Rhone Apparel Explained

Rhone Inc.
Industry:Textile
Founders:Nate Checketts, Carras Holmstead, Casey Edgar, Kyle McClure, Ben Checketts
Hq Location:484 Pacific St.
Hq Location City:Stamford
Hq Location Country:United States
Num Locations:14
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Nate Checketts (CEO), Ben Checketts (Creative Director)
Products:Activewear
Brands:Rhone, SilverTech, GoldFusion
Owners:-->
Num Employees:100
Num Employees Year:2023

Rhone Apparel (referred to as Rhone) is an American company producing and selling activewear.

History

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. In November 2015, Rhone generated 62% of its total annual revenue for 2014.[3]

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.[4] Since its inception, Rhone has raised a total of $6.2 million in funding.[5] In February 2016, the company acquired a building in Stamford, Connecticut to serve as its new headquarters.[6]

Profile and products

Rhone primarily manufactures and sells activewear. The company uses fabrics like organic cotton, recycled polyester, merino wool, and modal in their products. Many of the company's offerings include antimicrobial and breathable fabrics.[7] [8] Flatlock stitching, where the seams lie flat with edges of fabric butting together rather than folding together, is used to avoid chafing.

Historically focused on men's activewear, Rhone began selling a permanent line of women's activewear in April 2024,[9] after having offered temporary women's collections in the past.[10]

The company sometimes stitches or adheres inspirational messages onto its products, such as "Don't Die Without a Few Scars" or "What We Do in Life Echoes in Eternity."[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top Of The Line: Two New Canaan Football Graduates Looking To Make It Big In Men's Activewear . Dave Ruden . The Ruden Report . 28 July 2014 . 28 March 2016.
  2. Web site: Our Story . Rhone Apparel . 28 March 2016.
  3. Web site: Rhone Apparel Gets Into the Activewear Game . Bloomberg Business . 23 December 2015 . 28 March 2016.
  4. Web site: Move Over Lululemon, Rhone Is About To Take Over The Men's Activewear Market . Jason Belzer . Forbes . 11 November 2015 . 28 March 2016.
  5. Web site: Activewear retailer Rhone Apparel grows 500% in 2015 . Fareeha Ali . Internet Retailer . 13 January 2016 . 28 March 2016.
  6. News: Just for men: Rhone picks Stamford for new headquarters . Alexander Soule . Stamford Advocate . 3 February 2016 . 28 March 2016.
  7. Web site: Rhone Fabric Guide . 2024-05-06 . Rhone.
  8. Web site: Growing New Canaan startup to move to Stamford . News 12 Connecticut . 26 February 2016 . 28 March 2016.
  9. Web site: Dojc . Mike . Rhone Makes Bold Swing Into Womenswear With LPGA Partnership . 2024-05-07 . Forbes . en.
  10. Web site: Steele . Lauren . 2020-05-03 . Pioneering activewear brand Rhone (finally!) launched a women's collection . 2024-05-06 . Fast Company.
  11. Web site: Rhone Apparel Review . Dominic Bonvissuto . Jeans & Ties . 28 October 2014 . 28 March 2016.