New Arthur Ashe Brand Celebrates the Legacy of a Tennis Icon
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AS THE US OPEN unfolds over the next few weeks, there is one name in tennis you’ll hear more than any other. Arthur Ashe: the first Black man and first amateur ever to win the US Open and other history-making titles at Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the French Open, and of course – whose name has emblazoned the stadium itself for nearly three decades.
Arthur Ashe’s legacy is now further cemented with the launch of the tennis and lifestyle brand named in his honor. The brand's latest collection highlights athletic and ready-to-wear apparel including tennis shirts, knits, shorts, jackets, and accessories all celebrating Ashe’s timeless aesthetic. The brand is a partnership between Ashe’s widow, photographer and activist Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe; the Arthur Ashe estate; Jack Carlson, founder of the cult lifestyle brand Rowing Blazers and reviver of Princess Diana’s favorite knitwear brands, Warm & Wonderful and Gyles & George; and Kith design alum Karl-Raphael Blanchard.
Jack Carlson told Men’s Health that after being approached by Arthur’s former agent and longtime friend, Donald Dell, and the estate, he has been building the brand for nearly two years. “We started sharing ideas about what this brand could look like. I envisioned it as the 21st century, American version of Lacoste or Fred Perry infused with Ashe’s own unique style and sense of color,” Carlson revealed to Men’s Health. The brand’s collection often references Ashe’s own wardrobe – including the US Davis Cup team warmups he wore to the legendary Wimbledon awards in 1975.
“With a ’60s and ’70s twist, with a social justice and philanthropic component, and with some influences from the world of streetwear,” Carlson stated. “It’s how I approach everything I do: it’s research, nostalgia, color, fun, and a timeless aesthetic.” There’s a modern refresh on classic tennis whites: rich cable knits with contrasting colorful trims, court jackets embellished with chain stitched signatures, and archive-inspired polos from pivotal moments in ‘68 and ‘75. Male tennis players around the globe have had their namesakes marked on the sleeves of sport and style fans alike. While the Brits have Fred Perry, the French René Lacoste, and the Swedes Bjorn Borg, there has been a void and an opportunity left for the Americans that could only be filled by the game changer that Ashe was. A victor on the court, Ashe was also a champion for civil rights and health awareness around the world. He served as an activist for racial justice and those suffering from HIV and AIDS, founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Throughout it all, Ashe was also distinguished for his unmatched sportsmanship and style brought courtside and beyond. “Arthur Ashe has been a hero of mine for a long time.” Carlson told Men’s Health, who as a three-time member on the US rowing team was an athlete well before designing collections, “Ashe’s temperament, his leadership, the way he revered the opportunity to represent the USA, his sense of etiquette and sportsmanship, and the way he used his platform always inspired me.
"The brand has long-term partnerships benefitting the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund at UCLA, his alma mater, as well as Social Change Fund United, founded by Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade to support issues impacting the Black community. “Arthur Ashe should be representative of both community and legacy,” Blanchard told Men’s Health. “This brand is here to commemorate one of our Black heroes who encapsulated style and grace on and off the court. This is the beginning of something very special.”
The first collection – ranging from $25 to $265 – is available for sale online at Arthur Ashe and Rowing Blazers, and in two pop-up locations: 2 Rivington Street in New York City, and on the grounds of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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