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an advertisement. (July 2019) |
Industry | Textile |
---|---|
Founded | 2014 |
Founders | Nate Checketts, Carras Holmstead, Casey Edgar, Kyle McClure, Ben Checketts |
Headquarters | 484 Pacific St., , |
Number of locations | 14 |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nate Checketts ( CEO), Ben Checketts ( Creative Director) |
Products | Men's sportswear (activewear) |
Brands | Rhone, SilverTech, GoldFusion |
Number of employees | 100 (2023) |
Website | rhone.com |
Rhone Apparel (referred to simply as Rhone) is an American company producing and selling men's activewear.
Rhone is a company that was founded in 2014 in New Canaan, Connecticut by brothers Nate and Ben Checketts, Casey Edgar, Kyle McClure and Carras Holmstead. [1] The company's name is inspired by the river and region in France with the same name, known for its historical significance and aesthetic beauty. [2]
Initially launched as a web-only retailer, Rhone later partnered with Bloomingdale's in November 2014, expanding its sales to five locations. In 2015, the company's products were stocked in a total of 127 locations, including retailers such as Nordstrom, Equinox, and CorePower Yoga. [3] In November 2015, Rhone generated 62% of its total annual revenue for 2014. [4]
In September 2015, Rhone announced the closing of a $5 million Series A financing round, with investments from individuals in sports, media, and fashion industries. [5] Since its inception, Rhone has raised a total of $6.2 million in funding. [3] In February 2016, the company acquired a building in Stamford to serve as its new headquarters. [6]
Rhone is a clothing line for men aged between 25-50, who have an active lifestyle. It uses sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, recycled polyester, merino wool, and modal.[ citation needed]
The company's product line aims to distinguish itself from brands like Lululemon, Nike, and Under Armour [5] by claiming that it uses superior materials in order to create clothes that last longer than the average product.[ citation needed]
Research on antimicrobial fabrics, the founders discovered that weaving silver into cloth created permanent antibacterial and anti-odorant protection. [7][ citation needed] Silver thread is woven into many of the company's products. [8]
The company sometimes stitches inspirational messages onto its products, such as "Don't Die Without a Few Scars" or "What We Do in Life Echoes in Eternity." [9] Flatlock stitching, where the seams lie flat with edges of fabric butting together rather than folding together, is used to avoid chafing. [4] The Polartec Power Dry patented construction creates a fabric that is quick wicking to improve breathability and performance. [5]
Style names come from masculine icons like Durden after "Fight Club" character Tyler Durden [10] or Mako after the shark from The Old Man and the Sea. [1]