With the men’s fashion industry booming like never before, NC State alumnus Jared Childs spotted an opportunity to cater to young professionals hoping to amp up their style. The 24-year-old entrepreneur noticed a lapse in men’s fashion outlets in the Raleigh area. This led to the creation of mobile business Pitch and Primer, a men’s clothing company run out of an Airstream and online.
During his time with the school of management, Childs was one of six students in the entrepreneurship clinic. Childs credits the entrepreneurship clinic with helping him build a strong network in the community, along with gaining key real-world experience that would later help him run Pitch and Primer.
“I had the support network and also, in my opinion, there’s no better time to start a company then fresh out of college,” Childs said. “After college, you don’t have a family or mortgage; there’s no real financial obligations besides student loans.”
Childs was also inspired by the fashion industry, as he quickly noticed an opportunity to become a part of the industry people were investing billions into.
“Men are paying more for clothes than ever before,” Childs said. “I was intrigued how the industry was blowing up. More and more young professionals are moving to Raleigh with no places for guys to shop in downtown Raleigh.”
Pitch and Primer is one of the first mobile fashion companies located on the east coast. The company also boasts over 70 styles online for men that live outside the Raleigh area. The Airstream can be spotted around the Triangle area about three times a week and will soon be popping up at locations across the country.
“This time next year we’d like to be in two different markets and have our own line,” Childs said. “We have pretty ambitious goals. In the next five years, I’d like to see us in 25 cities.”
Pitch and Primer will be making a week-long appearance in Nashville over spring break to test the market outside the Raleigh area.
The company currently sells thriving men’s brands such as Grayers, a brand started by a husband and wife team with retail experience.
Lauren Stilwell, co-founder of Pitch and Primer, works as the creative director for the company. Studying textiles and design with a concentration in fashion design, Stilwell acts as the creative eye for Pitch and Primer.
“Seeing your personal ideas come to life is really rewarding,” Stilwell said. “Being creative, we think of these things and instead of waiting for them to go through corporate steps to see them implemented, it’s right in front of us.”
Stilwell joined Pitch and Primer about 2016, when Childs saw one of her designs he wanted to purchase. The two quickly joined forces to further develop the idea of Pitch and Primer, which was still in the making at the time. Since then, the Airstream has popped up at local breweries, restaurants and other shopping outlets.
Childs describes Pitch and Primer’s style as classic and timeless with a modern twist. The sleek Airstream offers customers a chance to feel the clothing and will soon offer personal stylist appointments along with online personal styling.
Stilwell plans on designing for Pitch and Primer after college, when she can devote all her time to sourcing creating a house brand for the company.
“We are trying really hard to develop a brand that’s really different, and guys are really comfortable with,” Stillwell said. “We definitely are influenced by trends and know what’s trending; we want people to have things that, once purchased from us, will last a long time.”
The duo recognizes the progress Pitch and Primer has made in only a year and plan expanding and implementing customer-based suggestions to give customers the ultimate shopping experience.
“When I stop and think about it, this time last year this idea of a mobile experience for retail wasn’t a thing,” Childs said. “I have grown a lot as an entrepreneur and as a concept. Looking back it gets me excited thinking about what we can accomplish in the future.”
A version of this article appeared in print on Feb. 16, 2017 with the headline: “Pitch & Primer: fashion on the go.”
Pitch and Primer, a men's clothing subscription service, sets up shop around Raleigh at local bars. Jared Childs, an NC State alumnus, and Lauren Stilwell, a senior studying fashion and textile design, co-founded the company together to create a more consumer-oriented shopping experience in Raleigh.
