Leonardo "Mantis" Servadio founded Ellesse in June of 1959. The brand name is based on the Italian pronunciation of Servadio's initials, "L.S." Throughout the 1970s, Ellesse grew popular through their sale of skiing apparel: the logo pays tribute to their skiing heritage. Tennis soon became another staple to their lineup; the rest was history. Ellesse was one of the first apparel brands to feature their logo on the outside of their garments, helping set a trend that would define the clothing industry moving forward.
