Ellesse
Ellesse was founded in Perugia, Italy by ski enthusiast and tailor Leonardo Servadio in 1959. Born into a family of textiles merchants, Servadio identified a gap in the market for stylish, flattering sportswear on the slopes and when he couldn't find the skiwear he wanted, the only solution was to design and manufacture his own.
In the 70’s Ellesse started to design tennis outfits which ultimately the brand became most famous for.
The brief
Over the years the brand was bought and sold finally becoming part of a stable of sports/lifestyle brands owned by the Pentland Group in 1994. In recent years the brand was licensed out multiple times. It’s identity had become diluted.
In 2023 we started work with the new brand director at Ellesse to re-set, the product offer. Working over an 24 month period we set about overhauling every aspect of the brand from the product pillars, to the balance between performance and lifestyle through to look and feel, fabrications, colour and branding. Starting with the brand DNA, we took a deep dive into the archive and returned the brand focus back to it’s roots in tennis, referencing and re-defining the Ellesse brand codes, hero products, branding applications and product pillars. We created a product direction playbook for licensee partners, centred around effortless, Italian sports style and a seasonal creative direction for the internal teams to use as a building block going forward.
Launching to the market in 2025/26, an edited cross section of that work is represented over the following pages…
Authentic positioning
We researched extensively into macro trends relevant for the Sweaty Betty’s ‘Made Well Mover’ consumer, and followed where she led us. Authenticity and community were the 2 of the most important attributes. Running, studio, adventure and travel were the most important parts of her active lifestyle. From here we started to create the framework that would speak to how she moved through her life.
Re-setting
We worked with the product team to change the framework of the ranges. Moving from an item led approach, focused on hero items like the Power legging towards the idea of full outfits and vertical collections. We created consumer facing, product pillars focused on end use, extending the breadth of product for the team to plan and design into. We evened out the balance of performance and lifestyle product to reflect a more modern, blended approach in keeping with how women dress now. so the studio stylists could create outfits for the store windows and website landing pages, and wholesale could create a complete collection for the shop floor.
Telling the story with product
Together with the brand marketing team, we developed and implemented seasonal and monthly creative concepts. Based around a colour trend, an event, an activity we told the brand stories through product and the brand ambassadors. We created monthly concepts to flow through the seasons aligning style, colour, print and fabrication to the brand narrative, allowing the product to align and flow across the brand touchpoints, bringing consumer connection and story telling to the fore.
Talk to us to hear more.
We’re always open to have a chat with great brands. To find out more about how our creative services can be shaped to fit your needs email us at