Jeff Horowitz, 26, and his company, DressMonkey (dressmonkey.com), create choices for fashion-savvy men.
DressMonkey provides a way for men to custom-design and order blazers online that are more stylish and cost less than most off-the-rack blazers. Customers choose from a variety of fabrics and cuts and customize every detail right down to the number of pockets and buttons.
The blazers are manufactured in a factory near Shanghai, China, and shipped to San Diego, where they clear U.S. customs. They are dry-cleaned and boxed in San Diego for shipment throughout the United States.
Horowitz, who grew up in Southern California and graduated from Claremont McKenna College, where he learned Chinese, dreamed up DressMonkey with his business partner, Coley Dale, also 26, when they were both working in Shanghai, China. Horowitz, who worked as a business development manager for a Chinese logistics company (the only non-Chinese employee), and Dale got caught up in China's entrepreneurial enthusiasm and started DressMonkey.
Age: “27”
Are you a clothing designer? “No, I have no formal training.”
What is DressMonkey? “DressMonkey is a brand-driven, Internet-based e-commerce company that allows young working professionals to design high-quality and custom-tailored blazers.”
When did you start DressMonkey? “Coley and I started DressMonkey in the fall of 2005, while living together in Shanghai.”
Have you always been interested in clothes? “Not always. I was the athletic type growing up, always on the soccer field or the baseball field. I didn't really have interests in custom tailoring until I moved to Shanghai after graduating college and was introduced to the amazing fabric markets and tailors out there.
“The resources out there (in terms of quality tailors and fabrics) really unlocked the interest and creativity I never thought I had in terms of clothing and fashion.
“And Coley and I have always liked jackets. We spent our younger years looking through the racks of overpriced and yawn-inspiring blazers. We learned about the neglected art of the classic dress coat, and realized that some of the finer details have fallen by the wayside in the last few decades.
“In that spirit, we decided to start a clothing company to bring young professionals like us top-notch fabrics, custom tailoring and style options.”
Did you go to fashion school? “No. I'm currently getting my master's degree in international affairs and management from the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD.”
Who are your favorite designers? “To be honest, I don't have a favorite. I guess that's part of DressMonkey's anti-brand identity. That said, I've recently gotten interested in the emerging eco-fashion movement.
“There are some exciting names doing some really cool green design – Rogan Gregory, to name one, who just won the CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund award last year. More and more companies are coming out with eco-conscious lines (Theory, 3.1 Phillip Lim, even vertically integrated brands like Banana Republic and Guess).
“DressMonkey is starting to get into the act as well. We just released two new velvets, which are blended with bamboo, one of the most sustainable plants in the world. For more info, visit our new fabrics page.”
What current fashion trend do you detest? “It's not right to 'detest' or hate a fashion look or style. We at DressMonkey think people should rock the look that makes them feel their best, however staid or flamboyant that look may be.
“A fashion-related trend we don't care for are the guys in Milan telling us what's in or what isn't. The clothes you buy, the clothes you wear, the choices you make, they're yours and no one else's.”
Which do you love? “Narrow lapels, slim cuts and bold linings. But again, going back to the green design movement, I think is the future.
“I'm not talking the extreme, where everything being churned out should be made of recycled paper or tree bark. Instead, it's about making the socially and environmentally smart decision in every aspect of the value chain. We at DressMonkey are trying to develop new approaches now and continue to develop them as our product lines expand and business grows in the future.”
When you're not running your business, what do you like to do? “I enjoy hitting the beach, going to Padres games with friends, playing soccer and the guitar, hanging out with my girlfriend, spending quality time with the parents back in my hometown of Laguna Beach and sleeping.”
If you could only put 10 songs on your iPod, what would they be?
1. “Thriller,” Michael Jackson
2. “Dirty Harry,” Gorillaz
3. “The Wheel in the Sky,” Journey
4. “Alice's Restaurant,” Arlo Guthrie
5. “King of Pain,” The Police
6. “Oxford Comma,” Vampire Weekend
7. “Police and Thieves,” The Clash
8. “Djinamory,” Alpha Blondy
9. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Iz
10. “Accentuate the Positive,” Sam Harris
