Rocawear

A Clothing Label Built Beside a Record Label

Rocawear was created in 1999 by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Damon Dash, and the definition immediately places its co-creator at the head of the hip-hop label Roc-A-Fella Records. The clothing label and the record label share a name root and a founder, so the clothing began with an audience already assembled by music. The commercial result is stated in one figure: Rocawear has annual sales of $700 million. For an urban clothing label less than a decade old at the time of the sale described here, that sales figure is the measure of how far a name carried from a record label can travel in apparel when the founder remains a performing artist in front of the public. The brand's later steps all follow from that structure — licensing outward into many categories, and eventually the sale of the brand rights themselves while the founder stays involved.

Expansion by Licensing Pact

Rocawear expanded its brand through licensing pacts to develop lines for children and juniors; socks and sandals; leather, suede and fur outerwear; handbags and belts; lounge wear; big and tall; headwear; jewelry; and sunglasses, as well as co-branded product with Pro-Keds, State Property, Shadow Boxing and Team Roc. Licensing is a specific way to grow: the brand's owner grants other producers the right to make goods under the name, category by category, rather than building factories or design teams for each one. The list covers nearly every part of a wardrobe and its accessories, which means the name could appear on a jacket, a belt, a pair of sunglasses and a child's line at the same time without the core company making any of them. In January 2007, allegations were made of raccoon-dog fur being used in two styles of jackets; Rocawear pulled the garments from department stores and its website, stating it was unaware the fur was being used and had notified manufacturers it was not permitted.

Sold to Iconix, With the Founder Staying On

In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million. Jay-Z retained his stake in the company and continued to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development. That arrangement separates ownership of the name from the work of running the brand: Iconix bought the rights, while the person whose public identity created the brand's audience kept responsibility for how it was marketed and what products it licensed. R&B singer Ciara signed to be the new face of Rocawear, continuing the pattern of presenting the clothing through recording artists. In March 2009, Rocawear launched its first social networking site, offering style news, music, fashion and cultural connections — a destination that mixed the same four subjects the brand had always combined.