First Ever

First Ever Pty Ltd. is an Australian manufacturing and apparel brand based in Melbourne. Established in 2018, it emerged from the Australian basketball ecosystem and initially operated as the National Basketball League's official sportswear and clothing manufacturer and supplier. During the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons, the company supplied apparel connected with the NBL, including uniforms and basketball-related clothing for teams and competitions across Australia. The brand was developed at a time when the NBL was seeking to expand basketball's visibility and cultural reach in Australia. Rather than functioning only as a conventional teamwear supplier, First Ever was conceived as an Australian ath-street label: a brand combining athletic clothing with casual fashion and elements of Melbourne's cultural identity. Its stated ambition was to create apparel that connected basketball culture with a wider community and to collaborate with sporting and fashion brands. First Ever's business included the production of basketball apparel, uniforms for grassroots clubs and elite teams, and clothing distributed under the First Ever name. The company also pursued a direct customization model. In August 2019 it introduced FE Custom, a service intended to let customers design and order basketball gear carrying First Ever branding, with fulfillment planned within 10 days. This initiative positioned the company not only as a league and team supplier but also as a provider of customizable sportswear. The company had a social-development element in its stated commercial objectives. Justin Kestelman, identified in the source material as an owner associated with First Ever and the NBL, said that a portion of every uniform jersey would be donated to programs supporting the future development of Australian basketball. This linked uniform sales with grassroots participation and sport-development goals. First Ever's initial NBL apparel partnership ended after the 2019–20 season. On 12 March 2020, the NBL announced that Champion would replace First Ever as its official apparel partner for the 2020–21 season. First Ever nevertheless remained associated with Australian sportswear manufacturing through its role as the official manufacturer for Softball Australia's national teams, a relationship described as continuing in the available reference material from 2019 onward. The brand's known scope is therefore concentrated in Australian sportswear rather than broad international fashion retail. Its principal areas are team uniforms, basketball clothing, customizable club gear, and ath-street apparel influenced by Melbourne and basketball culture. Publicly available information is limited regarding its current corporate structure, retail footprint, product range beyond sportswear, financial performance, and present operating scale.

First Ever Pty Ltd. was established in Melbourne in 2018 as an Australian sportswear and clothing manufacturing company. Its origin was closely connected to the National Basketball League's efforts to grow basketball's presence across Australia. In its initial phase, First Ever served as the NBL's official apparel manufacturer and supplier, producing basketball-related clothing and supplying uniforms for elite teams and grassroots clubs. The brand was intended to occupy a space between conventional sports teamwear and casual fashion. Its concept of ath-street clothing drew on the combination of athletic apparel, streetwear, basketball culture, and Melbourne heritage. The company's stated goal was to inspire, style, create, and collaborate with sporting and fashion brands, including the NBL, rather than limit itself to basic uniform production. Justin Kestelman, identified as an owner in the available reference material, described a commercial and community-oriented objective for the company. First Ever planned to contribute part of the proceeds from each uniform jersey to programs supporting the future development of Australian basketball. This approach connected the sale of branded uniforms with participation and development at the grassroots level. In August 2019, First Ever expanded its offering through FE Custom. The service was designed to let customers customize basketball gear and order products carrying the First Ever logo. The announced fulfillment target was 10 days, suggesting an effort to make customized teamwear more accessible to clubs and other customers. First Ever's NBL role covered the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. On 12 March 2020, the league announced that Champion would become its official apparel partner for the 2020–21 season, replacing First Ever. The change ended the brand's reported position as the NBL's official apparel supplier, although it did not necessarily mark the end of the company's broader manufacturing activity. The company also became the licensed official manufacturer for Softball Australia's national teams, with the relationship described in the reference material as beginning in 2019 and continuing. This gave First Ever a second significant Australian sporting association outside basketball. The available record does not provide detailed information about First Ever's current sales channels, workforce, financial performance, ownership structure beyond the Kestelman association, or the extent of its consumer retail business. Its documented identity remains that of an Australian sportswear manufacturer and brand focused on uniforms, basketball apparel, customization, and ath-street clothing.

1. 2020NBL names Champion as successor apparel partner

   The NBL announces Champion as its apparel partner for the 2020–21 season, replacing First Ever.

   Source
2. 2019Softball Australia manufacturing relationship begins

   First Ever is identified as the official manufacturer for Softball Australia's national teams.

   Source
3. 2019FE Custom is unveiled

   The company launches a customization initiative for branded basketball gear, with a stated 10-day shipping target.

   Source
4. 2018First Ever is established

   First Ever Pty Ltd. is established in Melbourne as an Australian sportswear and clothing manufacturer.

   Source
5. 2018NBL apparel partnership begins

   First Ever begins producing basketball apparel and supplying uniforms for the NBL and associated Australian clubs and teams.

   Source

An Australian ath-street and sportswear brand combining basketball culture, team apparel, customization, and Melbourne-inspired design.

• Basketball team uniformsTeamwear2018

  First Ever produced basketball uniforms for elite NBL teams and grassroots clubs in Australia. The documented offering formed the core of the company's early relationship with the NBL and connected its manufacturing business with both professional competition and community-level participation.

• FE CustomCustom sportswear2019

  FE Custom was introduced as a service allowing customers to customize and order basketball gear branded with the First Ever logo. The service was presented as a faster, more accessible route to personalized team apparel, with an announced fulfillment target of 10 days.

• Ath-street clothingSportswear and streetwear2018

  First Ever's ath-street range combined sportswear with casual clothing and drew inspiration from basketball culture, Melbourne, and the city's cultural heritage. The concept was intended to extend the brand beyond functional uniforms into lifestyle apparel.

• Softball Australia national-team apparelTeamwear2019

  First Ever is documented as the official manufacturer for Softball Australia's national teams. The available reference material identifies this as an ongoing relationship, but does not provide a detailed product catalogue or later contract terms.

• 2019FE Custom

  Australia

  First Ever introduced FE Custom to let customers design and order customized basketball gear featuring the First Ever identity.

  Outcome. The available material records the launch and a stated 10-day shipping target, but does not report adoption, sales, or longer-term results.

  Source

• 2020NBL apparel partnership transitions to ChampionStrategy

  First Ever's documented NBL apparel role covered the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons.

  What changed. The NBL announced Champion as its official apparel partner for the 2020–21 season, replacing First Ever.

  Aftermath. First Ever lost its official NBL apparel-partner position but remained associated in the available material with Softball Australia's national-team manufacturing.

  Source
• 2019Launch FE CustomProduct launch

  The company sought to make branded and personalized basketball apparel available directly to customers and teams.

  What changed. First Ever launched a customization service for basketball gear with a stated delivery target of 10 days.

  Aftermath. No public information in the supplied material records the service's commercial performance or continued availability.

  Source
• 2018Develop an Australian ath-street sportswear brandStrategy

  The business was created to address a perceived gap for an innovative Australian brand connected with basketball while also appealing to the broader community.

  What changed. First Ever combined sportswear manufacturing and team uniforms with lifestyle clothing influenced by Melbourne and basketball culture.

  Aftermath. The positioning gave the company a consumer-facing identity beyond league supply, although the available sources do not quantify its retail performance.

  Source

• 2020Champion announced as successor to First Ever as NBL apparel partner

  The NBL announced that Champion would replace First Ever as its official apparel partner for the 2020–21 season, ending First Ever's reported league apparel partnership after the 2019–20 season.

  Leadership changeM&AOther
  Source
• 2019First Ever introduces FE Custom basketball gear service

  The company unveiled FE Custom, a service designed to allow customers to customize and order basketball apparel carrying the First Ever brand, with stated delivery within 10 days.

  Product launchCampaign
  Source
• 2018First Ever launches as an NBL-associated Australian sportswear brand

  First Ever began producing basketball-related apparel and supplying uniforms to grassroots clubs and elite NBL teams in Australia.

  Product launchOther
  Source

1. First Ever