INSIDE SCOOP: FRIGO BRINGS AIR FLOW TO YOUR UNDERWEAR
Mathias Ingvarsson, dubbed the “king of luxury” by Forbes, is the founder & CEO of RevolutionWear, Inc. and the creator of Frigo, a line of luxury, high-tech, patented undergarments for men. So it’s no surprise he was able to bring together four of the world’s biggest stars, Derek Jeter, 50 Cent, Carmelo Anthony and Timbaland, as powerhouse partners in the brand.
But it’s not just these celebrities that set Frigo apart from other underwear brands; it is the patented signature Frigo Zone, which provides the wearer the ability to adjust the level of support and customize the fit. The brand, whose products retail from $25 to $100 and is sold at Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and UrbanDaddy, has just launched a licensing division with an $80 million agreement which will help to expand the collection even further. MR recently caught up with Ingvarsson to discuss the success of the brand, his celebrity partnerships and the growth of the technical performance underwear category.
Q: How has business been since launching the brand?
A: We are in a good place in a sense that we’re increasing monthly. Our accounts are coming back monthly for 10 to 15 percent more than they originally ordered. They don’t go back to what they ordered before. The demand for t-shirts is increasing as well; I’m pretty happy.
Q: Describe the Frigo Zone?
A: It’s something that won’t make you sweat when you go to the gym. The Frigo Zone adds 1 millimeter of breathable air flow so that you don’t have skin-to-skin contact.
Q: Who is the Frigo guy?
A: We try and target everyone, from the 18 year-old guy that goes to the gym to the everyday man to even the 77-year-old guy. It’s for anyone who enjoys taking care of his body and sees Frigo as that extra something to succeed or give them extra confidence. Also, a lot of women have been buying Frigo for the men in their lives. I’ve realized it’s much easier to convince women to buy our products for their men to try and they love it.
Q: In the Frigo design process, does the technology come first or the comfort?
A: Comfort is first and foremost; that’s how I got involved. Then we got superathletes of the world who wanted an athletic line with performance. So we added more support for them. But the basis of the line is being super comfortable. Then we focus on using the best materials.
Q: In your opinion, how has the technical performance underwear/basics categories grown over the last few seasons?
A: It has grown enormously. It’s all about combining fashion and technology. In all categories you have to have something more than just a brand image, you have to have technology in your product to survive. There is a huge demand for new underwear basic products in the U.S. The feedback is amazing from who we sell too. Tech fabrics and tech wear has seen an enormous growth in apparel, and we continue to use them in our line.
Q: What is in the pipeline for the brand?
A: We are creating different tiers and price points for retailers. We’ve signed international distributors and licenses as well. We’re working on brand extensions into new categories, and with every category we do we aim to build some new technology into it.
