Cohen & Sons: Bringing Back a Brand on Kickstarter

 Cohen & SonsMARINA DEL REY – There are thousands of family businesses in the U.S. that were once considerable enterprises, so it is refreshing to see some of them come back, even if they are but modest start-ups.

To wit, Cohen & Sons Apparel. I don’t know much about the original, but the Zach Cohen, a grandson, is in the process of reviving it.

The company originally started in 1947, at 536 Broadway in New York (the video has a shot of it). Young Zach, in the video, tells the story quite effectively, stating that he quit his job to “restart the machines.”

So far, he is doing well with his Kickstarter, and at presstime is less than $100 away from his $10,000 goal. For this project, Kickstarter investors get different levels of clothes, including socks ($10) and shirts and hoodies as  you donate more.

He talks a bit about it:

“Sixty-seven years ago my Grandpa Jack flipped the switch and his clothing factory was open for business. His shop cranked out quality garments for almost half a century until competition overseas forced him to shut off the lights and close up shop.

Arm cast and all; I’ve been ironing out the designs, sourcing the materials, and assembling a seasoned team of production partners to launch an apparel company to produce stylish, comfortable, and reliable clothing. I promise none of our gear is going to shrink, fade, fall apart, or change sizes and pull a Houdini on you.”

His brand statement? Life is way too short to be staring at a machine, thinking about what everybody else is doing.

Agreed.

So the big question. What company and/or brand did YOUR grandfather start? And does it deserve a new life?

Author

  • Garland Pollard

    J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

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