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.[1]
History
Draper James launched with products available in May 2015[3] under the supervision of former president of Burch Creative Capital, Andrea Hyde[4] and an initial $7 million in seed investment.[5] In October 2015, Draper James announced a $10 million round of investment funding from early-stage investment firm, Forerunner Ventures.[5]
In October 2015, Draper James launched its first brick and mortar store in Witherspoon’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.[6] The second store opened in Dallas, Texas in September 2016.[7] In May 2017, the Lexington, Kentucky location opened at The Summit at Fritz Farm.[8] The company plans to expand their physical locations to several more cities in the Southeastern United States.
Draper James has been featured in PEOPLE,[9] Vanity Fair,[10] Oprah Magazine,[11] and Coveteur,[12] among others, and the signature "totes y'all" bag was seen in the Gilmore Girls Revival.[13]
In March 2017, Draper James was voted "Best Shop in Tennessee" by Southern Living.[14] That same month, Draper James launched a partnership with beauty-subscription service Birchbox.[15]
In April 2017, Draper James partnered with sandal brand Jack Rogers to launch three different styles of the classic Jack Rogers sandal.[16] Draper James and Net-a-Porter announced a partnership in May 2017.[17]
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,”[18] with prices geared more toward high-end shoppers.[18]
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.[19]
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.[20]
External links
References
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ O'Connor, Claire. "Reese Witherspoon Scores $10 Million Investment For Lifestyle Brand Draper James". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Medina, Marcy. "Reese Witherspoon Hires C. Wonder President Andrea Hyde". Women's Wear Daily. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon Had the Most Instagrammable Day Ever Opening Her Dallas Store!". PEOPLE.com. 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon’s retail store Draper James opens at The Summit". kentucky. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "PHOTOS: See Inside Reese Witherspoon’s Classic-Chic Dallas Draper James Store!". PEOPLE.com. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Step Inside the Charming, Star-Studded Dinner for Feed and Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James". Vanities. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon Showed Us How to Throw a Classic Southern Party". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon". Coveteur. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ Silverstein, Noah. "The 7 Most Fantastic Fashion Moments from the *Gilmore Girls* Reboot". Glamour. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Why Y'all Love Draper James So Much". Southern Living. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon Teams with Birchbox to Curate a Limited Draper James Inspired Beauty Box". PEOPLE.com. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ Allen, Rachael (2017-04-25). "Reese Witherspoon’s Brand Draper James Is Collaborating With This Iconic Sandal Brand". Footwear News. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ↑ "Reese Witherspoon and Net-a-Porter Launch Exclusive Draper James Capsule Collection (Start Shopping Y'all!)". PEOPLE.com. 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- 1 2 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.