B.U.M. Equipment

B.U.M. Equipment, also known by its corporate name Chauvin International, Ltd., is a Los Angeles clothing company founded in 1985. Marketed primarily toward teens and young adults, the brand was particularly fashionable during the late 1980s^[1] and early 1990s with its selection of athletic-styled T-shirts and sweatshirts. B.U.M. went on to make a considerable influence on street fashion of that era and, despite problems in the mid-1990s, has continued operating today.

Brand development

Design director Morty Forshpan takes credit for exploiting the company's full potential; however, some industry analysts believe^{[citation needed]} that Seattle native Derek Federman was the creative mind behind B.U.M.'s athletic style and logo presentation, almost a year before Forshpan took over as majority shareholder and chief executive officer of Chauvin. Despite admitting to having never picked up a sketch pad, Forshpan has also accepted nominations for the California Mart's West Coast designer of the year award. Design director Trina Turk has stated that Forshpan likes to see colors and initial sketches but primarily tends to company finances.^[2]

According to Khristopher Bond,VP of Marketing (1989–94) and the person credited for exploding the brand onto the world market through their award winning "real people" advertising campaigns (which would later be adopted by other major retailers), "in contrast to other brand names like FUBU, the B.U.M. acronym doesn't actually stand for anything. He added, "Or it means everything to everybody. For me it is a basic understanding of mankind."^[3] However several articles of clothing from the line do come stamped with the slogan Body Utility Maintenance. Indeed, it would seem as though a considerable amount of brand confusion existed within the rank and file of the B.U.M. Equipment hierarchy. Perhaps, this is to blame for B.U.M.'s more recent lackluster sales initiatives.

Company history

In its first year, B.U.M. made $3 million in sales and, within five years, was reaching $200 million annually. Early on, B.U.M. signed a licensing deal with Chip & Pepper, which the co-owning brothers of the company claim B.U.M. mismanaged. This led to a trademark dispute between the two that lasted several years. In September 1994, B.U.M. merged with Cami'z but, in the midst of their legal battle with Chip & Pepper, went bankrupt. B.U.M. was reformed under new management in 1997 and denied any mismanagement of Chip & Pepper, claiming that they signed with B.U.M. because they were becoming unprofitable and "going nowhere."^[4]

In recent times, the B.U.M. collection has broadened into sportswear (i.e. clothing and/or shoes) and underwear.^[5] B.U.M. stores also exist in nations other than the United States, including several in Asia and Australia.

References

1. ^ Clothes of the Eighties, B.U.M. Equipment Inthe80s.com. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
2. ^ Kissel, William Basics Instinct B.U.M. Equipment Finds Success Making Comfortable Everyday Clothing With Reverse Snob Appeal Los Angeles Times (October 8, 1993). Retrieved January 16, 2008.
3. ^ Brown, Bruce D. The B.U.M. Wrap; Clothes That Fit A Laid-Back Philosophy The Washington Post (July 14, 1992). Retrieved January 16, 2008.
4. ^ Brown, Rachel Dynamic duo make mark on jeans world. Los Angeles Business Journal (September 26, 2005). Retrieved January 16, 2008.
5. ^ Latest News BUMEquipment.com

External links

• Official Site