More From LA Times On Apparel: SoCal Brands
September 8, 2008
The LA Times had another story on MMA apparel and the focus was on brands headquartered in the SoCal area. The main thrust of the article was the vast new product offerings we will be seeing in the next six months or so. Some Highlights from the article:
TapouT looks to be going full steam ahead with their licensing efforts, with their name being attached to an ever expanding line of items:
By November, fight fans will be able to buy three styles of footwear slathered in Tapout’s batwing-style logo, as well as chain-link-emblazoned bedding, beds, backpacks and baby clothes. Fans and competitors alike shouldn’t take their eyes off this Quiksilver of fight club culture. Tapout holds roughly 75% percent of the MMA-apparel market share
The Article gives a nice breakdown of the product mix over at Affliction, and details their varying revenue streams from their product lines. I’ll admit I didn’t realize they were so diversified in their offerings:
Tom Atencio, a former MMA fighter and vice president of Affliction Clothing, bristles at pigeon-holing it as a fight brand, stressing that only 20% to 25% of sales at the Seal Beach company come from MMA-related merchandise, with the rest from men’s and women’s denim, eyewear, shirts, footwear and accessories sold at stores such as Metropark, the Buckle and Nordstrom.
One More Round looks to be going down market, with the introduction of a lower-priced shirt. It remains to be seen if this will affect their brand identity. A brand like Affliction is identified with more high-end pricing, so such low end fare would tend to hurt their brand. It should be interesting to see if One More Round can successfully play both ends of the market without hurting the cash cow high end brands:
Now, after success selling hazy, charcoal gray, $66 screen-printed Ts and black, brass-button $119 wovens with copper foiling and appliques at Nordstrom’s Brass Rail and other places, One More Round is taking the fight in the other direction — to Tapout territory — with the launch of a lower-priced line called OMR by One More Round, with Ts starting at $20. “We’ve established ourselves at the boutique level, and now we’re trying to reach that core MMA customer that can’t necessarily afford a $39 T-shirt,” Baltutis says. The line hits stores in mid-November.
Tito Otiz’s Punishment is another brand that is looking to diversify their product line:
Punishment Athletics—Tito Ortiz, who held the Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight title, is founder, chief executive and de facto drill sergeant of Punishment….
Last week his Huntington Beach company unveiled its first foray into button-front woven shirts, and Ortiz says future seasons will build toward an entire Punishment wardrobe, including neckwear and denim.
