USA – The cult brand Russel is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2022. The 26-year-old Benjamin Russell founded the Russell Manufacturing Company in Alexander City in Alabama in March 1902 and thus heralded the birth of the traditional brand for teamwear. 120 years later, the European department of Russell Brands – which operates as a B2B supplier – is celebrating its expertise in the field of high-quality, durable and individualisable textiles with the campaign, “We are the original”. The spotlight here is on the sweatshirt, a classic must-have for sporting, leisure and work activities. According to company accounts, the pioneer of the versatile piece of clothing, which can’t be missing from anyone’s wardrobe nowadays, was Benjamin Russell Jr., a passionate footballer and son of the brand’s founder.
In the old days, people wore prickly, itchy woollen kits. In 1926, Russell Jr. spoke to his father and told him about his idea: a comfortable sports jersey made of cotton. Four years later the time had come and Russell’s first crew neck sweatshirt went into production. The reinforced V-notch on the round neck which aims to soak up sweat produced during sporting activities, is what lent today’s classic garment its name: “sweatshirt”.
Company founder, Benjamin Russell.
Already popular back then: The sweatshirt by Russell.
