Elwood Clothing’s Justin Saul: ‘Learning the manufacturing side of the business first was a blessing’

Currently a street- and loungewear brand owned by creative director Justin Saul and business director Jackson Wirht, it first launched in 1996 with different ownership and a focus on skate culture. Twelve years later, it resurfaced with styles including denim. When Saul and Wirht acquired the company in 2020, it was fueling sales with heavy discounts and had “horrible” community engagement, Saul said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. According to Saul, getting the brand on track meant overhauling everything about it except for its name.

On the podcast, he breaks down why he and Wirht bought into Elwood Clothing versus starting a brand from scratch. He also explains what’s driving the company’s recent growth, with sales increasing 165% In the last 12 months. Highlighted quotes below have been lightly edited for clarity. 

Learning manufacturing first

“When I left school, I begged my friend’s dad to give me a job in the fashion space, because I thought that’s where I wanted to be. And then, over those couple of years, I slowly began to understand the garment manufacturing process for JCPenney, Target, Walmart, Kohl’s — all of these companies, predominantly in ladies’ wear. … Eventually, I [set out to] sell a young men’s clothing product at Walmart. And so I started going down to Bentonville, Arkansas and showing them young men’s products. They didn’t want anything for the first year and a half. And then, all of a sudden, they wanted to test, and they tested a short-sleeve hoodie — it was a very streetwear thing 5-7 years ago. And that business tremendously grew overnight. And then I was like, ‘Well, shit. I need to be and want to be more creative with what I put out into the world.’ And that’s where the thought of starting a business or buying an existing business came from. I learned the manufacturing side of things first, which was a blessing for me, before the whole creative and brand side.”

The marketing strategy

“We’re just doing digital [marketing] at the moment: content, products, Instagram, TikTok, all that stuff. But we didn’t use Meta at the beginning. It was very word-of-mouth, like, ‘Hey, we have this. You guys should try it.’ And units weren’t big at the beginning; it was small. And we were selling out, and it was great. It was like, ‘Wow, there’s an appetite for all of this.’ And then, slowly but surely, it was like, ‘OK, what do we have to do to actually run this business?’ And that obviously meant hiring people, and then Instagram ads came almost two years down the road. But I believe a big part of our success is that the content we put out is very democratic and relatable to what someone wants to wear, but it’s also a bit higher end and a little like, ‘Oh, what is that?’ So I always talk about a hybrid business model in every facet of our business, and that’s how I want everything to run: It’s not super cool, but it’s not lame. And it’s not crazy expensive, but it’s not very cheap. And we’re gonna grow with digital ads, but we’re also gonna grow with brand and content and brand awareness and cool events. This model has worked for us.”

DTC vs. Nordstrom

“We’re the No. 3 selling brand for Nordstrom in the young men’s space at the moment, so they’re asking for anything that they can get their hands on. The core line is selling amazingly, but so is fashion, so we’re very blessed to have that success in Nordstrom. They’re down to do whatever we want. … That’s still a small part of our business, even though it’s growing rapidly, and it’s great — it’s millions of dollars. But our direct-to-consumer [business] is probably 90% of the business. That’s how I always wanted it to be: Be in Nordstrom, and then let’s blow this thing up so everyone in the United States can buy it.”

A community-focused membership program

“It’s just a way to give back. I struggle with mental health and anxiety at times, and there are those times when you just want to feel a part of something and want to be heard and understood — even if someone doesn’t really understand you or know what you’re talking about or what you’re going through. Sometimes there’s just a safe space to be able to go to and feel like you’re a part of it. So that’s what we try to do with the Country Club. It’s about giving them this ‘in’ to Elwood, so that they feel a part of the team and get the perks of being part of the Country Club. The Country Club is so important to me and the brand, and there could be a lot more focus on it. I would love for there to be a head of it — we have one guy who does it, but he also does other stuff. So that’s definitely a goal down the road: How can we make them feel even more empowered and more part of our brand, and create a safe space for consumers?”