Ascot Manor - The First Black Female-Owned Tennis Apparel Brand
The new socially conscious tennis apparel and athleisure brand that sponsors under-resourced, competitive junior tennis players
NEW YORK, June 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- 2020 has been a year of rapid change, regrowth, and radical regeneration which is why there isn't a better time then to support young indie brands owned by black women. Ascot Manor is a new socially conscious tennis apparel, activewear, and athleisure brand for men and women, with a pay-it-forward business model supporting under-resourced competitive junior tennis players.
Founded and developed by two women of color with more than 20 years of experience in fashion, sports, and marketing, Ascot Manor's goal is to help lower the drop off rate of highly skilled American and minority junior tennis players by offering three levels of apparel and financial sponsorship. Currently, African American tennis players make up less than 8% in professional tennis according to the USTA. The average cost for a child to play tennis on a competitive level is estimated at $80k a year.
The concept of Ascot Manor was developed in 2017 and focused primarily on the brand's messaging and the development of their patent-pending tennis utility jacket, The Mason scheduled to be released early Spring 2021. Ascot Manor launched its first Essentials Collection Sept 1, 2019, to meet the increasing demands of their following.
Ascot Manor has set the bar high for the standards and quality of its products. The goal is to change the narrative of people's perception of tennis wear, with a special focus on tennis-leisure, also known as athleisure. Ascot Manor incorporates the on-and-off court lifestyle of tennis players, other athletes, and the wellness community in a classic, yet fashionable styles suitable for any person, whether professional or amateur. Many of the designs incorporate 4-way stretch, antibacterial fabrics, moisture-wicking, and microBlok fabrics – crucial for professional athletes to increase functionality and comfort.
Kareen Borgella, Ascot Manor Executive Designer, shares: "The inspiration behind Ascot Manor designs lies in the athletes themselves: how they move on the court, what are the issues they may have with regular activewear. I combined my feel of aesthetic with my technical designer background in order to create highly functional, structured, and aesthetically pleasing athletic performance pieces."
As the young black-owned indie brand continues to push through with visibility in a slow economy due to the effects of COVID-19, they continue to gain popularity amongst professional tennis players and influencers becoming ambassadors of the brand. Ascot Manor reinvests a portion of its sales back into the business in order to sponsor junior players.
"We are hopeful with the return of tennis and reopening we can continue our journey of making a difference in the lives of so many deserving talented competitive junior players". - Founder Ahlilah Longmire
Ascot Manor prides itself on redefining tennis wear, it has sought to modulate a business founded in socially conscious ideas: all processes from sourcing fabrics to shipment are determined by the ideas of leveraging a business model for a more sustainable world. Ascot Manor will be launching their summer and fall collection later this month. You can purchase their Members Only and Essentials Collections at http://www.ascotmanor.com
Ahlilah Longmire, Ascot Manor Founder, and CEO
No stranger to the world of Sports, Entertainment, Music, and Fashion, Ahlilah has been a recognized industry leader for more than 17 years. She is the Founder of The Tesla Group, the lifestyle PR-Marketing & Events agency established in 2008, and is widely recognized for representing and developing brands for top athletes, producing events, tours, and a wide range of productions, and in driving national & international PR campaigns.
Kareen Borgella, Ascot Manor Executive Designer
Kareen Borgella is a New York-based Fashion Designer. Kareen has worked alongside many well-known companies such as J. Crew, Armani Exchange, and Ralph Lauren just to name a few.
SOURCE Ascot Manor
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