While most eighth-graders were worrying about their awkward transition from middle school to high school, finance sophomore Avery Theard was working to promote the clothing company that he and his step-brothers created.
The now 20-year-old Theard and his two brothers, Bruce Jackson and Barry Sorrell, combined their business savviness and love for fashion to establish Mad Endz, a brand that has touched the East and West Coast though it was born in the Crescent City.
Theard said his brother Barry came up with the idea to start a clothing brand, but it took nearly two months to solidify a name and style the brand could revolve around.
“When you wear Mad Endz, you’re going to stand out,” Theard said. “People are going to notice you in a crowd, and that’s what we’re going for.”
In the summer of 2008, Mad Endz was born when the three siblings gathered all of their savings and decided to throw a raffle fundraiser to fund their first line. Theard said they sold somewhere between 200 and 300 tickets to raffle off three prizes: a 32-inch flatscreen TV, an iPod Nano and a Lakeside Mall gift card.
The three brothers turned their $200 in combined savings into nearly $1,000, enough to create their first “respectable” line of crewneck sweatshirts and t-shirts, he said.
Mad Endz sold out of its first collection when local New Orleans shop Traffic Boutique picked up its line. After they sold all the pieces they had, they moved on to the next collection, keeping each release small and distinct.
The brothers knew from the start they wanted to keep the brand exclusive, offering mostly high-end custom casual wear, but after its initial release, Theard said Mad Endz had to expand slightly.
In 2010, the brothers decided to throw their first fashion release party. With the help of local designer John McCann, Mad Endz booked the Republic New Orleans venue and sold nearly 1,100 tickets, raising even more money to expand the brand.
A year later, Mad Endz threw their second event, a New Year’s bash, at the St. Charles Super Lounge in the Mercedes Benz Superdome with almost 1,500 people in attendance.
“Our parents used to work the doors for us, and my dad said some kids were breaking down, crying, because they reached capacity,” Theard said.
After the second event, Theard said they had enough money to rent a small office space on South Claiborne Street for the summer, and it was at that point they started seriously focusing on Mad Endz as a sustainable nine-to-five business.
Though his brother Sorrell moved on from the company in 2010, Theard made his first trip to California to promote the brand in Los Angeles.
Theard said social media has had a major influence on the brand. The Mad Endz Instagram account has amassed 105,000 followers since 2011, and he said it allows people from all over the world to find their brand at MadEndz.com.
Currently, Mad Endz carries everything from hats and scarves to windbreakers and jerseys. Of course, T-shirts, sweatshirts and button-ups are included in the current collection, but Theard said the next collection will feature new items such as a bomber jacket.
While the company originally offered only men’s clothing, Mad Endz expanded into women’s wear when it found out its biggest online clientele was women.
Now, Mad Endz offers female-cut shirts and leggings along with other unisex items. Additionally, Theard said they want to start focusing more on custom items again to maintain the exclusivity that made them popular in the first place.
The current Mad Endz line heavily revolves around floral designs paired with darker colored shirts, many of which focused around the Mad Endz insignia. But Theard said the brand is also changing and evolving with each new item because the designers’ main inspiration comes simply from their lives’ transitions.
“We let the brand grow up with us and graduate its style,” Theard said.
You can reach Michael Tarver on Twitter @michael_T16.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Haley Rowe-Kadow

LSU finance sophomore and co-founder of Mad Endz Avery Theard holds the 'Mona Lisa Portrait' scarf from the brand's Fall 2013 Collection.