Unionmade, purveyor of high-end menswear, has shut its doors down after 10 years of business. Started in 2009 by Todd Barket and Carl Chiara, the business began in the wave of Americana-focused men’s fashion selling goods from brands like RRL, orSlow, Kapital, and Levi’s Vintage Clothing. The brand had expanded into several brick-and-mortar locations including two stores in Southern California, one in Marin County, and a women’s store in San Francisco.
Unionmade was once highly regarded as a go-to menswear destination not only by America but around the world, inspiring numerous stores with a similar aesthetic to open in its wake. Author of Ametora, W. David Marx commented on the store in his book saying, “San Francisco’s Unionmade boutique built a reputation with Americans selling Japanese brands Kapital, Ships, and Beams+—but now Japanese select shops look to the store for inspiration.”
Over the years, however, Unionmade would eventually close both Southern California locations to focus on their Northern California stores. In an effort to keep up with fashion’s changing landscapes, Unionmade also eventually grew out of their initial opening roster of workwear and Americana goods to more obscure lines edging on high-fashion and the avant-garde.
Earlier this month, Unionmade posted out-of-the-blue markdowns of 30% across its entire stock and the signs seemed to point toward the store’s closing. The evidence grew and San Francisco’s menswear mecca would soon post greater discounts within days. The flagship location finally closed its doors on August 14th and its online shop and social media profiles have since been taken down.
Todd Barket commented on Unionmade’s closure to SFist saying,
“After 10 years of independent retail, I have decided to move on to new creative endeavors. Over the past few years, it was exciting to create a unique fashion point of view to match the uniqueness of San Francisco. I especially loved meeting all of the customers who shared in my vision of unique quality clothing and expressing their personal style.”
Disclosure: Gerald Ortiz worked for Unionmade from 2015-2018.
