NEW YORK, November 23, 2015 – TRAUB Capital, the private equity investment arm of Marvin Traub Associates, announced it has invested in Knot Standard, a New York-based custom menswear brand. Knot Standard founders, CEO Matt Mueller and President John Ballay will continue to retain a significant stake in the company.
Knot Standard is a custom menswear brand providing upscale bespoke apparel across a wide customer base. The Company’s core products include suits, shirts, outerwear, casualwear and accessories. By marrying exceptional fabrics and materials with high-quality craftsmanship and competitive pricing, Knot Standard is well-positioned to satisfy consumers seeking personalization in their wardrobe.
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As a strategic investor, TRAUB is providing capital to further Knot Standard’s significant growth and continue building the Company’s brand and business channels. Knot Standard will expand showroom locations into key markets, execute new marketing initiatives, increase product categories, and further develop its innovative e-commerce platform. As part of this effort, the Company plans to open five new showrooms in 2016. Two of the locations will be in Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively, while the other three showrooms will be opened in attractive secondary markets across the Northeastern and Southwestern regions of the United States.
Mortimer Singer, President & CEO of Marvin Traub Associates, said, “Knot Standard sits at the nexus of three important areas of the retail industry – customization, omni-channel, and the continued growth of menswear. The founding team has built what TRAUB believes to be an exceptionally scalable custom menswear business and an outlier within its peer group. They will continue to lead with exceptional product, customer insights and supply chain-driven principles. We are excited to partner with Matthew and John on their next phase of growth.”
Matthew Mueller, Co-Founder & CEO of Knot Standard, added, “The clothing industry is entering a new period of rapid change as new products and technology take hold. Knot Standard’s customers have made it one of the 10 fastest-growing retails brands in the country, and proven that custom, personalized apparel is the future of fashion. The talented group at TRAUB will help us reach new clients worldwide, expand to new products, and launch the new standard for custom retail in the months to come.”
John Ballay, Co-Founder & President of Knot Standard, also stated, “We are entering an incredibly exciting time in menswear, with technology continually improving customers’ retail experience. TRAUB’s decades of industry knowledge will facilitate Knot Standard’s expansion, bringing expertise to both the Knot Standard retail model and the dynamic e-commerce platform.”
This proprietary investment is a direct result of Marvin Traub Associate’s longstanding strategic relationship with Knot Standard, and represents TRAUB Capital’s first direct investment. TRAUB Capital will take an active role in supporting the growth of the Knot Standard brand and company.
About Knot Standard
Founded in 2010, Knot Standard is the premier custom menswear company in the U.S., creating luxury custom suits, shirts, pants, outerwear, and casual clothing. The Company sells premium custom-made men’s clothing online (www.KnotStandard.com), in worldwide showrooms with personal stylists, and to leading companies and sports teams. Using innovative technology to obtain the perfect measurements and a global infrastructure of digital tailoring, Knot Standard provides bespoke men’s clothing at attainable prices and ensures a perfect fit every time. The Knot Standard ethos is simple: to instill pride in its customers by giving them the freedom to create something that is unique, custom and impeccably made.
As one of the fastest growing companies in the country, Knot Standard has been recognized by CNBC, Men’s Health, Esquire, GQ, Forbes, CNN, and – most importantly – many thousands of clients. Most recently, Inc. Magazine ranked Knot Standard at #130 on its 34th annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. In addition to ranking at #130 overall, Knot Standard is also recognized on the list as the 10th fastest-growing retailer in the U.S. and the 9th fastest-growing company overall in New York. For more information please contact info@knotstandard.com.
About TRAUB Capital
TRAUB Capital is the private equity investment arm of Marvin Traub Associates. TRAUB Capital opportunistically invests strategic growth capital in exceptional, highly recognizable companies to ensure their emergence as global brands.
About Marvin Traub Associates
Marvin Traub Associates is a global business development and strategy consulting firm, focused on working with brands, retailers, developers and related businesses that operate in the retail and consumer goods sector. TRAUB’s team includes talented, internationally renowned, industry experts that customize advisory services to assist executives in executing their business initiatives. TRAUB works closely with clients to achieve their global growth through assisting clients with services including Retail Consulting, Brand Development, Electronic (e-commerce) Retailing, Licensing, Franchising and Business Optimization. TRAUB serves clients in the Caribbean, China, France, Greece, Iceland, India, Lebanon, Panama, Russia, Turkey, United States, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. For more information please contact info@traub.io.