Ambission: Hard Working and Anti-Establishment
Dustin and Dylan Odbert found an unlikely route into the apparel industry. In 2002, a friend was struck by a train and landed in the hospital with severe injuries and a pile of medical bills. “We started as a benefit for a friend to raise money for his hospital bills,” said Dustin, the elder Odbert brother. The pair screen-printed quirky graphics on T-shirts to sell to friends. “Then we found we had a following” independent of the people who wanted to contribute to their friend’s care, he said. So they went into business for themselves, making T-shirts for several years while Dylan finished high school and Dustin attended college. “We just liked doing it, and people seemed to be responding,” Dustin said.
In September 2005, the Odberts launched Ambission, a line of T-shirts for guys that extended their reach beyond their neighborhood of Arroyo Grande, Calif. The line, which bowed at the Agenda trade show in San Diego, initially focused on fun graphics, including pop art–inspired designs, robot animals and elephants blowing bubbles. A year later, they added reversible hoodies, dark skinny denim, woven shirts, shorts, women’s T-shirts and hooded dresses.
Buyers responded to Ambission’s expanded collection. Odysea and Villains in San Francisco, CCS (www.ccs.com) and One Way Board Shop snapped it up. “Getting into Villains made my year,” Dustin said. For Fall 2007, Ambission will add a second denim silhouette and snug white corduroy pants for guys, a sweat shirt with a diagonal zipper and houndstooth-check lining, and printed thermal T-shirts. Wholesale prices for the line range from $26 to $37.50 for specialty hoodies, $35 to $37.50 for denim and $11 to $15 for T-shirts.
Dustin hesitates to label Ambission a surf or skate brand, despite the fact he sells the brand at surf-and-skate trade shows. “We do well in surf and skate shops, but I think we’re more of a crossover brand. We don’t want to be safe like everyone and follow the pack. We’re doing tight, pure-white cords. No one else is doing them, and we don’t know if they’ll sell, but we like them,” he said. Too many brands, he said, lack soul and simply jump on trends as they come.
“There’s no hard work there. It’s just about making money. But we’re in this because we love being a part of the industry. We don’t have big backers, and we make what we like,” Dustin said. The brothers both work second jobs to keep the dream alive—and Dustin said that helps keep them hungry. “Whatever happened to just bearing down and working hard? That’s all we want to do,” he said. For more information, call (805) 720-2377. —Erin Barajas
