The double diamond is back on the pitch—and this time, the pitch is American street culture. In a strategic move that bridges Milanese heritage with North American commercial ambition, WHP Global has officially inked a licensing agreement with Pure Cotton Global Group to relaunch the Lotto brand across the United States and Canada. The partnership debuts immediately with the release of the “Starting 11” collection, a lifestyle-focused apparel drop available on LOTTOSport.com, signaling a definitive pivot from pure performance gear to the lucrative, nostalgia-fueled world of heritage sportswear. For a generation raised on the romanticism of 1990s Serie A football, this isn’t just a business deal; it is a sartorial restoration.
The Architecture of a Revival
The mechanics of this relaunch reveal a sophisticated, asset-light approach to brand management, typical of the modern fashion conglomerate. WHP Global, the New York-based firm that acquired the global Lotto trademarks, manages a portfolio generating over $3.5 billion in retail sales. However, rather than managing the granular logistics of a North American rollout internally, they have tapped Pure Cotton Global Group. This new licensee is now the operational engine responsible for the design, manufacturing, and distribution of Lotto’s lifestyle apparel in the U.S. and Canada.
This structure is pivotal. While Lotto Sport Italia (LSI), led by Andrea Tomat, continues to operate the brand’s core performance business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the North American arm is being explicitly framed as a fashion venture. The bifurcation allows the brand to maintain its technical integrity in Italy—where it outfits professional squads—while aggressively pursuing the "blokecore" and athleisure trends in the West without the constraints of performance-first manufacturing.
The deal leverages Lotto’s existing global footprint—which commands over $400 million in annual retail sales across 50 countries—but treats North America as a white space. The strategy is clear: utilize the brand’s dormant equity to capture a consumer base that is increasingly fatigued by the ubiquity of Nike and Adidas, and hungry for the "alternative" credibility that European heritage brands provide.
“Starting 11”: Decoding the Aesthetic
The launch collection, titled “Starting 11,” is a direct nod to the brand’s football (soccer) roots, yet its execution is firmly rooted in lifestyle. The collection does not attempt to compete with high-performance technical kits. Instead, it mines the visual language of the terrace—tracksuits, hoodies, graphic tees, and outerwear that evoke the golden era of Italian football.
For fashion insiders, the timing is impeccable. The "Euro-core" aesthetic has permeated U.S. streetwear, driven by a fascination with vintage jerseys and the casual elegance of Italian sporting life. Lotto sits at the center of this Venn diagram. By focusing on apparel first, Pure Cotton is prioritizing visual identity over technical specs. The collection serves as a foundational layer, reintroducing the iconic logo to a demographic that may know the brand only through thrift store finds or archival Instagram accounts.
However, the absence of immediate footwear news in this specific announcement is notable. While Lotto’s history is deeply tied to tennis and football boots—worn by legends like Ruud Gullit and Andriy Shevchenko—the initial North American push is textile-driven. This suggests a "merch-first" strategy intended to build brand heat through accessible price points and high-visibility branding before potentially expanding into the complex and capital-intensive footwear market.
The Tension: Heritage vs. Homogenization
Despite the optimism surrounding the launch, a distinct tension lies at the heart of this expansion. The challenge for WHP Global and Pure Cotton will be balancing commercial scale with cultural cachet. The "licensing model" is efficient, but it carries the inherent risk of dilution. If the product becomes too generic—simply a basic hoodie with a licensed logo slapped on—Lotto risks bypassing the "cool" phase and landing directly in the "discount" bin.
True success will depend on how strictly the brand guidelines are enforced. Italian streetwear thrives on distinctiveness—fabrication, fit, and that elusive sprezzatura. If Pure Cotton can replicate the quality and design ethos of Lotto’s Italian operations while adapting the fit for American consumers, they could replicate the success of brands like Kappa and Fila, which successfully transitioned from sport to style icons. If not, the brand risks becoming indistinguishable from the myriad of "zombie brands" that exist only as logos in department stores.
Social sentiment, however, leans toward optimism. Early reactions on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit’s streetwear communities highlight a genuine appetite for "non-mainstream" football brands. The nostalgia for the 90s—an era defined by bold collars, oversized fits, and geometric patterns—provides a potent tailwind. Consumers are not looking for innovation in this sector; they are looking for provenance. Lotto has that in spades.
Market Landscape: The Battle for the "Third Stripe"
Lotto enters a North American market that is crowded but paradoxically open. The dominance of the "Big Two" (Nike and Adidas) has created a counter-movement where distinctiveness is valued over market share. In this ecosystem, Lotto competes not with the giants, but with the fellow revivalists: Diadora, Umbro, Kappa, and Ellesse.
What differentiates Lotto is its dual heritage in tennis and football. While Umbro is strictly football and Ellesse leans heavily into tennis/ski, Lotto has legitimate claims to both. This allows for a broader lifestyle assortment that can pivot between the "terrace culture" of football fans and the "quiet luxury" adjacent world of heritage tennis aesthetics. The "Starting 11" name confirms that football is the leading spearhead, capitalizing on the surging popularity of soccer in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Furthermore, the retail strategy outlined—targeting specialty retailers and sporting goods stores initially, with broader department store expansion in 2026—suggests a "masstige" positioning. This is a volume play. The goal is not to be Supreme; the goal is to be a staple in the wardrobe of the everyday stylish consumer who wants to signal a connection to global sport culture.
Timeline of a Resurrection
- 1973: Lotto is founded in Montebelluna, Italy, the heart of the world’s footwear manufacturing district, initially focusing on tennis shoes.
- 1980s-1990s: The Golden Era. Lotto becomes a ubiquitous sight in Serie A and on the global tennis circuit, sponsoring icons like Ruud Gullit and Boris Becker.
- 2021: WHP Global acquires the global trademarks for the Lotto brand, signaling a shift toward a modern brand-management model. Lotto Sport Italia remains the operator in core EMEA markets.
- December 17, 2025: WHP Global signs Pure Cotton Global Group as the licensee for North American lifestyle apparel. The "Starting 11" collection launches online.
- 2026: Planned expansion into brick-and-mortar retail across the U.S. and Canada, targeting specialty and department stores.
Future Forecast: The Road to 2026
As we look toward 2026, the trajectory of Lotto in North America will likely follow a "collab-and-conquer" roadmap. To cement its status as a fashion player, we can expect WHP and Pure Cotton to seek partnerships with boutique streetwear labels or cultural influencers who can remix the archive. A collaboration with a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise or a high-profile "fantasy kit" drop would be a logical next step to bridge the gap between heritage and modern hype.
The missing link remains footwear. For Lotto to truly compete with Diadora or New Balance’s lifestyle division, it must eventually reintroduce its archival trainers to the North American market. The "Autograph" tennis shoe or the classic "Stadio" football boot (reimagined for street wear) are potential grails waiting to be unearthed. If the apparel line meets sales targets, expect a footwear licensing deal or a specific footwear drop to follow within 12 to 18 months.
Ultimately, this deal is a test case for the resilience of Italian soft power in the era of financialized fashion. Can a brand owned by a New York firm and operated by a global sourcing group retain the soul of Montebelluna? For now, the "Starting 11" has taken the field, and the crowd is watching.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
