Gen Z stewardship: How 23-year-old Alexei Hamblin is repositioning Slazenger for a new era

At just 23, Alexei Hamblin is steering one of British sport’s most storied names into a new era. As the young designer and entrepreneur overseeing the transformation of Slazenger under the umbrella of Frasers Group, Hamblin is tasked with modernising a 140-year-old heritage brand without losing the legacy that made it iconic, exploring everything from its long-standing ties to Wimbledon to its deep roots in racquet sports.

Central to his strategy is cultural relevance. On TikTok, Hamblin has built a following by demystifying fashion and sport for younger audiences, breaking down everything from brand history to manufacturing in a way that feels accessible rather than institutional. That same direct-to-consumer approach is informing Slazenger’s repositioning: heritage reframed through a digital-native lens.

Next to product, the brand is doubling down on sport itself, most notably through an ambitious expansion into padel. With plans to open more than 10 new Slazenger Padel clubs across the UK in 2026, totalling around 150 courts nationwide, and a high-profile presence at the Hexagon Cup in Madrid, Slazenger is staking claim in one of the country’s fastest growing sports.

For Hamblin, by delving further into Slazenger’s historic ties, particularly during a period in which the intersection of sports and luxury is becoming increasingly intertwined, there is more than just commercial opportunity. It’s a chance to reassert Slazenger as a living, breathing performance brand that plays as confidently on the court as it does on social feeds.

Speaking to FashionUnited, Hamblin shares his approach to reinventing such a historic name; from gauging demand and feedback through social media to reimagining sporting heritage for the Gen Z consumer.

Firstly, why Slazenger? What motivated you to join the brand on this transformation journey and what opportunities did you envision when initially taking on the project?

Slazenger has always been an interesting brand to me. I won’t lie and say it was my childhood dream to work with the brand; but from socks to massive tennis ball footballs, it was a brand that was always present in my life. I’d only ever know the brand in the context of cheap, often poor quality sportswear I’d worn for PE. This was all until I decided to run a series on TikTok, where I take old sports brands and reimagine them as modernised luxury brands.

I’ve always been fascinated with branding, and when I dug into what Slazenger first meant, I became obsessed. It’s a brand that has such poor perception today, but was once considered elite. With the rise of tennis’ crossover into luxury fashion the past few years, I knew a brand with genuine heritage and excellence needed to be in this conversation.

Virtually my whole generation never really knew what Slazenger meant and the powerhouse it once was in the 1900s. This presented a huge opportunity. We’ve seen with countless brands (Umbro, New Balance, Champion etc.) that creating new meanings and connections with a generation that had little prior understanding of them can carve out a whole new space and fanbase for the brand.

As part of its history and with the right strategy, Slazenger was naturally able to sit alongside top brands today. Especially at a time where ‘Britishness’ feels fractured, and many people in my generation (and others) feel like they’re losing reasons to be truly proud of our heritage – Slazenger is a prime example of honest, British excellence.

How are you balancing honouring that deep sporting heritage with making the brand feel relevant today? What were your first steps in this process?

Before I took this project on, I was among the people critiquing Slazenger for where it was today. Typically, the first step would be to jump in and show people the cool things the brand used to do, but I didn’t see the point in ignoring the current public sentiment.

From there, I’ve fully immersed myself in the history. I’ve watched hours of 1940s documentaries produced by Slazenger, and scoured hundreds of archival newspaper articles and adverts. I’ve tried to understand what the brand was; literally and symbolically.

Further, the great grandson of Albert Slazenger was shown my videos and reached out straight away. I had a long phone call with him, learning the ins and outs of not only the brand, but also family feuds, management problems and early strategies that took the brand from a small sports equipment company to a national giant.

"The new vision focuses on the symbolism and sentiment the brand once had, and how that same feeling would look today,"

Who are you envisioning as its end consumer?

I’m working on heavily embedding the brand into Gen Z culture across lifestyle and sport, targeting fashion-forward consumers who care about wellness, sport and transparency. I want to position it seamlessly alongside the brands intersecting the luxury and streetwear spaces. I’ve also seen the excitement of older generations who knew Slazenger in its prime, and I’d like to think the rebrand will be approachable to them too.

What has it been like working with Frasers Group on the transformation? How does the partnership shape the creative decisions you’re able to make?

It’s been a really exciting experience, I wasn’t expecting such an appetite for change. By pure coincidence, my series of reimagining [Frasers’] brands came at the same time that Michael Murray, their CEO, had been changing internal structures to start elevating their own brands. Complete stroke of fate, but it meant they were hungry for new ideas and they were very receptive to my vision.

On the creative front, they’ve only supported my ideas and allowed me to explore exactly where I think the brand should be going. Of course, the commercial bottom line is a huge part of their business model, as is the case with any clothing business – so balancing creativity and new ways of thinking with commercial viability has been the only slight hurdle. Other than that, having access to the resources they have, so early in my career, has pushed me to explore the meaning and potential of my creative direction further.

What have been some of the most important learning milestones for you while working within a conglomerate of Frasers Group’s scale?

I’ve worked on projects with large conglomerates before, but few with this much creative control and scope. In a project of this scale, with so many departmental stakeholders, I’ve had to explain my ideas and vision in very different terms to align everyone across design, manufacturing, commercial, financial, marketing, etc. My background working with many different brands on different facets of their business equipped me well for this.

You also shared brief details on TikTok from your initial meeting with the team at Frasers. What do you think they learnt from you in turn?

I’d like to think they learnt that a brand doesn’t just need to be one definitive idea. Brands are built in people’s minds and hearts, and putting the time and effort into creating meanings and following through with them can bring in new customer groups that previously were thought of as impossible to reach with certain business units.

You document your process through social media, while also using these platforms to educate people about fashion history and sustainability. Can you talk me through your journey on social media and how it has become integral to your career in the fashion industry?

Truthfully, I started TikTok back in 2022 as a ‘Hail Mary’ to save my own clothing brand I was active with at the time, River God. I’d poured tons of money into digital ads, pop-ups, press, and the brand just wasn’t shifting. I never felt it was a problem with the products and core, but more so with the right awareness. I’d completely run out of cash and knew brands were starting to use TikTok to promote themselves. I hated the idea of putting my face, my voice and my candid beliefs out there, but I had to give it a go.

"The gap between high-level business and independent designers is massively shrinking. The gatekeepers who kept the industry locked for years are eroding,"

Both TikTok and Instagram are crucial tools these days, they’ve broken down all the barriers that existed before. If you have the right ideas, attitude and delusion – these platforms can support you in quickly finding the people who align with what you’re doing. Now, instead of having an idea, finding where to produce it, perfecting it, styling it and shooting it, and praying a publication might feature it, you can whack out your phone, show some mockups and build/gauge demand before investing too much time and money into something that might not land.

Looking back at your own career and evolution as a designer, what’s one lesson from your early days on TikTok that you’ve brought into your current roles?

Funnily enough, dealing with hate. For designers, it’s a delicate industry and incredibly hard to show work you’ve put your soul into when there’s the risk people won’t like it. Naturally, as is the case with mass reach, I’ve dealt with years of hate and abuse against my work, and this meant I had to learn how to deal with public critique early. It led to me being able to separate my personality from my work when in environments of feedback and view my designs for what their intentions are, not as a reflection of what I mean as a person.

This is likely why I’ve been able to walk into such high-stakes pitches, like with Frasers, to show my designs and vision without any nerves. Likewise having millions of people viewing my work and ideas doesn’t stress me out at all, it just gives me more fuel to keep improving.

How has this public exploration shaped your own perspective as a designer, particularly one working with established brands?

It quickly made me understand the importance of stewardship. Being entrusted with brands and IP that have a lot of meaning to a lot of people requires much more care than working with startups with no historic meaning. I think it’s important to respect that, but just using subtle referencing here and there.

You shared a candid sampling video of initial Slazenger designs and asked for real-time feedback. How does social engagement shape your design decisions and how far does it go in informing the final product?

It’s very important to take a balanced approach here. With the reach I’ve been getting lately, the debate opens up to thousands of people with a wide range of taste. The wrong approach would be trying to cater to them all; you’d end up with something flat and confusing. I read and engage with as many comments and DMs as I can to understand people’s tastes further. It’s an important tool to see which styles are resonating and which certainly aren’t.

At the end of the day, I will always stick to my original vision, but having a wider pool of ideas and references I may have missed helps the design process become more informed. The most important aspect for this brand – which for a long-time felt forgotten, with little customer centricity – is making the project feel like a process that everyone can have their say in and feel heard, at the least.

The line between streetwear and sportswear has become increasingly blurred over the past decade. Do you think that blending has peaked, or is there a next wave of hybrid identity on the horizon?

I think we’re just getting started. Streetwear has always reflected the identity of the youth as trends have shifted and changed. Today, more and more young people are putting huge emphasis on wellness and fitness. Uptake in sports and gyms have been massive and as seen on social media, many people make their whole identity the sports or exercise they practice.

Sports naturally come with deep meanings and histories that people can wear as badges of identity. This sits nicely with the fundamentals of streetwear. As the lives of young people increasingly intertwine with exercise, more want to look fresh whilst they do it. I think what we’ve seen the past few years is proof, not a fad.

How much is that influencing your approach to tackling the transformation of a brand so rooted in sportswear heritage?

It was all part of the original vision. This isn’t a rebrand for rebrand’s sake – it’s understanding the patterns of what my generation wants and understanding that Slazenger could and should be part of this.

"This isn’t a rebrand for rebrand’s sake – it’s understanding the patterns of what my generation wants,"

From a design perspective, I’ve been looking at a lot of vintage kits – from tennis to cricket to athletics – and reworking these in materials typically associated with fashion. I’m trying to find the intersection between the direction modern fashion is going and the cultural weight of these historic kits, so it clearly reflects the associated sporting heritage but can be worn seamlessly alongside current trends. That’s all I’ll give away for now.

When you look at iconic products from Slazenger’s past, from tennis balls to classic puffer jackets, which do you feel has the strongest potential for reinvention in today’s market and why?

The knitwear has been my favourite of the brand’s products to explore. Whilst the odd reference from sporting equipment will pop up, knitwear is such a symbolic part of early British sports that it feels crucial to bring back to life. Especially today in Britain, knitwear is growing fast in both casual fashion and streetwear.

A lot of the hottest streetwear brands right now are releasing experimental and classic knitwear collections, and people are absolutely loving them. You won’t be seeing classic V-neck jumpers just yet, as I’m not dipping into the archives and directly bringing back old products. I’m trying to embody the mindset of the designers back then, and what they’d do with today’s trends and manufacturing advancements.

Sustainability is increasingly becoming an expected addition to apparel, and is a topic you often touch on through your content. In the context of sports heritage and streetwear, what sustainability shifts are you most excited about in design and manufacturing?

Sustainability has always been a strange one for me to grasp. My beliefs on best practices have changed a lot over the years as a result of deep research and experience. Whilst new materials with more eco-friendly and recycled fibres are popping up, I’ve always felt that adding new product to the world will inevitably always have its consequences.

The main thing I’ve found exciting when out in China is how many factories are now changing their operations to offer much lower quantity orders, still at solid pricing and great quality. This allows us to focus on tighter releases, market test ideas without being left with tonnes of unsold stock, and focus on making products that will last far longer, reducing the need for overconsumption.

Perspective is also important. I firmly believe with fashion being so identity- and psychologically-led, that the biggest advances to sustainability are in new methods of building perceived value to people. When a product holds more emotional weight and connection, people are far more likely to keep it, care for it properly and avoid replacing it. This is a huge part of my mission for Slazenger; making high-quality products and stories that people feel so connected to, to increase the long-term usage and life-cycle of the products.

What are some of the misconceptions heritage brands may have about what Gen Z and Gen Alpha look for in sportswear? Where are they missing opportunities?

Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t want more, they want curation. We’re living in smaller spaces and on smaller budgets. Our generation wants highly-curated, high-quality products and would rather pay more for them, than several low quality products. These generations have a much higher susceptibility to corporate greed and inauthenticity too, having grown up in a world faced with so many adverts. People want to feel heard. They want community through real-life events, human connection and groups with collective ambitions.

"Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t want more, they want curation,"

Retro for retro’s sake is losing its meaning for Gen Z too. Major brands that have been around for a long time have been overcompensating for retro-inspired trends to the point where it has completely lost meaning.

How are you hoping to mitigate this with Slazenger?

What I’m pushing for Slazenger is to re-anchor the brand’s heritage in a meaningful way and push it forward. Taking influence from historic styles, but challenging what they should mean today and how they can be presented.

There are so many brands, brands I’d also love to work with someday, that have such incredible histories that just chuck out remakes from their hey-days and wonder why they aren’t creating any lasting sentiment in our generation. A deeper understanding of how my generation consumes and behaves is needed to create an understanding of what parts of a brand’s heritage should be spotlighted and what should be culled.

As you mentioned, these consumers are also becoming more attuned to authenticity and narrative. How do you think that is reshaping the DNA of heritage brands like Slazenger?

Sporting credibility and cultural currency go hand in hand. The ‘in group vs out’ group’ split created by opposing teams naturally rewards the winner with higher status. A good way of thinking about it is the classic joke around Andy Murray – when he wins, he’s British; when he loses, he’s Scottish. Everyone wants to be a part of something, and success in sport offers that wider connection.

When it comes to Slazenger, an important thing is reminding people of how influential the brand was in globally-exported British sports. Even beyond golf, tennis and cricket, not many people know that Slazenger was involved in England’s best-ever football moment; the match ball that Geoff Hurst scored his hat trick with in the 1966 World Cup was a Slazenger ball.

Like I said, with the fractured feeling of Britishness today, Slazenger serves as a reminder of how influential Britain was in global sport, and I’d like to think with the campaigns and engagement moving forward, I can remind people of that feeling.

We need to acknowledge that while Slazenger hasn’t had much influence in recent years, it still holds the longest sporting sponsorship in history, with the official Wimbledon match ball as a signal of British sporting excellence. This will be the basis for the rebuild as new sports are explored and existing ties are made stronger and deeper.