Shep and Ian Murray, natives of Greenwich,
Connecticut, went from brothers who simply enjoyed spending their summers at
Martha’s Vineyard to fearless entrepreneurs who embraced their lifestyle and
turned it into an iconic clothing brand known as Vineyard Vines. Many people
will recognize the smiling pink whale adorned on many brightly colored hats,
polos, quarter zips, and t-shirts – the mascot of a brand embodying the preppy,
classy, fun, and easy-going lifestyle. Their slogan, “Every day should feel
this good”, arises from the brothers’ ultimate philosophy of “living the good
life”.
Spending
every summer of their lives on Martha’s Vineayrd, Shep and Ian developed a love
for the total aesthetic of the island – the sun, fishing, boats, people, and
beaches. They loved to escape out onto the water and enjoy the beaches from boats
they were barely able to afford using their combined earnings. In the late
nineties, the brothers found themselves working mundane office jobs in New York
City, and realized they were not living the “good life” they had always envisioned
for themselves. In a bold moment of passion and ambition, the duo quit their
jobs at nearly the same time and set out to develop a clothing brand that
embodied their vision of the “good life”, and Vineyard Vines was officially
founded.
The
brand started out tiny – just 800 individual ties, sold right out of the
brothers’ backpacks at Martha’s Vineyard. But to their surprise, this risk
ended up paying off, and they sold out in the first weekend. Having barely had enough
money after quitting their jobs and opening up credit cards to buy silk, this
sudden success quickly motivated them to immediately order more materials and
move into a bigger office. Vineyard Vines eventually expanded to include not
only ties, but most other articles of clothing for both men and women, and a
plethora of other accessories.
The popularity of the brand bloomed
across the nation, particularly down the east cost, and now has even
collaborated and created unique clothing with other large businesses such as
the NFL, MLB, and colleges across the United States. Ian and Shep serve as
excellent examples of how creativity can stem from an intrinsic passion, and
how that passion can then be turned into something that reaches the lives of
people around the world. They also exemplify the importance of collaboration –
without each other’s support, how
difficult might it have been for them to take that initial leap of faith and
quit their jobs to follow their dreams? Together, Ian and Shep are “living out
their version of the American Dream”, as they have described it, and created a
unique brand that embodies not only a certain style, but an aesthetic and a
life experience that they each hold dear to their hearts.
“People always say that if you do what you love, you'll be
successful. There's no doubt that we're doing what we love and loving what we
do: we're having fun, working hard and meeting great people.”
– Ian & Shep
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It's really cool to hear about the creators of such a now popular and expensive clothing company and to think that they were selling their product out of backpacks at one point. The brothers were in a position worse than where they wanted to be and that extrinsic motivation for a better lifestyle pushed them to launch their brand, while the intrinsic motivation for everything they loved in Martha's Vineyard helped create their product. The product also continues to display their love of having a good, relaxing time, as most people who where it continue to hang around places like Martha's Vineyard and prioritize the laid back lifestyle.
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