Outdoor Voices

Last updated
Outdoor Voices
IndustryFashion
Founded2013
FounderTyler Haney
Headquarters

Outdoor Voices (sometimes just O.V.) is an American clothing company focused on the design and sale of athletic apparel. The company was founded in 2013 by Tyler Haney in New York City, and is now headquartered in Austin. [1] The company's products are sold online. [2] On February 25, 2020, Haney tendered her resignation, and Cliff Moskowitz, the president of a fashion-oriented private equity firm, took over as interim CEO. [3]

Contents

History and operations

The company's founder, Tyler Haney, was motivated to found Outdoor Voices due to a love of sports and athletics. [4] She founded Outdoor Voices in 2013 after studying business at Parsons School of Design. [5] In early 2014, J. Crew selected the Outdoor Voices line for its stores’ "Brands We Love" sections after the line was featured in a London boutique, Garbstore. [1] The company's first store opened in Austin in October 2014 and its first pop-up shop opened in Manhattan in 2015. [6] The company was known initially for their "kits," which included a collection of tops and bottoms that could be mixed and matched for a bundled price.

Over time, Outdoor Voices raised over $9.5 million from investors like General Catalyst Partners. In 2015, Outdoor Voices received $7.5 million in investments to start their active apparel line. [4] In 2016, Haney decided to move the company to Austin, Texas to focus on building a new and a bigger headquarters for the company and hired more employees including some of Haney's friends from high school. [4] Mickey Drexler, the former CEO of Gap Inc. and J. Crew Group, Inc., became the company's chairman of the board in the summer of 2017. [7] As of March 2018, the company had raised roughly $57 million in funding. [8] Lead investors include GV, General Catalyst Partners, and Forerunner Ventures. [8] On April 24, 2018, Outdoor Voices launched a running collection with Hoka One One. They also released a corresponding app called O.V. Trail Shop. The app features the nearest Trail Shops where the new running collection can be found. [9] In 2018, Outdoor Voices launched their first swimwear collection called “H2Ov”. [10]

Outdoor Voices has collaborated with other clothing and exercise-related companies to produce limited run products. Collaborators include the fashion blog Man Repeller , ClassPass, and French fashion label A.P.C. [11] [12] [13] [14]

In February 2020, in an effort to restructure the company, Haney stepped down as CEO. Several executive abruptly departed the company, and an anonymous letter blamed CEO Tyler Haney for the staff exits, calling her "spoiled" and criticizing her leadership. Haney struggled to work with Mickey Drexler, the well-known retail executive who had previously led J.Crew and Gap. [15] By March 2020, the company had "imploded," according to The New York Times. [15] In January of 2020, the company's valuation was $40 million, down from its 2018 valuation of $110 million. [15] Outdoor Voices indicated that there would be an additional 15 layoffs across the company. [16]

In March 2024, the company announced all its stores would close, and that the company would become online-only. [17] On March 21, 2024, former employees confirmed that Outdoor Voices was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization within the coming weeks. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JCPenney</span> American department store chain

Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is an American department store chain that operates 663 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Men's, Women's, Boys', Girls', Baby, Bedding, Home, Fine Jewelry, Shoes, Lingerie, JCPenney Salon, JCPenney Beauty, as well as leased departments such as Seattle's Best Coffee, US Vision optical centers, and Lifetouch portrait studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quiksilver</span> Brand of surf-inspired apparel and accessories

Quiksilver is an American brand of surf-inspired apparel and accessories that was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Victoria, but is now based in Huntington Beach, California. It is one of the world's largest brands of surfwear and boardsport-related equipment. The parent company changed its name in March 2017 from Quiksilver, Inc. to Boardriders, Inc., and is the owner of the brands Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes. In 2018, Boardriders acquired Billabong International Limited, gaining the Billabong, Element, Von Zipper, RVCA and XCEL brands. Authentic Brands Group bought Boardriders and its associated brands and intellectual property in 2023.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company that also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear. The Silvermans sold their ownership interests in 1991 to Jacob Price of Knoxville, Tennessee. American Eagle Outfitters is the parent company of Aerie and Todd Snyder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bass Pro Shops</span> American outdoor retailer

BPS Direct, LLC, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held sporting goods retailer that offers hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation equipment, marine manufacturing and sales, and outdoor resorts. The company is recognized by its retail stores, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, that feature natural outdoor designs and decorations. Bass Pro Shops supports conservation efforts, organizations that support America’s Armed Services and Veterans, and outdoor education and recreation for youth. The company partners with conservation groups, including Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The company’s headquarters, original store, and the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium are located in Springfield, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aéropostale (company)</span> American clothing retailer

Aéropostale Inc., is an American shopping mall–based retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally aimed at young adults and teenagers. Aéropostale maintains control over its proprietary brands by designing, sourcing, marketing, and selling all of its own merchandise. The company sells via Aéropostale stores in the United States and through its e-commerce site.

Gildan Activewear Inc. is a Canadian manufacturer of branded clothing, including undecorated blank activewear such as t-shirts, sport shirts and fleeces, which are subsequently decorated by screen printing companies with designs and logos. The company also supplies branded and private label athletic, casual, and dress socks to retail companies in the United States including Gold Toe Brands, PowerSox, SilverToe, Auro, All Pro, and the Gildan brand. The company also manufactures and distributes Under Armour and New Balance brand socks. The company has approximately 44,000 employees worldwide, and owns and operates manufacturing facilities in Rio Nance, Honduras and the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belk</span> American retail chain

Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and a wedding registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J.Crew</span> American retail company

J.Crew Group, Inc., is an American multi-brand, multi-channel, specialty retailer. The company offers an assortment of women's, men's, and children's apparel and accessories, including swimwear, outerwear, lounge-wear, bags, sweaters, denim, dresses, suiting, jewelry, and shoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VF Corporation</span> American apparel company

VF Corporation is an American global apparel and footwear company founded in 1899 by John Barbey and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company's 13 brands are organized into three categories: Outdoor, Active and Work. In 2015, the company controlled 55% of the U.S. backpack market with the JanSport, Eastpak, Timberland, and The North Face brands.

The Izod Corporation is an American midrange clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing, sportswear for men, and footwear and accessories. It is a division of Authentic Brands Group, and is currently marketed and manufactured by Centric Brands under a long-term licensing agreement. Other Izod classics include the Harrington jacket G-9 model and V-neck and cardigan sweaters. Today, the closest competitor of the Izod brand is the Chaps brand owned by Ralph Lauren Corporation, while the U.S. Polo Assn. brand is also an indirect competitor.

Millard "Mickey" S. Drexler is an American businessman, who is the CEO of Alex Mill, and head of Drexler Ventures. He was formerly the CEO and chairman of J.Crew Group, as well as the CEO of Gap Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Express, Inc.</span> American fashion company

Express, Inc. is an American fashion retailer whose portfolio includes Express, Bonobos and UpWest. The Company operates an omnichannel platform as well as physical and online stores. Grounded in a belief that style, quality and value should all be found in one place. The company consists of the brands Express, Bonobos, and UpWest, and is traded on the NYSE under the symbol EXPR.

TechStyle Fashion Group, formerly JustFab Inc., is an online, membership fashion retailer that has a portfolio of five direct-to-consumer brands including JustFab, FabKids, ShoeDazzle, Savage X Fenty, and Fabletics. Its brands carries selections of shoes, handbags, jewelry, lingerie, activewear, and denim. It offers a personalized shopping experience based on members' indicated fashion preferences. As of 2019 the company has over 5 million paying VIP members, earning revenues of $800 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Lauren Corporation</span> American apparel, accessories and luxury goods company

Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Headquartered in New York City, the company produces products ranging from the mid-range to the luxury segments. Ralph Lauren is known for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. Known mostly for its flagship brand Polo Ralph Lauren, the company's brands include mid-range, sub-premium, and premium labels up to its highest priced luxury Purple label apparel. The company additionally owned Club Monaco from 1999 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gap Inc.</span> American multinational clothing and accessories retailer

The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap, is an American worldwide clothing and accessories retailer. Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris F. Fisher and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates four primary divisions: Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. Gap Inc. is the largest specialty retailer in the United States, and is 3rd in total international locations, behind Inditex Group and H&M. As of early 2023, Gap employs about 95,000 people.

Fabletics is a global, active lifestyle brand that sells both men's and women's sportswear, footwear and accessories, commonly referred to as "activewear". The company operates on a membership model and is known for its e-commerce business approach and also has over 85 brick-and-mortar stores. The brand has a membership program that allows shoppers to become "VIP Members", with access to special membership discounts and perks. Fabletics offers its members personalized outfits chosen for them based on their lifestyle and fashion preferences and releases capsules weekly in sizes XXS-4X for women and monthly in sizes XS-XXL for men.

Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service in the United States. It uses recommendation algorithms and data science to personalize clothing items based on size, budget and style. The company was founded in 2011 and had an initial public offering in 2017 with a valuation of $1.6 billion. Stitch Fix generated $1.6 billion in net revenue in its fiscal year 2023, a decrease of 21% year-over-year and reported 3,297,000 active clients in September 2023. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California and employs 5,860 people worldwide as of July 29, 2023.

Arielle Noa Charnas is an American fashion blogger and influencer known for her blog Something Navy, launched in 2009. She designed a line of apparel in partnership with Nordstrom, and following its success, she started a clothing brand called Something Navy in 2020. She gained attention for series of controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic and for the subsequent backlash from Nordstrom.

Patrik Frisk is a Swedish/American businessman in the apparel industry. From 2020 to 2022, he was the president and CEO of Under Armour, when he succeeded the company's founder, Kevin Plank. He was previously president and chief operating officer of the company since 2017. Frisk has worked for 30 years in retail and has had senior positions at The North Face and Timberland, before joining the ALDO Group in 2014 as CEO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accent Group</span> Australian multinational clothing retail company (1988)

Accent Group is an Australian and New Zealand footwear and clothing retail, wholesaling and distribution company. It has more than 800 retail stores, along with 19 brands, and more than 20 online platforms.

References

  1. 1 2 Rogers, Kate (May 3, 2016). "This 27-year-old CEO is taking on Lululemon and Nike". cnbc.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  2. "Outdoor Voices to shutter all of its stores this Sunday". Retail Dive. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  3. Why All the Warby Parker Clones Are Now Imploding: How venture capital became the most dangerous thing to happen to now-troubled DTCs like Outdoor Voices, Harry’s, and Casper Maya Kosoff, March 9, 2020
  4. 1 2 3 Andor Brodeur, Michael (May 2018). "Steady as She Goes". Entrepreneur. 46 (4): 52–57. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  5. "Inside the Cult Activewear Label For It Girls Everywhere". harpersbazaar.com. October 14, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  6. "The Future of Athleisure Is Looking Pretty Chill: Outdoor Voices Opens a Pop-Up in Nolita". vogue.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  7. Brodeur, Michael Andor (October 9, 2017). "Investors Didn't Take Her Seriously. Then She Built Outdoor Voices, Activewear's Next Big Thing". entrepreneur.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Thomas, Lauren (March 13, 2018). "Athletic apparel start-up Outdoor Voices raises $34 million in latest round of funding". cnbc.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  9. Feitelberg, Rosemary (April 24, 2018). "Outdoor Voices Gives Shoppers a Jump on Running Collection With AR-Powered Trail Shops". WWD. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  10. Margaux, Lushing. "Activewear Indie Darling Outdoor Voices Launches Its First SwimWear Collection". Forbes. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  11. "Man Repeller's Outdoor Voices Collab Includes Chocolate and a Jump Rope". racked.com. June 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  12. "ClassPass Releases First Apparel Collection With Outdoor Voices". racked.com. December 7, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  13. "Five Things T Editors Are Really Into Right Now". The New York Times. September 2, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  14. "Outdoor Voices & Teva's Colorful Sandals Are a Summer Must-Have".
  15. 1 2 3 Maheshwari, Sapna; Griffith, Erin (March 10, 2020). "How Outdoor Voices, a Start-Up Darling, Imploded". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  16. Loizos, Connie. "Outdoor Voices founder Tyler Haney says adios altogether to the company amid layoffs". TechCrunch . Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  17. Craighead, Olivia (March 13, 2024). "Outdoor Voices Is Closing All of Its Stores". The Cut. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  18. "Outdoor Voices Bankruptcy Imminent According to Insiders". Sourcing Journal. March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.