With its new Van Willem menswear line, OOBE plans to branch out from employee apparel into a new “lifestyle brand”
Ten years after shifting away from its foundations as an outdoor apparel company, Greenville-based OOBE has plans to launch a new menswear line this fall, one that blurs the line between corporate brands and physical products as much as it pays homage to its past.
The new line – Van Willem – diverges from OOBE’s 10-year focus on the corporate uniform industry, designing and producing custom employee apparel for big names such as Chick-fil-A, Krispy Kreme, Race Trac, YMCA, BMW and Food Lion, among others. Launching in fall with an “experience store” in Charleston, the Van Willem line aims to elevate OOBE’s “cool factor” by showcasing its ability to innovate in the complex apparel industry, according to OOBE chief creative officer Lee Norwood.
