Starter Clothing Line
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Textile |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | David Beckerman |
| Headquarters | New Haven, Connecticut, United States |
|
Area served
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North America, Europe, Asia |
| Products | Throwback apparel and accessories |
| $282.7 million | |
|
Number of employees
|
619 |
| Parent | Iconix Brand Group |
| Website | starter.com |
Starter is an American manufacturer of sportswear, focusing on throwback accessories such as jackets and hats of major league sports tems. Starter's current licenses include MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and NCAA teams.
Since 2007, Starter is a subsidiary company of the Iconix Brand Group.
Starter was founded in New Haven, Connecticut by David Beckerman, a University of New Haven alumnus, to manufacture team uniforms for high school athletic programs.
In 1976, the company entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with a number of professional sports leagues, paying royalties of 8–10% for the right to manufacture and market copies of professional athletic apparel. Its first retail product was a line of jackets emblazoned with the insignias of Major League Baseball teams. Soon the company expanded its licensed apparel line to include headgear, activewear and accessories.
By 1983, the company had entered licensing agreements with the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and the Canadian Football League (CFL). But the company's growth during this decade can also be attributed to an aggressive marketing strategy. Not only had the company made licensed sports apparel a fashion status symbol, it also created brand loyalty by making its "S and Star" logo a prominent part of the apparel's design. Starter innovatively placed its embroidered logo on jacket sleeves and on the back of baseball caps.
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Wikipedia