Homage Scales Up: Ryan Vesler Targets Household Name Status as Vintage Apparel Brand Tops $50 Million Revenue
Homage Scales Up as founder and CEO Ryan Vesler looks to transform his Columbus, Ohio-based vintage apparel company into a household name after the brand surpassed $50 million in annual revenue.
Founded in 2007, HOMAGE has grown from Vesler’s personal interest in vintage sports clothing into a national sports and pop-culture apparel business. Documents reviewed by CNBC Make It show that the company generated more than $50 million in revenue in 2024.
Vesler has built the company around nostalgia, licensed sports merchandise and designs inspired by memorable athletes, teams and cultural moments. The strategy has helped HOMAGE move beyond its original Columbus roots and build a broader customer base across the United States.
From Vintage Hobby to Growing Apparel Business
Vesler’s connection to vintage apparel began long before HOMAGE became a multimillion-dollar company.
As a child, he collected vintage sports merchandise, including classic Air Jordan sneakers and Bo Jackson-related Nike products. While attending college, Vesler also searched thrift stores for vintage apparel that he could resell on eBay.
That experience eventually became the foundation for HOMAGE.
Vesler launched the company in 2007, initially using his interest in vintage clothing and sports history to create products that combined nostalgia with contemporary apparel. HOMAGE’s designs focus heavily on retro aesthetics, sports memories and recognizable cultural references.
The company describes its mission as helping fans pay homage to the people, places and moments that matter to them.
HOMAGE Revenue Crosses $50 Million
The latest reported revenue milestone highlights how far the company has expanded.
According to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It, HOMAGE generated more than $50 million in revenue during 2024. The company has also indicated that it expects revenue to grow by a double-digit percentage in the following year.
That scale puts HOMAGE well beyond its origins as a small apparel operation. However, the company’s growth has largely come while maintaining its focus on nostalgia rather than attempting to compete directly with mass-market fashion brands.
HOMAGE’s current product range includes sports apparel, sweatshirts, hats and other merchandise tied to teams, athletes and cultural properties.
Ryan Vesler Wants HOMAGE to Become a Household Name
For Vesler, the next stage of growth is about recognition.
In an interview with Sportico, the HOMAGE founder said the company wants to surround itself with experienced people and learn from them as it expands. Vesler also said the goal is for HOMAGE to eventually become a household name.
That ambition represents a significant step from the company’s early identity as a Columbus-based brand.
HOMAGE already has customers outside Ohio and has developed licensing relationships that give the company access to much larger sports and entertainment audiences.
Major Sports and Entertainment Licensing Deals
Licensing has become an important part of HOMAGE’s expansion strategy.
Over the years, the company has established relationships with major sports organizations and entertainment properties, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Disney, WWE and Topps, according to CNBC Make It.
HOMAGE’s current website also features officially licensed products connected to properties such as Starter, Topps, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel and DC.
These partnerships allow HOMAGE to combine its recognizable vintage-inspired design style with established fan bases.
Instead of simply reproducing modern team merchandise, the company focuses on retro graphics, historical references and designs intended to evoke particular eras or memories.
Celebrity Exposure Helped Put HOMAGE on the Map
The brand has also benefited from high-profile celebrity and athlete exposure.
LeBron James helped increase HOMAGE’s visibility when he was photographed wearing one of the company’s shirts after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Championship. The shirt featured 1980s wrestling icon The Ultimate Warrior.
HOMAGE has also developed relationships with celebrities and athletes who have become investors.
The company’s investor group has included Ryan Reynolds, Jason Kelce and Kevin Durant, among others.
Jason Kelce’s involvement is particularly notable because HOMAGE has had a longstanding relationship with the Kelce brothers and their New Heights podcast.
Jason Kelce’s Investment Adds to HOMAGE’s Business Momentum
Jason Kelce invested in HOMAGE through Winnie Capital as part of a growth capital round announced in 2024.
HOMAGE said the investment group included Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, Rob McElhenney’s More Better, 35Ventures associated with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, Haslam Sports Group and other investors.
The company said the funding would support areas including production capabilities, its operating team, technology and marketing infrastructure, as well as expansion of its licensed product portfolio.
For HOMAGE, bringing in investors with backgrounds in sports, entertainment and consumer brands could provide additional expertise as it works toward broader recognition.
Nostalgia Remains at the Center of the Brand
One of HOMAGE’s defining characteristics is its use of nostalgia.
The company does not simply sell conventional team merchandise. Its designs often reference older athletes, historic teams, memorable moments and elements of popular culture.
That approach allows HOMAGE to appeal to customers who have a personal connection to a particular era or cultural moment.
Its official brand story emphasizes storytelling and memories alongside its apparel, positioning clothing as a way for customers to express connections to teams, players, cities, movies and other experiences.
For Vesler, that connection between personal memories and clothing has been central to the company’s identity since its earliest days.
From Columbus Startup to National Brand
HOMAGE’s growth also reflects Vesler’s effort to take a regional idea and build it into a national business.
The company remains closely connected to Columbus, where it was founded, but its licensing relationships and customer base have expanded significantly.
A 2024 Columbus Academy profile noted that roughly 70% of HOMAGE’s sales were coming from outside Ohio at the time, illustrating how the company had already moved beyond its local-market origins.
The company now describes itself as a brand built around sports, pop culture and nostalgia rather than simply an Ohio apparel company.
What Comes Next for HOMAGE?
The challenge for Vesler will be translating the company’s existing recognition into broader mainstream awareness.
HOMAGE has already crossed the $50 million annual revenue mark and built relationships with major sports leagues, entertainment properties and high-profile investors. Its next phase will involve expanding its reach while maintaining the distinctive vintage identity that helped create the brand.
The company also has room to expand its licensed merchandise portfolio and reach additional sports and entertainment audiences.
For Vesler, the household-name ambition therefore represents the next stage of a business journey that began with thrift-store finds, vintage sports memorabilia and an entrepreneurial interest in turning nostalgia into something consumers could wear.
Why HOMAGE’s Growth Matters for the Apparel Market
HOMAGE’s trajectory demonstrates how specialized apparel brands can build scale by focusing on identity and storytelling rather than competing solely on price or volume.
The company’s products connect sports fandom with fashion and nostalgia, creating a category that sits between traditional licensed merchandise and lifestyle clothing.
Its growing collection of licensing agreements gives the company access to established audiences, while its retro-inspired visual identity provides a consistent brand language across different properties.
As HOMAGE continues expanding, the balance between licensing, original design and brand identity will likely remain central to its strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is HOMAGE?
HOMAGE is a Columbus, Ohio-based apparel brand founded by Ryan Vesler in 2007. It creates vintage-inspired sports and pop-culture clothing and officially licensed merchandise.
2. Who founded HOMAGE?
Ryan Vesler founded HOMAGE in 2007 after developing an interest in vintage sports apparel and reselling vintage clothing while in college.
3. How much revenue did HOMAGE generate?
HOMAGE generated more than $50 million in revenue in 2024, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
4. What does Ryan Vesler want for HOMAGE?
Vesler has said that HOMAGE aspires to become a household name as the company expands its audience and develops its business.
5. What makes HOMAGE different?
HOMAGE combines vintage-inspired designs with licensed sports and entertainment properties, emphasizing nostalgia, storytelling and memorable cultural moments.
6. When was HOMAGE founded?
HOMAGE was founded in 2007 by Ryan Vesler in Columbus, Ohio.
7. Which sports leagues does HOMAGE work with?
HOMAGE has developed licensing relationships involving major sports properties including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, according to CNBC Make It.
8. Has Jason Kelce invested in HOMAGE?
Yes. Jason Kelce invested in HOMAGE through Winnie Capital as part of a growth capital round announced in 2024.
9. Who else has invested in HOMAGE?
The company’s investor group has included Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Durant, Jason Kelce and other investors from sports, entertainment and business.
10. What is the future goal of HOMAGE?
HOMAGE is looking to expand its reach and become a more widely recognized consumer brand while maintaining its vintage-inspired identity and focus on sports and pop culture.
