Mizzen+Main
![]() | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (September 2018) |
File:Mizzen+Main logo.png | |
Founded | 2012 |
---|---|
Founder | Kevin Lavelle |
Headquarters | , U.S.A. |
Key people | Kevin Lavelle, CEO |
Products | Performance menswear |
Website | mizzenandmain |
Mizzen and Main (styled Mizzen+Main) is an American clothing company that specializes in performance menswear: performance fabric dress shirts, blazers, jeans, and casual shirts online and in United States retailers,[1] i .[2][3] Launched in 2012 with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the firm has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Men's Health, ESPN and MSNBC.[4][5]
Mizzen+Main has been endorsed by several professional athletes like Phil Mickelson and NFL player David Vobora, in exchange for a share in the company and additional payments.[6]
History
Mizzen+Main was co-founded in 2012 by Kevin Lavelle who served as the company CEO until stepping down in April 2019.[7] Chris Phillips, formerly head of men's clothing at Stitch Fix, became CEO of Mizzen+Main in April 2019.[8]
Lavelle,a graduate of Southern Methodist University, worked as a management consultant.[9] The idea for the firm's signature product, a fabric performance dress shirt, originated in 2005 when he was in Washington D.C. as an intern.[1] He has said that he noticed sweat stains on the shirt of a congressional staffer, leading to the idea of producing a moisture-wicking dress shirt similar to the capabilities of athletic clothing.[10] He experimented with numerous fabrics, before finding a combination that became the first prototype.[5] The company officially launched in July 2012.[11]
The firm was initially self-funded but later received an investment from several angel investors.[4] It began by selling its products online and adding boutiques that carried the products in large stores.[11] The brand made wholesale retail a part of its distribution strategy, partnering with men's specialty stores and golf pro shops.[12] The initial offering included two dress shirt designs. In 2013, it caught the eye of executives from Saks Fifth Avenue, [13] and was invited to be one of two pop-up stores inside of Saks' New York store as part of Super Bowl XLVIII weekend.[14] [13] In the summer of 2014, the firm raised an additional round of capital from a variety of investors, [15][4]
Endorsements
In September 2015, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt signed an endorsement deal with the company in return for an undisclosed equity share of the business.[16] In July 2017, J.J. Watt and Mizzen+Main launched "The J.J. Watt Collection,"[17] a clothing line "that includes eight pieces ranging from polos to dress shirts."[18] In April 2018, golfer Phil Mickelson wore a Mizzen+Main's long-sleeve dress shirts while playing in a golf tournament, part of an agreement with the company in which he received an undisclosed stake in Mizzen+Main as well as cash.[19][20]
Products
Some Mizzen+Main products are manufactured in the United States with a portion of each sale being donated to charities and programs for veterans.[9] Its product line includes moisture-wicking and wrinkle free shirts as well as men's blazers and jeans.[4] [21]
References
- ^ a b Ramsey, Raya (June 2014). "Mizzen+Main's 'Co Sweat' Success". D Magazine. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "Stocklists". Mizzen+Main official website. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "Bringing Shirt-Making Back To America, One High-Tech Button-Down At A Time". Fast Company. October 26, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Kolodny, Lora (28 August 2014). "Mizzen+Main Raises $1.2M for Clothes That Look Upscale, Feel Athletic". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ a b Teeman, Tim (18 December 2013). "A No-Sweat Work Shirt? No Sweat". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "How a $0 Marketing Budget Bought a Fortune in Athlete Endorsements". AdWeek. June 30, 2015.
- ^ "Mizzen+Main CEO to step down to fight 'crony capitalism' with Koch-funded policy group". Dallas News. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ Thomas, Lauren (2019-04-11). "Stitch Fix's head of men's clothing is leaving to become CEO of online retailer Mizzen+Main". CNBC. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ a b Ward, Patricia. "SMU Alumni Name To '40 Under 40' Business Leaders List". Southern Methodist University. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Zak, David (20 September 2013). "So Long, Pit Stains: This 'Performance Dress Shirt' Eliminates Your Sweat Problem". Fast Company. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ a b Cho, Hannah; Gales, Arsella (15 March 2014). "Dallas Becomes A Mini Hub of Fashion and E-commerce Startups". Dallas News. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Danziger, Pamela N. "Why Digitally Native Menswear Fashion Brand Mizzen+Main Made Wholesale Retail Part Of Its Distribution Strategy". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
- ^ a b Eaton, Dan (27 January 2014). "Mizzen & Main getting Super Bowl showcase". Columbus Business Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Heine, Christopher (26 January 2014). "Marketers Are Pushing Hard to Be Seen at This Year's Super Bowl". AdWeek. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Cho, Hanah (28 August 2014). "$1.2 million capital for new Design District digs, fulfillment center and showroom". Dallas News. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "J.J. Watt, shirtmaker Mizzen+Main strike endorsement deal". ESPN. September 16, 2015.
- ^ "J.J. Watt debuts menswear collection with Dallas-based Mizzen+Main". Houston Chronicle. July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Mizzen + Main + NFL Star JJ Watt = Your Next Shirt". Men's Journal. September 1, 2017.
- ^ "Phil Mickelson to endorse, wear shirt brand he popularized at Masters". ESPN. May 9, 2018.
- ^ "The reason why Phil Mickelson was wearing a dress shirt at The Players Championship". USA Today. May 10, 2018.
- ^ Eaton, Dan (10 December 2013). "Online dress shirt retailer Mizzen & Main experimenting with Short North showroom". Columbus Business Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2015.