As working habits have changed over the last five or six years, so have our wardrobes. Nowhere is this more apparent than in menswear. The suit used to be everyday attire but now, largely thanks to the rise of hybrid and at home working, it is being shunned in favour of more comfortable attire. That there’s been a huge rise in the sports and leisurewear market is not surprising.

This is not an entirely new concept but whereas the market was once dominated by the big global brands, start-ups and smaller brands have now taken significant market share from the big players. Gymshark has been the big success story showing that there is an appetite for new sports brands.

Yorkshire-based Jonathan Mitchell is a freelance fashion designer and has been at the forefront of sportswear design for decades, working for the likes of Puma, Adidas and Umbro. 

Born in Brighton, he studied fashion at the university before moving to London and taking a position with Moss Bros, where he worked in a small formalwear design studio on Bond Street.

“Everything felt exciting at that time but I still wanted to work in streetwear and sportswear,” recalls Jonathan. “At university most people were making wacky catwalk pieces and were really into designer brands, but I was making skatewear and printing tees. I grew up wearing tracksuits and playing sport – the brands I loved were Adidas and Stussy.”

Keen to pursue this passion for sportswear, Jonathan took a position at Bench before being headhunted by Puma, which saw him move to Nuremberg in Germany.

“I feel far more at home designing sportswear and activewear,” he adds. “I love technical details and performance fabrics. When I talk about high fashion labels, I sometimes feel slightly out of my depth. Performance product just feels natural to me.”

During his time at Puma, Jonathan led the design of core sportswear and active ranges that became the foundation of their global apparel business, with collections consistently selling over six million units per season. He also designed official fanwear for the Italian Football Federation during their 2006 World Cup win and for Renault during their F1 title-winning season. 

“Puma was a great experience; I love sport and Germany is a brilliant place to live,” says Jonathan. “Many of us had moved there for work, so we built a strong community. I learnt a lot about different global markets and how product translates across regions. Everywhere I travelled I saw people wearing products I designed, it was a great feeling.” 

Jonathan initially set up his own business in 2008, launching his own label – Sloth – in 2010 before returning to full-time employment.

“I learnt that I did not know as much as I thought I did,” he explains. “When I left Puma in 2008 I was a senior designer and had progressed quickly. I had been training to move into a design manager role in Asia, but the direction of the company changed.

“It quickly became clear that while my design skills were strong, I had a lot to learn about business. I worked on some interesting freelance projects for Adidas, designing a David Beckham Collection and working on the 2012 Olympics products.”

During this team Jonathan worked as an activewear designer at Umbro, designing football kits and training for Everton, West Ham United and PSV Eindhoven, alongside performance collections. He also held positions as a ski outerwear designer at Dare2b and a denim designer at Next Sourcing.

It was not until 2017 that Jonathan revisited the idea of going it alone and after relocating to Marsden near Huddersfield, he set up J Mitchell Design, which supports start-ups and global brands by turning ideas into real products ready for market. 

“I specialise in sportswear, streetwear and activewear, and I enjoy working with niche brands targeting specific communities or performance areas,” he says. “My team supports me with design development, sourcing and product development. Together we offer a full service, from concept and creative direction through to sampling and manufacturing. There is a lot of demand from brands wanting to tap into my 20-plus years of experience, so it keeps me busy.”

Since setting up nine years ago, J Mitchell Design was named Best Men’s Fashion Design Studio UK in 2019 and was a finalist at the FSB Small Business Awards in 2023.

Jonathan has worked with global brands likes Dare2b, Ellesse and Ecko Unltd as well as start-ups including Reflo Golfwear and Equidae London. Between 2022 and 2024 he was Head of Design at Uncommon Ltd, where he worked on motorsport apparel and designed for top Formula E teams like Envision and Maserati. He now mainly works with clients in the north of England but also collaborates with brands across Europe, the US and the Middle East. 

Travel has been a huge influence on Jonathan’s work but he’s now very settled in this part of Yorkshire, which offers easy access to the likes of Leeds and Manchester.

“My partner was living in Bradford and I was working in Manchester designing football kits for Umbro,” Jonathan recounts. “We wanted to move in together. I had no real ties up north, but her family were based across West Yorkshire.

“We explored different places that were commutable for me and still close enough for her family. One day we visited Marsden, had lunch at The Riverside and went for a walk around the reservoir. We loved it. After a few more visits we found a house and decided to take the leap.

“It was a bit of a gamble as we didn’t know much about the area, but it was one of the best decisions I have made. We have lived here for 11 years now. Marsden still feels slightly untouched compared to surrounding villages.”

Jonathan still retains a sporty outlook, though not the football and athletics of his youth but now walking, hiking and the odd swim when he can. 

With the World Cup coming up later this summer, will Jonathan have an eye on the apparel as much as the football?

“Of course!” he laughs. “I always enjoy seeing what everyone is doing and how design approaches evolve from when I worked on the kits and products. I definitely have opinions on what works and what doesn’t.”

Looking to the future, Jonathan aims to continue to grow J Mitchell Design and is naturally moving towards larger commissions and more structured projects. He enjoys working directly with sports teams, independent brands, capsule collections for non-fashion businesses and ambitious start-ups.

Although he’s not too au faix with social media, he does use LinkedIn to connect with a large community of designers and also runs a series called ‘90 Second Interviews’.

“It’s a fascinating space where creativity and business collide,” he beams. To find out more, click here.