Out of the starting blocks
A Niwot High grad returns to Boulder to debut a clothing brand.
“I started working at that store when I was 15, and now I’m bringing back a brand.” David Perry
When David Perry was sweeping floors and stocking shelves at a Boulder shoe store during high school, he didn’t know that he was laying the groundwork for his future career.
Five years after graduating from Niwot High School as a state champion runner, Perry is back in that same shop. But this time, his products are on the shelves, and he won’t be sweeping any floors.
Perry is debuting his men’s athletic wear brand, BLK RBN (pronounced “black ribbon”), coinciding with Installation Shoe Gallery’s move to the Pearl Street Mall.
“Things are just coming full circle,” said Perry, who now lives in Portland, Ore. “I started working at that store when I was 15, and now I’m bringing back a brand.”
Perry launched the luxury athletic line — designed to be worn “in and outside of sport” — this summer in Portland and said the reception has been great.
“I’ve been really shocked to see where sales are coming from — London, Croatia, Russia,” Perry said. “All the sales have been direct to consumer from our online store, and it’s been very successful.”
Installation, now at 2835 Pearl St., will be the first retailer to carry the BLK RBN line, which ranges from $110 for a slim-fitting men’s tank to $200 for French terry trousers with bronze ankle zippers.
The store opens Saturday at 2015 13th St.
Installation buyer Dio Ramirez said it was great to work with Perry again — this time as an entrepreneur.
“He’s one of our greatest products,” Ramirez said. “We really train our guys to be industry-oriented rather than have this job be a summer gig, and Perry went on and took the initiative to make something in the industry.”
The gear is manufactured in Los Angeles, with fabrics from Japan and Switzerland, and is made for long-lasting wear of a decade or more.
Although the freshman line is all black, Perry said colors are upcoming and will stay on trend with what he sees in the high-fashion world that he looks to for inspiration.
“I’ve been super influenced by fashion and identification,” he said. “Clothing can be an armor or your identity, and I really wanted that for running. And it doesn’t exist.”
Perry earned his bachelor’s and MBA from the University of Portland, which he attended on a running scholarship.
He said he is excited to be returning to his hometown and thinks the brand will perform well in a community where athletes value quality and performance. “To be able to mash my early lessons of fashion with Installation and my success and trials through running and bring that together — I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”