Jason Kelce continues to expand his business portfolio by collaborating with a buzzy apparel brand that hits close to home.
Kelce, 36, has invested in Ohio-based clothing brand Homage, the company announced this week. The Cleveland Heights native put his money down alongside new investors such as NBA star Kevin Durant and actor Rob McElhenney, among others.
“I’ve been a fan of Homage from the start because their designs bring back so many memories, from the things I grew up doing to the teams I’ve always rooted for,” Kelce said in a press release. “There’s a real sense of nostalgia in everything they do, and it resonates with me.”
Homage CEO Ryan Vesler gushed about the brand’s “incredible group” of new investors, while teasing what lies ahead.
“At Homage, we’ve always been focused on helping our customers ‘pay homage’ to the people, places, and moments that mean the most to them,” Vesler said in the press release. “We look forward to growing the Homage brand even further by tapping into our new investors’ strong cultural networks and unique strategic assets.”
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Vesler continued, “We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such dynamic individuals and companies in this exciting next chapter for Homage. We’re looking forward to the creativity, strategic insight, and energy they’ll bring to the brand, helping us grow in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago.”
Homage — which makes everything from jackets and sweaters to hats and underwear — previously landed an investment from actor Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Efforts investment firm in May.
As a result, a Deadpool-inspired line of men’s and women’s T-shirts was released in July to celebrate the release of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Homage also recently collaborated with Food Network personality Guy Fieri on his own line of Flavortown T-shirts, which give nods to the culinary delights of specific Major League Baseball and National Football League cities. For instance, a BBQ ribs T-shirt for the Kansas City Chiefs and a cheesesteak T-shirt for Kelce’s former team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kelce and Homage first linked up in 2022 when the brand began selling “New Heights” apparel, the podcast Kelce cohosts with his brother Travis Kelce.
In March, after Kelce announced his retirement after 13 years in the NFL, Homage released a limited-edition shirt featuring an image of the future Hall of Famer walking off the field. All proceeds from the shirt benefited a local Philadelphia charity.
The brand received a huge boost in April, when Travis’ girlfriend, Taylor Swift, wore an Homage “New Heights” hat to Coachella. According to Sandlot, who manufactures hats sold by Homage, Swift was responsible for the hats selling out, causing more than 8,000 hats to be purchased on back order.
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