OluKai invested in Melin, a West Coast headwear brand in the luxury and youth culture space. The move follows on its investment in eyewear brand Kaenon as it seeks to establish itself as an incubator for upstarts.
Founded in 2014, Melin offers a tiered product line that includes Red Label Luxury, White Label Limited and Black Label Lifestyle. Melin’s designs use exotic materials such as Italian cashmere, Spanish nappa leather, polished stingray leather, Japanese neoprene, titanium metal trims and real 8-point diamonds.
Coveted by a fan base including celebrities, musicians and pro athletes, including Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, World Series Champions Addison Russell and Jake Arrieta and skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, the Melin family continues to grow its following. Limited availability capsules, such as the recent Melin x Team LA edition celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Kings, as well as price points exceeding $1,000, add to the influential cache of the Melin brand.
The OluKai partnership stems from a belief in the vision of the Melin founders and longtime friends Brian McDonell and Corey Roth, who will remain at the helm of the brand and will leverage OluKai’s investments of expertise and resources to accelerate the scale of business growth.
“We see similarities between OluKai, our fast-growing lifestyle brand, and Melin: both are driven by a resilient commitment to quality and authenticity, both are privileged to serve consumers who expect excellence and both bring to market a truly disruptive and category creating product line at the top end of their respective markets,” said Jim Harris, CEO of OluKai. “We are proud to call Brian and Corey our partners and our friends.”
OluKai’s investments in Melin, as well as eyewear brand Kaenon, reiterate OluKai’s “ongoing commitment to maximizing the potential of independently owned lifestyle brands that deliver innovative product concepts through tightly controlled distribution with best in class specialty retailers.”
