THAT’S BUSINESS

LR designer launches new line of men’s suits

Jamie Davidson thinks The Independent is tailor made for his new line of men’s suits and sport coats.

That’s why Davidson, a Little Rock-based designer of men’s clothing, premiered his Strong Suit line Thursday evening at The Independent at 3608 Kavanaugh Blvd. The debut doubled as a benefit for Our House, which assists the working homeless.

“If I were starting a store, I’d do it exactly that way,” Davidson said of The Independent, which opened in September 2012.

Davidson will be offering his suits and coats in “15 of the best specialty stores” around the country, mostly in Southern cities.

The cities, he says, are secondary to the stores.

“I didn’t pick markets, I picked stores,” Davidson said. “We’ve sold [the new line] to several stores that are rated among the best stores in the nation by GQ [magazine] and we feel The Independent fits the profile as well,” he said in a release.

Among the stores now carrying the Strong Suit line are Oak Hall in Memphis and Stag in Austin, Texas.

Davidson cut his sartorial teeth at Mr. Wicks in the Heights, where he worked for seven years before launching his first brand, Normandy and Monroe, the first half of which was named for the street in Little Rock where he grew up.

That evolved into Tre Vero, which is men’s clothes and women’s accessories. Davidson designs the men’s lines with his associate Leslie Dennis. The women’s lines are designed in New York.

Tre Ve ro is carried in 160 Dillard’s stores, he said.

Davidson’s theory about suits goes this way: These days, they are optional at work for the guys he’s targeting. But they have the potential as a cool factor.

Hence, the tailored, slim silhouette look for after hours. Which is not to say it’s all apres 5.

The suits can serve as what Davidson says is a reasonably priced foundation - suits are $595 and sport coats are $485 - for a young man seeking to build a substantial wardrobe.

Davidson said he is able to sell his clothes at those prices because he found a garment factory in Mexico making suits the “old-school” way, with a canvas support, usually made of horsehair, in the chest to give the suit its shape.

By contrast, The Independent offers tailor-made and imported suits ranging from $995 to $2,995.

“I think it will fit into our mix very well,” said Independent partner Jon Stone. Another plus, he said, is that the Davidson warehouse is in town and thus a garment will be obtainable much quicker and without a shipping cost.

If you have a tip, call Jack Weatherly at (501) 378-3518 or e-mail him at [email protected]

Business, Pages 68 on 10/27/2013

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