Brothers, Jonathan and James
Martone are lawyers, who have an affinity for well-fitted apparel and have always
wanted to start and grow a company together. After numerous conversations, they
decide to pursue both passions to start Versatile Warrior, a classic menswear
line tailored to the modern day warrior. They started slow but have grown to
have a great collection in two different locations in Michigan. Read more about
the brothers, and their journey to conquer the men's fashion world.
DGG: Tell us about
yourselves.
Jonathan & James: James
and I are brothers who grew up in Troy, Michigan, but now each live in
Rochester Hills. Despite going to rival colleges (James is a graduate of
the University of Michigan, and former captain of Men’s Swim Team; and I am a
graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State), we’ve always been the
best of friends and have long dreamed of getting a chance to work together
within a business of our own. Although we’re both attorneys by day, our true
passion has been in the men’s fashion industry. Our father was always a very
sharp dresser, and instilled in us both at an early age an appreciation for
dressing well and the message or impression confidently wearing an outfit
sends. Some say that “the clothes make
the man” – we certainly agree that clothes speak volumes about the individual
who wears them.
DGG: What’s the Versatile
Warrior story?
J&J: The idea
behind the Versatile Warrior started back in the late summer of 2009 in a small
coffee shop near our cottage on Elk Lake. We had long commented to each other
that we could never find what we felt was the perfect polo shirt – a shirt that
was well-tailored, supremely comfortable, and versatile – something that could
be worn casually, or dressed up with a sweater or sport coat.
Those
conversations soon turned into conversations regarding the possibility of
making our own shirts and starting our own clothing company. Although we were complete novices in the
clothing industry by anyone’s standard, we were inspired by other clothing
companies, most of all Vineyard Vines – a company started by two brothers who
quit their day jobs in New York City in pursuit of their passion of creating
whimsical clothing. Our goal was to create the best polo shirt available
combined with lifestyle branding unique to our own company.
To
this end, while there already existed companies whose motto and clothes focused
on the good life, we wanted to create a brand for those modern day warriors – individuals
who go out each and every day and work tirelessly and unwavering in the pursuit
of their goals. We soon settled on a Latin phrase of Semper Vincit, which
translates to always conquer, as our company’s slogan. The phrase is
incorporated into all of our clothing’s tags or branding and, to us, stands for
the ironclad belief that whatever challenges life presents, face them head on
with confidence determination and courage.
After
approximately 18 months of trial and error, we ultimately developed our
signature polo, a shirt that we’re incredibly proud of. Since then we’ve added
additional products including hats and T-shirts. Although we sell predominately
through our click-and-mortar online store, our products are currently sold in
several stores throughout Michigan. Most recently, our product lines are now
carried in the Claymore Shop in Birmingham and the Runway Showroom in Lansing.
DGG: How has your
background helped with starting the company?
J&J: James and I
both being attorneys have certainly helped us navigate through the process of
starting a business, encompassing everything from entity formation, trademark
matters and contract issues. That being said, we’ve noticed at times the
conflict of approaches necessary when running our business, particularly the
divergence between the risk-embracing entrepreneurial side and the risk-adverse
attorney side. Needless to say, our brainstorming sessions are quite involved…
usually, one of us ends up in a headlock!
DGG: Do you plan on
expanding your product line eventually?
J&J: Absolutely!
The business plan for our company is centered upon organic expansion, made
possible by the reinvestment of earnings from our current product line sales.
Our short-term plans include expanding our current men’s clothing line to
include several new products as well as different variations and colors of
existing products. Our long-term goal includes creating a women’s clothing
line.
DGG: What are the three
things you would tell someone who asked for advice about starting a business?
J&J: First, don’t
give up. Starting a business is undeniably frustrating and daunting at times,
but try not to get discouraged. We’ve been told “no thanks” by many stores when
we were first starting out only to be given an opportunity to be carried in the
store later on down the line after much persistence.
Second,
don’t be afraid to reach out to people in the industry who have more experience
than you. They’re often willing to give helpful advice. Some of our best
connections were provided to us from direct competitors merely because we
asked.
Finally,
believe in yourself and your ideas or products. Advice from others, especially
those with greater experience is invaluable, however, don’t let others sway you from
what you truly believe in. One of the biggest compliments we receive when
talking to people about our company and clothes is how strongly we believe in
our goals and company – let’s face it, if you don’t believe in it, who will?
DGG: What advice do you
have for male designers in Detroit.
J&J: Men’s fashion
evolves at a different pace than women’s fashion. Certain classic items of
men’s clothing – a blue blazer, a white button down shirt, a basic polo – will
always be in style for men, perhaps with varying updates depending on the time.
For us, we wanted to take advantage of that fact by creating a clothing line
that improves upon the classic offerings, but with an inspired lifestyle twist.
Our target audience is men who appreciate clothes embodying a timeless tradition
mixed with modern comfort. We think it’s very important to know your target
audience when designing a single item or an entire clothing line.
DGG: Describe your style.
J&J: When we’re not having to wear suits to
work, both James and I tend to have a preppy, yet modern style. We’re both big
fans of Hudson jeans, well-tailored sport coats and sweaters, and sleek,
slim-fitting button downs, such as ones from Ledbury or Charles Tyrwhitt. Of
course, we also big fans of our Versatile Warrior polos!
DGG: How do you take your
coffee?
J&J: James – a dash of
cream and lump or two of sugar in the raw. Jonathan – cream and sugar.
DGG: Bow ties or regular
ties?
J&J: We’re both fans of
bow ties and do sport them from time to time, however, regular ties are our
go-to look.
DGG: Ralph Lauren or Tommy
Hilfiger?
J&J: We’re both
long-time admirers of Ralph Lauren, from his timeless design to the manner in
which he obtains the inspiration for his collections. However, there’s a
certain anecdotal story about a Time Square billboard ad taken out by Tommy
Hilfiger very early in his career that has captured our appreciation.
