The History of Champion

To say that the sports/streetwear brand Champion was popular back in the 90s would be an understatement.

It comes as no surprise that this brand has made a huge comeback with a barrage of headline-grabbing capsule collections with a range of collaborations. Not only did these collaborations keep Champion’s name in the spotlight, it also shows the brand versatility.

We all know the success the brand has today, but where did it all start?

History of Champion

In 1919, the Feinbloom brothers established the company that would eventually become known as ‘Champion’.

They started out with a partnership with dressing Michigan University’s sports teams as they had noticed that Champion was passionate about sports apparel and manufactured high quality sweatshirts and sweatpants at an affordable price.

From then on, Champion’s reputation started to spread as coaches from Michigan spoke with other schools and colleges throughout the US.

In the 1930s the company was renamed Champion Knitting Mills Inc. well known for sweatshirts, t-shirts and athletic socks – they became the go-to brand for college bookstores across America. By the mid-1930s, Champion clothing were adopted by the US Military Academy for use during training exercises and physical education classes.

Although Champion introduced the original hooded sweatshirt back in 1930s, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that it became extremely popular, marking the first steps of their transition from sportswear to street style.

Nearly 100 years on, Champion continues to be widely recognised as the pioneer of the sweatshirt.

Champion continue to make history with their new and exciting range of clothes. Through a combination of classic aesthetic and innovative design, they manage to keep producing some of the best streetwear clothing around.

In 2019, Champion turns 100 and its creative team is making full use of the brands heritage – doubling up on the brand’s core design principles.