Underwear Pioneers Team Up to Challenge the Big Boys

The Piss and Vinegar line of mens underwear launched in 2009.

Expose underwear plans to expand to the U.S. this year.

Two pioneers in men’s fashion ─ former Tommy Hilfiger executive Brian Edgar and Ginch Gonch Underwear founder Jason Sutherland ─ announced this week that they have joined forces in an innovative new company that will address the under-served metro-sexual male consumer group.  Beyond Big Branding will develop proprietary brands and partner with existing brands trading in international markets and launch them globally.  Edgar will serve as president and CEO of the new company and Sutherland takes on the role of creative director and brand EVP.

“Building and maintaining a single brand requires as much time and effort as developing a host of brands,” said Edgar, formerly executive vice president at Tommy Hilfiger Retail Canada Inc., at this morning’s announcement. “Beyond Big Branding will unite similar-minded active wear companies and co-brand them with one another.

At Tommy Hilfiger, Edgar helped spearhead the company’s expansion across Canada and increase company revenue by over ten times the original sales figures.

“Synergy is key for us,” said Sutherland, widely heralded as the designer who, with his Ginch Gonch line, helped to inject fun — or, as he calls it, cheekiness -— into the men’s undergarment industry. “Our brands share services across the board: from design, to accounting, collections, customers, sales, support staff, web design, IT support, printing, photo-shoots, public relations, and even online media.”

The first proprietary brand being introduced is Piss & Vinegar, a high-end underwear and swimwear company Sutherland created in 2009.

The two international brands that Beyond Big Branding has licensed to springboard into the global marketplace are Dick & Jane and Expose.

Founded in Russia and now headquartered in Vienna, Dick & Jane is a bold brand, popular with urban youth. In 2008, the company opened 78 new accounts, primarily in Eastern Europe. The company is now poised to rapidly expand into Western European and beyond.

With its flagship store in Colombia, Expose is a sporty and sexy brand, suitable for mid-tier and boutique stores as well as online channels. The company will add two retail locations this calendar year and aims to break into the U.S. marketplace.

Beyond Big Branding has a five year licensing deal with both Dick & Jane and Expose that gives the company access to all international markets and every sales channel including direct, online, wholesale, licensing and brick and mortar.

“The men’s underwear and loungewear market is still in its early stages of development,” said Edgar.  “Beyond Big Branding aims to take the industry to the next level by buying, licensing, and partnering with exciting brands and manufacturers throughout the world.

“We are aggressively seeking additional partnerships with brands and investors,” he adds.  “Through synergy, our Beyond Big Branding companies are finally able to compete against the big boys.”

Stay tuned for more news about Beyond Big Branding here at boxers-or-briefs.com.