The announcement that Dallas-based menswear brands Q Fifty One and Edition Collective (parent company of Imprint and Foremost) were joining forces was made less than a month ago — 19 days for anyone who’s counting — but the results of the merger can already be seen. November 10 marks day one of the new website for Rye 51, one of two companies under the Q Fifty One umbrella.
Edition Collective founder Matt Alexander oversaw the overhaul. Edition Collective was absorbed by Q Fifty One, and now Alexander is the president and CEO of Q Fifty One Digital, which focuses on e-commerce for Rye 51 and its sibling, Q Clothier.
With the relaunch of the Rye 51 website comes other big changes. Known for its curated collection of men’s clothing, footwear, and accessories, now, the brand will be releasing weekly collections of three to 10 pieces each, paired with short stories, in-depth interviews with local (and eventually international) personalities — think chefs, executives, founders, artists — and more. First up is Nick Badovinus, of Dallas restaurants Neighborhood Services, Offsite Kitchen, and Montlake Cut.
At launch, the site is featuring more than 100 products. And the weekly releases will be a mix of new products from Rye 51 — a substantial portion of which are American-made — as well as partner brands. The concept of releasing these collections is similar to the approach Alexander took with Need/Imprint/Foremost, only in those instances, the releases were either monthly or every other month. Foremost also featured short films and interviews (see the pattern?) with each new collection.
“We’re shooting a huge amount of photography and film, for which we’ve developed a phenomenal new visual mechanism to display and share these stories,” Alexander says. “Unlike Need/Imprint/Foremost, we’ve conceited multiple interfaces, ensuring there are a lot of different ways to shop (on desktop or mobile) too.”
The site will also see some impressive innovations in terms of editorial commerce, such as web-based Apple Pay; same-day delivery in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City; international availability in 44 countries; and more. In-store pickup is also available.
“With our brands at Edition Collective, we were able to develop an enormous audience around the world, whilst putting out some beautifully creative collections of clothing. We won awards, grew quickly, and, generally, had a lot going for us,” Alexander says.
“That was all within the confines of the world of a young startup, insofar as we were constrained on all fronts imaginable. Now, post-acquisition, we have an amazing team, and we have the ability to focus on what we do best without having to worry about all other components.”
Dallas-based men's retailer Rye 51 is launching a brand-new website and new editorial commerce strategy.
