Ellesse is an Italian sport apparel company originally founded in Umbria, Italy in 19 June 1959 . It has been owned by British Pentland Group since 1987.ellesse, founded in 1959, changed sportswear forever by bringing tailoring techniques to sporting apparel for the first time.The Italian brand ,now owned by the British company Pentland, first started out in ski-wear but has since gone on to establish itself as a true sportswear force in Europe and beyond, having announced its re-entry into the North American market with a special Fall 2018 collection of apparel and footwear.Once a favored brand of UK casuals in the '80s, these days, the ‘semi-palla’ or ‘half-ball’ logo — which represented two tips of a pair of skis and a section of a tennis ball — can be seen widespread, worn proudly by everyone from ravers and fashionistas to tennis players at Wimbledon.