Holderness & Bourne established its brand by setting out to create a better golf shirt. Courtesy Holderness & Bourne
Oftentimes, a night of bourbon drinking leads to less-than-responsible behavior and nothing but regrets the morning after.
But for Alex Holderness and John Bourne, a pair of Yale Business School graduates who were working in finance in New York City after receiving their MBAs, throwing back tumblers one evening at the Old Town Bar in the Flatiron District of New York City actually took them to a very good place. Namely, the creation of a premium apparel brand that in the great tradition of bespoke British tailors on Savile Row and shirt makers on Jermyn Street bears their last names.
To be sure, it took a while to get there once the corn liquor had worn off. There were trips to New York City’s Garment District, to check out cut-and-sew contractors as well as fabric wholesalers and specialty trim shops. And lots of discussion about how to turn an idea into an actual product and then a business. The process also i...