Massif: Military Tech Goes High Fashion
For the mercenary in every man, a new apparel line launching next year will fulfill that yen for sleek clothing with high-tech fabrics that have been tested on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since 1999, Massif has been supplying flame-resistant garments to the men and women who have some of the most dangerous jobs out there as helicopter pilots, soldiers, SWAT-team members and backcountry firefighters. Every soldier deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan is issued four Massif lightweight garments that have four-way stretch, are flame-resistant and breathable, and have wicking capability. Currently, about 3 million Massif pieces of apparel are in the military field.
But the outdoorsy founders of Massif, headquartered in Ashland, Ore., want to take their concept one step further. They want to invade Fifth Avenue with a high-end men’s collection they envision as a cross between John Varvatos and Patagonia.
“We are going to use proven facts about this line,” said Scott Branscum, the man hired in December to bring the Massif Collection to high-end stores. “We are staying focused on the idea of fashion, but everything we build has stretch, is water repellent, and has wicking and antimicrobial elements.”
Already, Barneys New York is very interested, Branscum said.
Venturing into the world of fashion was the idea of Jeff Roberts and Randy Benham, the rugged rock-climbing founders of Massif, a $100 million company that manufactures everything in Ashland because the Berry Amendment requires all military garments be U.S. made.
They felt there was a man out there who would appreciate the line’s 3-D CAD patterning and shaping, its light, stretchy fabrics, its water-repellent ability, and its sleek look. It was also a way to boost revenues, something that has been on the company’s to-do list since it was acquired in 2009 by military-boot manufacturer Tactical Holdings and its private-equity partner, Golden Gate Capital.
Branscum—who has had jobs with Perry Ellis, Eddie Bauer and Cutter & Buck—has been working with designers and fabric developers to come up with a line of jackets, blazers, shirts and trousers that will appeal to the 24- to 50-year-old male who appreciates well-made clothing at a higher price point. “I can guarantee you he was in line for the new iPhone4S. He likes things that perform,” Branscum said.
The collection’s 39 styles will have a minimal look but ultra-functionality. Instead of manufacturing in the United States, most of the label will be made in China.
The five-button blazer will be made of four-way stretch wool and have diamond-shaped gussets under the arms. Even the lining will have four-way stretch. The seven-pocket stretch dress pants will have an articulated leg and a cellphone pocket on the side of the leg.
Massif fabrics are made over the United States, including Los Angeles, which is one of its top providers.
Branscom could not divulge details about how Massif’s fabrics are made—particularly the four-way stretch—because it is proprietary information that is shared only with the military.
But he did say the company develops the apparel construction and the chemistry used to make the fabrics in its Ashland facility. Retail price points will range from $100 to $150 for a knit shirt to $350 to $550 for a blazer. Outerwear jackets will carry a price tag of $250 to $850.
The tagline for the collection is “Clothing for spies.”—Deborah Belgum
