, the half-tennis-ball icon introduced in 1975 and still in use today.

After entering tennis in 1974, Ellesse became one of the sport's defining presences — worn by Chris Evert around her 1981 Wimbledon win and by Boris Becker when he claimed the same title in 1985 at just 17, still the youngest champion in the tournament's history. The brand says its off-court following in that era extended to figures including Muhammad Ali, Mick Jagger and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Today the brand is represented on the professional tour by Donna Vekić and Alejandro Tabilo, and per company materials, actor Andrew Garfield serves as a brand ambassador for the wider relaunch.

Building a runway of partnerships

Ellesse plans to build visibility through tennis itself, with multi-year partnerships tied to the Cincinnati Open beginning in 2026 and the Charleston Open in 2027, placing the brand at two marquee U.S. hard- and clay-court events as it establishes its footing.