Carl Banks revived Starter by becoming the AAF's uniform supplier

Starter, the sportswear maker of the 1980s and 90s that helped create the fan-jersey and sideline-apparel business, peaked with more than $350M in sales in 1993 before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999. The name lingered as a nostalgia brand but the gameday presence was gone.

Carl Banks, the former NFL linebacker who became president of sports-apparel licensee G-III Sports, had taken over the Starter licence in 2013 and made bringing it back to prominence his goal. He decided the way back was not through retro-only merchandise but through live football, so in 2019 Starter became the official uniform and sideline-attire supplier for the Alliance of American Football.

The move put the logo back on the field on 9 February 2019, with replica jerseys and fan gear sold through AAF.com and Dick's Sporting Goods. Banks called early sales of the AAF merchandise 'very impressive' and said there was a huge spike after opening week, with reorder numbers just shy of $1M.

Starter returned as the AAF's official uniform supplier; opening-week reorder numbers neared $1M and early sales were very strong.

A game-day deal put the brand in front of fans at the exact moment they were watching.

Carl Banks' own NFL credibility gave the licence a real advocate.

Live leagues create purchase moments that retro novelty alone cannot.

Licensing let Starter return without taking on a factory or its own retail.

A dormant sports brand comes back fastest by attaching itself to live games, not just re-releasing retro merch.

Starter continued to expand through licensing and collaborations, including a deal with Iconix to grow the label in South Korea, though the AAF itself folded in 2019, limiting the platform that had relaunched the brand.