Draper James
Draper James is a clothing line launched by actress Reese Witherspoon in 2015.[1] A nod to Witherspoon’s Southern upbringing, the line aims to “emphasize (Witherspoon’s) southern roots and personal style.”[2] The name is in honor of Witherspoon’s grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon.[3]
History
Draper James launched with products available in May 2015[4] under the supervision of former CEO of fashion retailer, C. Wonder, Andrea Hyde[5] and an initial $7 million in seed investment.[6] In October 2015, Draper James announced a $10 million round of investment funding from early-stage investment firm, Forerunner Ventures.[7]
In October 2015, Draper James launched its first brick and mortar store in Witherspoon’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.[8] The company plans to expand their physical locations to several more cities in the Southeastern United States, with the next location slated for Dallas, Texas.[9]
Products
The line features a wide range of clothing, accessories and home decor designed to “embrace the beauty and style and excitement that embodies what is happening in the South today,”[10] with prices geared more toward high-end shoppers.[11]
Products often feature slang common to the Southeast United States, such as a tote bag with the phrase “totes y’all” imprinted on the bag.[12]
Controversy
In March 2016, Florida-based jeweler Jordann Weingartner sued Draper James for copyright and trademark infringement, due to the similarity between its trademark and logo and Weingartner's design.[13]
External links
References
- ↑ Duboff, Josh. "Will Reese Witherspoon's Draper James Unite Blake Lively and Gwyneth Paltrow?". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ Malkin, Marc; Rosenbaum, Claudia. "Reese Witherspoon's Lifestyle Company Gets a Name, Plans to Open a Retail Store". E! Style. E! Entertainment Television. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Duboff, Josh. "Will Reese Witherspoon's Draper James Unite Blake Lively and Gwyneth Paltrow?". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ O'Connor, Claire. "Reese Witherspoon Scores $10 Million Investment For Lifestyle Brand Draper James". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Weisman, Aly. "Reese Witherspoon is the latest celebrity to launch a lifestyle site and it's completely polarizing". Business Insider. Business Insider. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Dave, Paresh. "Reese Witherspoon has a startup, and it just got a $10-million check". LA Times. LA Times. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Dave, Paresh. "Reese Witherspoon has a startup, and it just got a $10-million check". LA Times. LA Times. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Mitchell, Heidi. "Reese Witherspoon's Draper James To Open Brick And Mortar Locations". Fast Company. Fast Company. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Mitchell, Heidi. "Reese Witherspoon's Draper James To Open Brick And Mortar Locations". Fast Company. Fast Company. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Murray, Rheana. "Check out Reese Witherspoon's new Southern-inspired fashion line". Today. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Murray, Rheana. "Check out Reese Witherspoon's new Southern-inspired fashion line". Today. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Schmidt, Ingrid. "Reese Witherspoon's Draper James collection has Southern charm". LA Times. LA Times. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Richard. "Reese Witherspoon accused of ripping off logo in $5M suit". Page Six. New York Post. Retrieved 3 March 2016.