Project New York: Ones to Watch

The Brooklyn Circus
“The evolution of urban” is how Ouigi Theodore characterizes the retro-preppy, collegiate look of The Brooklyn Circus, his trendy Brooklyn-based sportswear brand.

“I have a degree in history and marketing from Stony Brook in New York and studied advertising and graphic design at FIT. Everything that we’ve done with this brand has to do with our love of history,” explained Theodore. “We’ve taken a little bit from different eras, from the Thirties and Fifties to the Sixties and Seventies.”

Those historical references can be seen in the brand’s retro varsity jackets with chenille Brooklyn Circus logos, preppy cardigans and vintage newsboy caps.

“We’re having fun with this and we’re interested in both style and character — what’s on the outside as well as what’s on the inside,” he said.

Theodore started The Brooklyn Circus as a retail store in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn in 2006, and has since opened a second store in San Francisco with partner Gabriel Garcia. His first wholesale accounts were all in Japan, with buyers making treks to the retail store and simply buying merchandise off the store floor. Last year, the brand launched its first wholesale effort in the U.S., introducing the line at Project Las Vegas.

The collection is sold in about 10 U.S. stores, including Wish and Striver’s Row in Atlanta and Sir and Madame in Chicago. In Canada, it’s available at Holt Renfrew, and in Japan, in about 25 doors. “The Japanese buyers like the real Americana feel of the collection,” pointed out Theodore.

For fall, highlights in the lineup include distressed leather jackets, slim-fit denim and brushed cotton pants in shades of dirty white, khaki and mustard. Varsity jackets retail for $480, double-breasted blazers are $510, denim is $180 to $220, cardigans are $95 to $240 and T-shirts are $35.