Sean John Stays Private, Continues To Expand

By Author: Eric Hobbs
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Founded by Grammy Award winning rapper and entertainment mogul Sean Diddy Combs, the Sean John clothing line has grown from a small hip-hop inspired line of sportswear into a leader in the clothing industry, a leader that has helped resurrect a sense of excitement in the long stagnant fashion world.

It should surprise no one that Combs was able to add a jewel to his always-expanding empire like this. He was known as a go-getter from the start when he moved from intern to Vice President of Uptown Records in a matter of months. From there he went on to start his own record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, where he launched to careers of The Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, 112, Faith Evans and, oh yeah, this producer-turned-rapper who calls himself Diddy.

Still, that wasn't enough. As many did, Combs looked to follow in the footsteps of Russell Simmons and create a line of clothing. In 1998, the ever-ambitious Combs did just that, taking his personal (somewhat flamboyant) style to the masses. Thus, Sean John was born.

Sean John started small, focusing on casual dress and sportswear. Since then, however, the signature ...
... label has grown by leaps and bounds, expanding into everything from tailored suits to cologne to high-end wheels for your car. Sean John sees sales of over $400 million per year, and Diddy is one of the few hip-hop entrepreneurs that has not sold his company to a large corporation. (Russell Simmons recently sold his remaining stake in Phat Farm while Jay-Z sold his Rocawear clothing line in 2007).

Of course, Combs is a rarity in the entertainer-turned-fashion designer world as his line has seen critical success as well as commercial success. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has nominated Combs five times in a row for the CFDA Designer of the Year Award. In 2004, he finally took home the award for Sean John.

Combs recently opened a Sean John store on New York City's Fifth Avenue and has plans to expand into more city's as the Sean John brand continues to grow.