From the growth of 100 Thieves 
and its rapidly sold-out clothing drops to H4X’s recent move into Macy’s stores, gaming lifestyle and team-branded apparel has become a much larger focus in the industry of late. And Meta Threads helped lead that charge.
Founded in 2015, Meta Threads now produces jerseys and apparel for organizations such as Team Liquid , Team SoloMid , and NRG , and has collaborations with top streamers/influencers including Pokimane and Valkyrae. It wasn’t the first company started by CEO Steve Nabi and his business partners, who have been friends since childhood, he told The Esports Observer.
“We felt there was an opportunity to introduce a new perspective on gaming lifestyle apparel and improve on existing esports attire.”
“We’ve attempted to build a number of brands since high school, but mostly learned hard lessons through our failures,” said Nabi. “We spent the majority of our school nights in PC cafes and our weekends on the paintball field. It wasn’t until 2007 when we had a breakthrough year with our brand HK Army, Inc. Years of trial and error had paid off.”
HK Army began as a paintball-themed gear and apparel company, but has since expanded into a broader lifestyle brand with a wider array of clothing and accessories. Nabi and his team grew the business over the years by bringing manufacturing in-house and expanding distribution to more than 65 countries. They found success creating a brand inspired by one of those aforementioned childhood interests, and at the urging of friends and folks from headset maker Astro Gaming—now a business partner—they decided to pursue the other.
“We felt there was an opportunity to introduce a new perspective on gaming lifestyle apparel and improve on existing esports attire,” said Nabi.
Meta Threads’ jersey aesthetic was solidified early on, with its distinctive double-collar design helping the company—and teams who wear customized versions—stand out from the pack. Beyond the unique silhouette, Nabi also pointed to the collar’s additional spot for prominent logo placement. Organizations liked the look, as evidenced by Meta Threads’ 16 listed team partnerships on its website, but working with esports organizations in this rapidly-changing industry provides certain challenges.
“We specialize in custom cut/sewn garments, and in this industry, there are short timelines. We don’t have the luxury of seasonal production lead times,” he said. “That being said, we’ve learned to adapt and provide accelerated design and manufacturing for our clients. Most people would not believe the timeframes we typically have to output high-quality product. There are a multitude of changes that take place within an esports organization on a regular basis, ranging from roster changes, sponsor changes, last-minute events, etc… and we have to be prepared to deliver in these scenarios.”
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The company has gradually expanded its role in apparel partnerships, offering services such as inventory hosting, fulfillment, distribution, and web interactions. However, according to Nabi, the biggest thing that Meta Threads can offer organizations is the ability to be patient and roll with the punches, as well as ensure that partners are well-informed about the scope of manufacturing and design processes needed to produce the desired level of quality.
“We understand the amount of pressure our teams and their management are under in meeting deadlines and deliverables,” he said. “Sometimes that pressure can get passed on to us, but we always try to remain patient, educate our partners about processes, and help them meet their goals.”
“Gamers are in tune with mainstream fashion.”
Along with its collaboration with Astro Gaming, Meta Threads has also worked with electronic dance musician Deadmau5 and companies such as Microsoft Xbox and ASUS ROG to produce specialized apparel featuring their respective branding. Meta Threads also sells its own branded apparel, and debuts themed, limited-edition “capsule” clothing lines. The company sees an opportunity to reach discerning video game and esports fans that want to emulate their favorite players and streamers.
“Gamers are in tune with mainstream fashion,” said Nabi. “It shows in the apparel worn by esports athletes and influencers within the industry. Our goal has always been to elevate the apparel selection in the space by fusing our street style with gaming culture.”
Organizations know that putting together a great team is key to sustaining and expanding their brand, and Nabi said that more and more teams and influencers are getting hip to the idea that premium lifestyle apparel and accessories can also help build that cultural cachet and positive reputation.
“Fashion trends move at a fast pace and will continually cycle through various styles,” he said. “However, there is a positive macro theme we are noticing among premier teams and influencers, as they are starting to gravitate towards developing quality, custom garments and accessories. Not only does it bring value to their brand, but it creates a better experience for their fans.”
Want to hear more about the rise of esports and team-branded apparel? Steve Nabi will be a speaker at the HIVE esports business conference in Berlin on April 11, 2019. The first international esports business conference in Europe’s capital of esports. An unprecedented conference format featuring thought leaders of industries adjacent to esports sharing their insights. Click here to reserve your seat!
