(Courtesy of Matrimoney Clothing Co.)
As a sophomore in high school, most teenagers are thinking about getting their driver’s license and next Friday’s football game.
When Geoff Garber and Will Bolt were 16 years old, they had more than cars and weekend plans to think about.
With a $1,000 loan from Garber’s father, the teens manufactured the first eight T-shirts of their clothing line, Matrimoney Clothing Co.
The company name, Matrimoney, came after Garber and Bolt discovered their original idea of Machiavelli, after the philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, was already trademarked.
With an “M” logo already made, the two opened up the dictionary and found “matrimony” and decided to add the “e” to signify the marriage of money and success.
Garber and Bolt, both Dallas natives, designed Matrimoney Clothing by combining an urban, hipster style with a Dallas edge.
Since 2005, the clothing line has grown from door-to-door sales to being sold in 15 storefronts ranging from Dallas, Austin, Miami and Louisiana to their international shop distributers in Bern, Switzerland and Berlin, Germany.
More than just T-shirts, the company offers hoodies, hats, belts and sunglasses along with other apparel.
The two 21-year-olds have the official titles of Creative Director, Garber, and Director of Operations and Brand Growth, Bolt.
However, they are the only two employees with Matrimoney Clothing, and together they take on all the responsibility of the company.
Garber is an SMU senior working towards graduation in December 2012 and has chosen to be a part-time student to give himself more time to dedicate to the business.
Because Bolt is not in school, he is able to devote his complete attention to fulfill his business responsibilities and take up any extra duties if Garber is busy with school.
Beyond the clothing line, Matrimoney Clothing also partners with ScoreMore, a company that puts on concerts for college students in college cities such as Dallas, Austin, College Station and Little Rock, to sponsor concerts with artists like Chiddy Bang, Wale, Big Sean and Mac Miller.
Matrimoney Clothing Co. can be found locally at Mockingbird Station, at Centre or online.
The Daily Campus was able to sit down with Garber and Bolt to discuss the makings of Matrimoney Clothing Co.
Q: What is the most challenging part of owning your own business?
A: The most challenging part is staying relevant and in tune with what trends are happening. We always try to stay 10 steps ahead of our competition.
Q: How does school fit in with being a business owner?
A: I try to keep up academically while owning a business, but sometimes it gets a little too hectic. I’ve gotten to the point where I realized I can always come back to school whenever, and right now I’m trying to fulfill a dream. I’ve sat down with my parents about it, and they’ve been very understanding.
Q: When you first made the brand, did you think it’d grow to what it is now?
A: Of course prosperity was the main goal, but it’s been six years now and we still haven’t come close to where we want to be. We still have a lot to expand on.
Q: What’s the process for each piece from beginning idea to production/sale?
A: The design process really happens spontaneously. When I see something that intrigues me and I can see potential to relate it to our brand, I’ll take a picture of it or write it down in my iPhone and then work on it later in Illustrator.
Q: What is your favorite piece from the brand?
A: Personally, I’m a big fan of the sweatpants, but our customers seem to like the Inbred design a lot.
Q: Where do you envision Matrimoney Clothing to be in five years?
A: We want to see ourselves as one of the top street wear brands in the world. We want to open up our flagship store at the beginning of 2013 and hopefully expand to a couple more stores around the world. We want to continue partnering with athletes, musicians, actors, artists and really anybody that inspires us. We plan to release a vast amount of cut-and-sew pieces, leather goods and eventually a footwear line.
(Courtesy of Matrimoney Clothing Co.)
