MartinPatrick3’s Behind the Brand event
MartinPatrick3, the Minneapolis men’s contemporary store, held the first of what it hopes to be a series of “Behind the Brand” events last week. It was catered by local restaurants and featured denim, footwear, neckwear, dress shirts and belts.
The store, which started as a much smaller men’s accessories business, expanded recently. It now features a much wider selection of apparel, including denim, blazers, outerwear, furnishings and shoes.
I spoke to Erick DeLeon (pictured below, third from left), the store’s new manager, about the event. “We wanted to show our dedication to the city and appreciation for our clients. Events like this allow our customers to put faces to the brands we carry; so many people see these brands and assume they’re big companies—they don’t realize it could be one person or a husband and wife team. For Behind the Brand, we had a local presence with some national brands along with a trunk show from Gitman Bros.”
Photos by Matthew Hodgman
The mood was casual and the focus was on introducing customers to brands and their owners. Food came from James Beard-nominated restaurant Butcher & the Boar, and sweets were provided by Keikeu Cake Boutique, but drinks and music were less formal. “There wasn’t a DJ or a bartender. We brought in some beer and had some wine behind the counter—it was just social.”
Greenwich Vintage, a local shoe business that specializes in resoling dress shoes with colorful rubber, was there to launch its collaboration with MartinPatrick3.
Local television personality Don Shelby was there with the King brothers to show The Shelby Knot Collection (profiled by us in March). Don Shelby, a former Twin Cities news anchor, showed current news anchor Jason DeRusha the Shelby Knot.
Pierrepont Hicks showed their neckwear collection made with Southwick suiting material. Cause & Effect’s Billy Moore made belts for customers while they watched. Other participants included Gitman Bros. and Virginia-based Ruell & Ray denim, which had fittings by brand owner Ashley James.
