Starter Fashion story

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 CFL