Mitchell & Ness, a company renowned for its selection of classic and vintage jerseys and sportswear, has recruited Jordan Brand's Eli Kumekpor to serve as its CEO. After being acquired by Fanatics in 2022, celebrities and athletes such as Jay-Z, Lebron James and Kevin Durant acquired shares in the company. Mitchell & Ness has been attempting to boost its range of sports licensing rights with fresh and broader arrangements with the NHL and MLB. Drawing on knowledge from his stint at Nike, Kumekpor said Mitchell & Ness will not only go on to increase its dedication to retro and nostalgia, but also explore ways to feature current players within its collections.
Eli Kumekpor, who recently served as the global vice president and general manager of Jordan Brand's men's business, has been hired by Mitchell & Ness, the lifestyle clothing brand acquired by Fanatics in February 2022, as its new CEO. This brings about the retirement of former CEO Kevin Wulff, who joined Fanatics after the acquisition of Mitchell & Ness. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia, the company produces and sells vintage jerseys and apparel for a plethora of major sports leagues. The acquisition by Fanatics valued the company at $250 million, with a 75% stake being acquired by Fanatics and the remaining 25% going to a number of celebrities and athletes including Jay-Z, Lebron James, Kevin Hart, and Kevin Durant.
Since being taken over by Fanatics, Mitchell & Ness has established several new rights deals with leagues, colleges, and players' associations. This includes a licensing deal with the NHL that covers all its teams, plus an expanded headwear and throwback jersey range with MLB. Whilst the brand will remain faithful to sports nostalgia with jerseys of retired players and old logos and colour schemes, Kumekpor has identified an opportunity to further explore the junction of sports, culture, lifestyle, and fashion, drawing ideas from his time at Nike and Jordan Brand.
Kumekpor has also noted the possibility of expanding the brand's focus on "cutting edge innovation from a design perspective", whilst furthering the appeal of nostalgia. Prior to working at Nike, Kumekpor had been employed in the healthcare industry at a number of companies including AstraZeneca, Alcon, Life Technologies, and Cigna.
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