Now, sold in over 130 stores, including Nordstrom, Stitch Fix, Trunk Club, Sundance Catalog, and many more. Three years later, in Nifty Genius’ fifth collection, the company has been applauded for its commitment to superior design and affordable prices. Which is why the brand is currently priced direct to consumer meaning the end consumer will be getting an amazing product at a more affordable price. This was achieved by doing something that most companies wouldn’t.

Now, they felt the final piece of the puzzle was to position the brand as an affordable luxury, that transcends perceived value to offer ACTUAL value. So, at this juncture, the team had created a unique e-commerce experience and an incredible product with socially conscious motivation. Every piece in the Nifty Genius collection contains Ultrasuede – it’s the intrinsic value that sets the brand apart. She responded with, “don’t worry about that fabric, it’s too expensive for you.” James wouldn’t take no for an answer and said “well, why don’t you let me worry about that” and when she asked what he wanted to use Ultrasuede for he said, “everything.” And he did use Ultrasuede in everything. James was hooked and asked the fabric supplier about it. On top of all that, it’s a fully sustainable product made from recycled plastics and plant-based materials. It feels just like real suede but it’s vegan and machine washable. It was a sample for something called Ultrasuede, a microfiber that doesn’t crack, fade, shrink or wrinkle. James was sitting in a fabric meeting, going through swatches for the first fall collection when a piece of fabric came loose from the pile and fell into James’ lap. They needed something new, something different that would set Nifty Genius apart. Having created this unique shopping experience and the curated brand wasn’t enough though. This ambitious team, however, did not stop there and decided to create a fully curated lifestyle experience: a website that would sell everything from clothing, shoes, accessories, and apothecary, to classic cars, furniture, watches, and everything in between. They had decided to design a line of direct-to-consumer menswear that serves the informed gentleman through understated yet elegant garments. Flash forward, James had been consulting for Jared and partner, Larry Lemons for a year. Taken aback by the cheeky name and the fact that an NFL player had come to him for consulting, James was apprehensive and asked Jared: “Do you want this to be a hobby or a real business?” Jared responded, “a real business” and the journey began. Jared came to James with the idea for a men’s clothing wear company called Nifty Genius. CEO and Creative Director, James Costa was working at his previous menswear company when he was approached by the tight end for the Oakland Raiders (then Rams): Jared Cook. Rome wasn’t built in a day and The Curated Menswear Experience didn’t come to be overnight. James, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. Today we’d like to introduce you to James Costa.

Nifty genius