Michael Strahan to Start His Own Custom Men’s Tailoring Operation

Michael Strahan is set to launch a direct-to-consumer custom tailoring operation, a new avenue of growth for his clothing brand after a decade in business.

The Michael Strahan Design Lab plans to deliver made-to-order suits within two weeks at flat prices, such as $399 for a two-piece set. The new line of custom suits will be available through its own online shop, which goes live on Wednesday.

It’s a big leap for the former football-star-turned-television-personality, who in recent years has been adding shelf space for his apparel line at traditional retailers including JCPenney, Belk and Tailored Brands, which owns Men’s Wearhouse. The brand has also offered made-to-measure suits through Men’s Wearhouse.

Management still wants to add new retail chains, as well as expand in existing ones, and use the new site to offer customised production for groups like sports teams, wedding parties and corporate events. The company declined to share revenue figures.

Strahan, an NFL Hall of Fame member who cohosts ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and his co-founder at production firm SMAC Entertainment, Constance Schwartz-Morini, started the namesake brand as a suit line in 2015. The goal was to create an affordable, tailored clothing line, Schwartz-Morini said in a statement. This latest expansion comes as economic concerns weigh on consumer confidence and budget-conscious shoppers pull back on a variety of purchases.

“Typically celebrity brands – it’s hard for them to survive,” Koral Chen, senior vice president of brand development at SMAC, said in an interview. “But the fact is we’ve been here for 10 years and growing.”

The brand has since expanded into licensed sports apparel with the NFL and NHL, including an arrangement with US sports merchandise company Fanatics Inc.

Strahan’s brand has also dabbled in sports deals and talent management, signing top college football star Travis Hunter to a name, image and likeness agreement. And in March, Strahan signed a partnership with the United Football League to be its off-field apparel partner.

By Kim Bhasin

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