Tired of looking like you wear diapers under those khakis? Want to look like a monkey sex god instead? Bonobos.
(Cue the too-pretty male models, made to look like chimpanzees, with cheesy hats with little ears on them, on a white stage with white blocks to romp upon in their all-khaki trousers while chasing young women in summer dresses around the set)
(Tinkling music with a hint of rainforest background sounds commences)
Bonobos.
(Then the marquee, in black lettering at center screen:)
Bonobos. When khaki brings out the jungle instinct.
Wow, I missed my calling. I should be making fashion commercials. There are three things that set Bonobos apart from most other khaki pants on the market: they aren’t Dockers, they make your butt look good, and they cost a lot.
Available only online and in limited quantities, these pants are upscale, trendy, and single-handedly battling KDB. No, that’s not a secret Soviet agency of days gone past, though it could be a Communist Conspiracy of some sort. KDB is Khaki-Diaper-Butt and it’s the sole mission of Bonobos to fight this evil phenomenon.
Amazingly, Bonobos is named after an endangered chimpanzee of the same name. Which is interesting, since this chimp is primarily known for its unquenchable sexual appetite. How does an animal that loves getting it on become endangered? Maybe it’s better not to ask.
Bonobos appears to be a pretty successful endeavor so far. The company has been in business for nearly two years, has 18 employees, and made $1.6 million in revenues last year. With offices on both sides of the country (New York and San Francisco), Bonobos has an interesting marketing strategy. Part hype, part fashion “business as usual” and part affiliate marketing, the company seems to be growing quickly.
The company’s founders, Brian Spaley and Andy Dunn, decided not to go the usual retail route because they found that most men prefer to just grab what they need and be done with it (perfect for online shopping) while women like to browse, handle the merchandise, and become involved with it (not good for online selling). Since they do men’s wear, they went with the online-only model.
Great stuff and interesting to see a successful online fashion design company making it.
