Arthur Ashe Collection to Launch in Runup to U.S. Open
Jack Carlson is one busy guy.
Not only is he the cofounder and creative director of the buzzy brand Rowing Blazers, but he’s also creative director of Warm & Wonderful, Gyles & George and Arc En Ciel by LeSportSac. And now, Carlson has turned his sights to the tennis market as creative director of the Arthur Ashe brand.
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Carlson has teamed with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Arthur Ashe estate, along with Kith alum Karl-Raphael Blanchard, on a new tennis and lifestyle brand named after the legendary athlete. Ashe was the first Black man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and was also a champion for civil rights at home and abroad. He also was a style setter.
“You have Fred Perry, a British tennis lifestyle brand named after Fred Perry. And Lacoste, a French brand dedicated to the legacy of René Lacoste. But there hasn’t been an American equivalent. Who better to represent the United States than Arthur Ashe,” Carlson said. “Arthur Ashe has been a hero of mine for a long time. His icy cool demeanor, effortless style, scholarly approach to sport, his will to win and determination to stand up for social justice all resonate with me deeply. The opportunity to work to create this brand has been a dream come true.”
Later in his playing career, Ashe had his own apparel brand, but after he retired, that was discontinued as he focused more on health initiatives, Carlson said.
Blanchard said the brand is intended to “commemorate one of our Black heroes who encapsulated style and grace on and off the court.” He was known for his clean-cut aesthetic in his early years that morphed into more-flashy styles in the ’70s.
The Arthur Ashe collection will include athletic apparel and leisurewear for men and women, including tennis polos, shorts, skirts, sweats, T-shirts, knitwear and accessories — all intended to celebrate Ashe’s style. It includes a reproduction of the U.S. Davis Cup team warmup suit he wore during the award ceremony at Wimbledon in 1975. Prices will range from $25 to $265 and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund at UCLA (Ashe’s alma mater), and Social Change Fund United, a nonprofit organization created by NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to support issues impacting the Black community.
The line will launch online at both the Arthur Ashe and Rowing Blazers sites as well as at two pop-up shops at 2 Rivington Street in New York City and on the grounds of the U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y.
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