Wheredid you come up with the name “NEWD,” and what does it mean?
It was actually anaccident. My buddy spotted the word “newd,” which was a typo on his term paperback in college, and it stuck with him. He told me about it and came up withthe acronym “Nothing Else Will Do.” I’ve always been really into art, so Ibegan sketching the logo right away. I come from a family of entrepreneurs andthought it could work for a future business endeavor, although at the time Idid not know what.
After college, I wantedto start a clothing line, so I began building the brand around the name andidea that this would be a high-end line of goods.
Whatdo your lines consist of?
The lines start out verybasic, but they will grow quickly. We use very high-end fabrics with finercotton that gives the products a superior feel and fit.
NEWD has two lines: NEWDbrand and Urban Clothing Club by Johnny Castro, which is all graphic tees and hoodies.NEWD brand is a more contemporary and upbeat collection of cotton essentialssuch as tees, polos, hats, dresses and tanks. The products have two embroideredlogos on every shirt: one on the right shoulder and one on the left hip.
Whodo you think your brands appeal to?
They’re for the personwho is a go-getter, who is driven and accepts nothing less than the best. Nowwith the more classic look, NEWD can suit anyone, from the businessman to thegolfer to a college kid.
I originally wanted tojust make a men’s line; then I quickly realized that women’s fashion was such abig opportunity.
Howhas your brand evolved?
Originally, the idea forNEWD was to act as the middleman between the clothing and the art. Icollaborated with about 10 different artists and put their designs on finishedgoods and promoted them. One problem with the original concept of having manydifferent artists was that the lines didn’t flow. While speaking with stores, Iquickly learned that they want to buy a collection, not just three shirts.
Anyother exciting collaborations in the works?
I am thinking aboutdoing a maternity line and a golf line too. I’d love to get into jeans, shoes,socks, accessorieseverything! Additionally, I have a custom-printing componentto NEWD that allows me to partner with community groups and businesses tocreate personalized apparel.
NEWD fashions are available online atwww.newdclothing.com or at Detour on Brady Street, and White Star and LuciBoutique on Water Street.Kessler is looking to expand his distribution to Madison, Fox Valley, Minneapolis and Chicagolater this year.
