Dany Garcia’s GSTQ Expands Into Menswear
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Dany Garcia is the quintessential multitasker.
She’s a film producer, a professional bodybuilder, co-owner of the XFL football league and her Garcia Cos. business also owns a number of consumer products, including Teremana tequila and Zoa energy drink.
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Two years ago, she took the plunge into fashion, launching GSTQ, an inclusively sized women’s collection, heavy on dresses, that is being sold on her website and will be added to nordstrom.com later this month. Now Garcia is expanding the GSTQ franchise into menswear.
“The process of starting with women was very clear from the beginning,” she said. It centered around “taking care of my sisters, holding women up and supporting them” by providing them with clothing, which is “one of the most intimate relationships you can have with the consumer.”
But while GSTQ, which stands for God Save the Queen, a longtime anthem for the entrepreneur, may have started with women, Garcia has always felt a kinship with men.
“The majority of my life, after college, has been guiding men, and guiding men’s careers,” said Garcia, who manages her ex-husband Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and is a partner with him in a number of businesses, including his Project Rock athletic and training line with Under Armour.
Although GSTQ menswear was inspired by athletes, it is not athleticwear. The assortment is intended to tick all the boxes for guys and can take them from the office to a restaurant. The offer includes suits; flat-front pants with silicone waistbands; joggers without elasticized bottoms; polo shirts with zip closures; color-blocked T-shirts in organic cotton; tracksuits; quarter-zip hoodies with kangaroo pockets; merino wool sweaters handknit in Uruguay, and outerwear, including reversible nylon jackets, a quilted bomber in a herringbone pattern, an anorak with a raglan back and a limited-edition down-filled oversize puffer vest.
The line, which is designed by former Ralph Lauren executive Anna Tobler, who also designs the women’s, is centered around comfort — nearly all of the pieces stretch and there are lots of bells and whistles, such as myriad pockets in which to store things, stowaway hoods and sealed seams. The suit jackets and the outerwear have interior backpack straps so they can be taken off and carried.
Garcia likened the collection to the XFL, which she said “creates an environment where my athletes can shine. GSTQ men’s is the manifestation of those same efforts in apparel: the stretch, understanding the need for them to stay cool, the details — clothing that was defined and created from the heart.”
The collection was inspired and motivated by all the men she has worked with over the years including Johnson as well as her current husband, Dave Rienzi, also a bodybuilder and professional fitness coach.
Garcia said she sees “a lot of white space” in fashion, particularly menswear, and believes now is the right time to enter the market and offer a fresh alternative. The target customer is someone who is busy and juggling lots of tasks but still wants to “feel polished and enjoy clothing that says, not only is this great to wear, but it’s great to be seen in. The entertainer and producer in me wants to create things that look good.”
This is similar to the women’s line, which Garcia said has exceeded its sales plan since launching two years ago. “But it’s still very, very young.”
She expects the suits, which are offered in eye-popping colors such as orange and red, as well as the joggers, hoodies and quarter-zips to be among the most popular items in the men’s line at launch.
GSTQ men’s opens at $98 for T-shirts with pants retailing for $198 to $248, blazers for $448, an anorak for $598 and the puffy vest for $798. Orders can be placed starting Monday and the line will officially launch on Aug. 15.
Asked what her goals are for GSTQ, Garcia said she’d ultimately like to have a brick-and-mortar presence, expand into childrenswear and sell internationally. “This line is not about global domination, but I would love it to be a very important brand because of the thought we put behind the design.”
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