State and Liberty Clothing (styled State & Liberty or S&L) is an American clothing e-commerce company that makes and sells athletic fit performance fabric menswear.
| Industry | Men's Apparel, e-Commerce, Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Lee Moffie, Steven Fisher |
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Website | stateandliberty.com |
History
editThe company was founded in 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by University of Michigan friends Steven Fisher and Lee Moffie, the current joint CEOs of the company. Moffie and Fisher both graduated from the university, where they met through Order of Angell, a senior honor society at the university. The two decided to name the company after an intersection in Ann Arbor, in honor of the town.[1]
Prior to founding, Moffie played professional ice hockey for the Denver Cutthroats and the South Carolina Stingrays[2] following his four-year varsity letter (2009–13) with the Michigan Wolverines Ice Hockey under Red Berenson.[3][4] Fisher’s background lies in business data analytics and complex systems, leading a data analytics initiative for the Detroit Tigers and working on various other projects for startups and larger organizations as a consultant.[3]
The idea for State & Liberty originated with Moffie and Fisher believing men with an athletic build wearing off-the-rack dress shirts lacked a professional look.[5] Inspired by Lulu Lemon and athleisure apparel trends that stray away from traditional cotton fabric,[6] the duo prototyped hundreds of fabrics and dress shirt fits on professional hockey players to accommodate their ‘V-shaped’ body type.[7] Eventually, they settled with their athletic fitting dress shirt made from Athletic Performance Fabric (APF).[8]
Products
editState and Liberty started as a fully self-funded small business.[9] The company's product line includes athletic-fitting, moisture-wicking, and wrinkle-free dress shirts.[6] In October 2016, State & Liberty launched a partnership with the Professional Hockey Players' Association.[10][8]
In 2017, the company introduced multiple products, including a polo shirt, a long-sleeve polo shirt, and an overcoat. State and Liberty opened two pop-up locations in late 2017, one on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts[11] and one in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Philanthropy
editState & Liberty supports Autism Speaks, sponsored by James van Riemsdyk, an NHL left winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs, by donating a portion of proceeds to the foundation.[12] In mid-2016, State & Liberty launched "The Morgan" shirt to benefit the Jordan Morgan Foundation.[citation needed] Later in 2016, State & Liberty launched ‘The Matzka’ dress shirt in support of Scott Matzka and to raise money for research on ALS.[13]
References
edit- ^ "State and Liberty: Performance dress shirts built by Michigan alums Lee Moffie and Mac Bennett". mihockeynow.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Lee Moffie hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ a b "Lee Moffie & Steven Fisher, Co-Owners, Liberty & State Clothing Co". www.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Former U-M hockey player starts dress shirt business". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Finally, State & Liberty Offers a Shirt Cut Specifically for Athletes". The Manual. 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Ryan. "University of Michigan alums start menswear line | The Hockey News". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Former U-M hockey player launches clothing company as fall line debuts at Shinola". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ a b "Former U-M hockey player selling dress shirts to Tigers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "Student-Athlete Alumni Profile: Lee Moffie - The University of Michigan Official Alumni Letterwinners M Club". letterwinnersmclub.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "News: State & Liberty". www.phpa.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ "State & Liberty Clothing · 201 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116". Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "Work with autism advocacy group has extra meaning for van Riemsdyk - Article - TSN". TSN. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
- ^ State and Liberty Clothing Company (2016-09-15), State & Liberty - Ice Bucket Challenge, retrieved 2017-05-20