- 105
- 10
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2000
It was little fanfare last week that www.two-3.com went down, presumably for good. When one visits the site now, he or she is redirected to www.jumpman23.com. I don't think anyone on here even mentioned that the site had gone down. There was a post a couple of months ago that mentioned that Nike had decided to discontinue the Two3 line, but I was really hoping that its author was misinformed and that, at most, the line was just being reevaluated, scaled back, or even starting fresh. Alas, when the web site went down, my fears were confirmed and it now seems as though Two3 is dead... and no one cares.
Let me start by saying that I loved Two3. I guess that much should be obvious by now, but I honestly thought that the line was a breath of fresh air in designer men's sportswear. I have collected many, many pieces of the brand over the last couple years, and I even paid full price for a lot of them.
However, it seems apparent that Two3 did not succeed. I made a post in the spring titled, "Is Two3 failing?" after noticing the incredibly deep discounts Eastbay were having to offer to clear out the remainder of its Two3 stockpile from spring of 2002. Merely the fact that the line generated only minimal excitement on THIS website says it all. I know there are a few big fans of the line on this site ( Meth and Ceddie immediately come to mind), but a lot of kids on here have either shown no interest in the brand or have expressed negative opinions of it.
To me, these attitudes almost cannot be a direct result of the styling and quality of the line. As a concept, I thought that Two3 was fantastic. Obviously, MJ has a huge legion of fans out there willing to throw down money for apparel with his name on it. To me Two3 seemed like a natural extension of the Jordan Brand, a great next step to take. I don't see where people would be willing to rock Jordan Brand athletic apparel but not sportswear by his label. Afterall, MJ has transcended genre more than any other entertainer or athlete that I can think of. Certainly MJ has a much broader fanbase and transcends his field far more than P. Diddy or Jay-Z and Damon Dash, yet Sean John and RocaWear are rousing success stories. This baffles me. I just can't believe that more people are jumping at the chance to have Sean Comb's name on their jeans and sweaters than Michael Jordan's.
Quality isn't an issue here, I'm almost sure of that. While Sean John has been nominated for excellence in design award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America three years, I don't think anyone questions the quality of Two3. Anyone who picked any piece up knows that quality is very, very good - better than regular Jordan Brand clothing and certainly par for its price point.
I also can't imagine design being much of a factor in its failure. I personally loved the designs and everytime I was browsing the Two3 section at Bloomingdale's, people would come over and excclaim, "wow, these are nice!" A diverse group also looked at Two3; a few people I actually witnessed buying it probably would never be caught dead in Sean John or Vokal, but Two3 supposedly should have appealed to those brand's target demographic as well. The first shipment in fall of 2001 was solid. There were a number of memorable pieces, at least I thought. Most importantly, the logo was dead-on upon introduction. The idea of placing the small Two-3 label with the squares with the Jumpman and letters/numbers was great - subtle, but it gets its point across.
I thought that the brand built a lot of momentum into spring 2002, when the Moroccan Revue collection dropped. It was an exquisite line. The materials, the design - just perfect. I loved how the Two3 labels were placed along the seam on the shoulder on many pieces, such as the Atlas top or the Souky Souky sweater, two of my favorite pieces. From the tee shirts to the sweaters and accessories, I thought that quality and design merit remained very, very high. I also loves the Fall 2002 collection. The use of the orange and brown colors to insinuate the seasonal overtones the the collection were a great touch. My favorite pieces in this collection were the Room Service top and pant (the cotton is SO soft to the touch - unreal) and the Acquisition sweater (great design, quality wool, nice touch with the shoulder seam label and zipper). The Platnium Status leather jacket used incredibly soft, supple leather and suede and incorporated them into a clean design. Into the winter, the theme colors changed into black and light and dark blue. Again, I like the connection to the season that the collection represents. The full-zip West Coast sweater with the label on the back neck was a favorite of mine here, as was the shirt and pant corduroy casual set.
Admittedly, the line faltered a little bit in the spring/summer 2003 collection, but I am almost certain that this fall was a direct result of the designers attempting to drift closer to center to try and save the line.
Again, I'm not sure design played a real role in the failure, though. I don't see how it could. And the name couldn't be the problem. MJ has a huge fan base, and if I'm a Jordan fan, I'm loving the option to wear Jordan rather than Polo or Nautica.
So then, why did the line fail? My thesis here is that Nike did not give Two3 a fighting chance. I hope that the resurrect the line. Maybe a strong showing in this post will help to convince the heads reading at Nike to at least try and bring a casual Jordan sportwear line back in some form.
Potential reasons I can think of for the line's failure:
1) Pricing. The prices were high. Just basic tee shirts were $35, once with embossed logos went for $49. Sweater vests ran around $100 and other sweaters went for well over $100. Jeans were over $70. Wool dress pants set you back $150. $35 for a denim ball cap. There were $250-400 shirts and jackets that sold for more than that. Even a wifebeater cost $29. That's a lot a money for a lot of people. Obviously some fans that might have been interested were priced out and others felt it just wasn't worth the money. A consumer could get a very established, high-quality and respected brand like Polo or Nautica for less. Nike's corporate literature listed DKNY and Armani Exchange as Two3's prime competition, however, so prices seemed about right. In my local Bloomie's, Two3 was sandwhiched between Diesel, Victorinox, ****, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and even Hugo Boss at various points. Sean John and Rocawear are also priced fairly high, and we see them flourishing. I don't think this is the main factor in the brand's failure.
2) Quality. Again, I don't think this is it.
3) Design. Ditto. Some people might not have felt it, but on the whole I don't think this is a prime factor.
4) The name. Maybe for some reason people don't want a sweaty athlete endorsing their casual apparel? That is, Jordan Brand athletic wear may be considered premium product while a sportswear line be dubbed cheesy by some. However, this same principle would presumably apply to an item like cologne as well, and Michael Jordan had the best launch in the history of the fragrance industry. MJ's name trancends different types of products, different generations, and different demographics. I don't think this is it.
Here is where I see the real problem, and where i think Nike has some fault:
5) Advertising and Marketing. How many ads did you see for Two3 in the brand's entire two-year existnece? Yeah, that's what I thought. They only went so far as to take out a few print ads in magazines like SLAM and GQ that said that the brand was available at Macy's and Niketown. Nike hired SpikeDBB, Spike Lee's advertising firm, to product a full line of television advertisements for the brand, but those manifested. I think that a television ad presence would definitely have helped the brand out a lot, since a lot of people didn't even know it ever existed. People aren't gonna buy stuff that they don't know is out there. Which leads me to my next point....
I DID see mad NBA players wearing Two3, some even on benches during games when they are injured, but the average fan wouldn't have known what it was. With some notable exceptions, like the Carolina sweater, most of the Two3 apparel did not feature huge, sweeping logos and it would be very difficult for someone without a keen knowledge of the line to identify on television.
6) Distribution. It's also hard to buy something you can't find. One had to be really dedicated and aware to even find Two3 in stores and, even then, if you were outside of a major metropolitian area, forget it. Even at its height of distribution, Two3 was only available at a handful of stores in each major market. MJ was playing here in the DC area at the time, for example, and Two3 could be found in about seven store across the DC/MD/NOVA area. Awful. Its online presence wasn't much better. Niketown.com and, later, Macys.com were the only places to buy it online. They didn't feature the line on their front pages and never carried a decent portion of the various collection to boot. Again, awful.
I've seen mad NBA players wearing Two3, some even on benches during games when they are injured, but the average fan wouldn't have known what it was. With some notable exceptions, like the Carolina sweater, most of the Two3 apparel did not feature huge, sweeping logos and it would be very difficult for someone without a keen knowledge of the line to identify on television.
If you make it, the people will buy, especially with MJ, but you have to get the product to the people and let them know that it's there. I think that Nike messed up here and would hope that they recognize the line's potential and try again, maybe with a nice, big launch in lots of stores with a big marketing push this time. Maybe we'll finally get the SPike Lee-helmed ad campaign.
The problem is that I doubt that they will do it now that it has flopped so badly with their half-***** effort this tiem around. It kind of irks me.
I also remember Method Man saying that Jordan Brand will continue to manufacture casual apparel, it will just be under the Jordan Brand name. To me, this isn't that great of news because there is such a marked difference between Two3 and Jordan Brand casual apprel. In addition to quality differences, there are major design descrepancies. Two3 just was putting out sleeker, more refined product. Likewise, just the idea of having a Jordan line of sportswear that is sold in places like Bernini and Fred Segal is awesome.
Bring it back and do it right.
Opinions?
Let me start by saying that I loved Two3. I guess that much should be obvious by now, but I honestly thought that the line was a breath of fresh air in designer men's sportswear. I have collected many, many pieces of the brand over the last couple years, and I even paid full price for a lot of them.
However, it seems apparent that Two3 did not succeed. I made a post in the spring titled, "Is Two3 failing?" after noticing the incredibly deep discounts Eastbay were having to offer to clear out the remainder of its Two3 stockpile from spring of 2002. Merely the fact that the line generated only minimal excitement on THIS website says it all. I know there are a few big fans of the line on this site ( Meth and Ceddie immediately come to mind), but a lot of kids on here have either shown no interest in the brand or have expressed negative opinions of it.
To me, these attitudes almost cannot be a direct result of the styling and quality of the line. As a concept, I thought that Two3 was fantastic. Obviously, MJ has a huge legion of fans out there willing to throw down money for apparel with his name on it. To me Two3 seemed like a natural extension of the Jordan Brand, a great next step to take. I don't see where people would be willing to rock Jordan Brand athletic apparel but not sportswear by his label. Afterall, MJ has transcended genre more than any other entertainer or athlete that I can think of. Certainly MJ has a much broader fanbase and transcends his field far more than P. Diddy or Jay-Z and Damon Dash, yet Sean John and RocaWear are rousing success stories. This baffles me. I just can't believe that more people are jumping at the chance to have Sean Comb's name on their jeans and sweaters than Michael Jordan's.
Quality isn't an issue here, I'm almost sure of that. While Sean John has been nominated for excellence in design award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America three years, I don't think anyone questions the quality of Two3. Anyone who picked any piece up knows that quality is very, very good - better than regular Jordan Brand clothing and certainly par for its price point.
I also can't imagine design being much of a factor in its failure. I personally loved the designs and everytime I was browsing the Two3 section at Bloomingdale's, people would come over and excclaim, "wow, these are nice!" A diverse group also looked at Two3; a few people I actually witnessed buying it probably would never be caught dead in Sean John or Vokal, but Two3 supposedly should have appealed to those brand's target demographic as well. The first shipment in fall of 2001 was solid. There were a number of memorable pieces, at least I thought. Most importantly, the logo was dead-on upon introduction. The idea of placing the small Two-3 label with the squares with the Jumpman and letters/numbers was great - subtle, but it gets its point across.
I thought that the brand built a lot of momentum into spring 2002, when the Moroccan Revue collection dropped. It was an exquisite line. The materials, the design - just perfect. I loved how the Two3 labels were placed along the seam on the shoulder on many pieces, such as the Atlas top or the Souky Souky sweater, two of my favorite pieces. From the tee shirts to the sweaters and accessories, I thought that quality and design merit remained very, very high. I also loves the Fall 2002 collection. The use of the orange and brown colors to insinuate the seasonal overtones the the collection were a great touch. My favorite pieces in this collection were the Room Service top and pant (the cotton is SO soft to the touch - unreal) and the Acquisition sweater (great design, quality wool, nice touch with the shoulder seam label and zipper). The Platnium Status leather jacket used incredibly soft, supple leather and suede and incorporated them into a clean design. Into the winter, the theme colors changed into black and light and dark blue. Again, I like the connection to the season that the collection represents. The full-zip West Coast sweater with the label on the back neck was a favorite of mine here, as was the shirt and pant corduroy casual set.
Admittedly, the line faltered a little bit in the spring/summer 2003 collection, but I am almost certain that this fall was a direct result of the designers attempting to drift closer to center to try and save the line.
Again, I'm not sure design played a real role in the failure, though. I don't see how it could. And the name couldn't be the problem. MJ has a huge fan base, and if I'm a Jordan fan, I'm loving the option to wear Jordan rather than Polo or Nautica.
So then, why did the line fail? My thesis here is that Nike did not give Two3 a fighting chance. I hope that the resurrect the line. Maybe a strong showing in this post will help to convince the heads reading at Nike to at least try and bring a casual Jordan sportwear line back in some form.
Potential reasons I can think of for the line's failure:
1) Pricing. The prices were high. Just basic tee shirts were $35, once with embossed logos went for $49. Sweater vests ran around $100 and other sweaters went for well over $100. Jeans were over $70. Wool dress pants set you back $150. $35 for a denim ball cap. There were $250-400 shirts and jackets that sold for more than that. Even a wifebeater cost $29. That's a lot a money for a lot of people. Obviously some fans that might have been interested were priced out and others felt it just wasn't worth the money. A consumer could get a very established, high-quality and respected brand like Polo or Nautica for less. Nike's corporate literature listed DKNY and Armani Exchange as Two3's prime competition, however, so prices seemed about right. In my local Bloomie's, Two3 was sandwhiched between Diesel, Victorinox, ****, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and even Hugo Boss at various points. Sean John and Rocawear are also priced fairly high, and we see them flourishing. I don't think this is the main factor in the brand's failure.
2) Quality. Again, I don't think this is it.
3) Design. Ditto. Some people might not have felt it, but on the whole I don't think this is a prime factor.
4) The name. Maybe for some reason people don't want a sweaty athlete endorsing their casual apparel? That is, Jordan Brand athletic wear may be considered premium product while a sportswear line be dubbed cheesy by some. However, this same principle would presumably apply to an item like cologne as well, and Michael Jordan had the best launch in the history of the fragrance industry. MJ's name trancends different types of products, different generations, and different demographics. I don't think this is it.
Here is where I see the real problem, and where i think Nike has some fault:
5) Advertising and Marketing. How many ads did you see for Two3 in the brand's entire two-year existnece? Yeah, that's what I thought. They only went so far as to take out a few print ads in magazines like SLAM and GQ that said that the brand was available at Macy's and Niketown. Nike hired SpikeDBB, Spike Lee's advertising firm, to product a full line of television advertisements for the brand, but those manifested. I think that a television ad presence would definitely have helped the brand out a lot, since a lot of people didn't even know it ever existed. People aren't gonna buy stuff that they don't know is out there. Which leads me to my next point....
I DID see mad NBA players wearing Two3, some even on benches during games when they are injured, but the average fan wouldn't have known what it was. With some notable exceptions, like the Carolina sweater, most of the Two3 apparel did not feature huge, sweeping logos and it would be very difficult for someone without a keen knowledge of the line to identify on television.
6) Distribution. It's also hard to buy something you can't find. One had to be really dedicated and aware to even find Two3 in stores and, even then, if you were outside of a major metropolitian area, forget it. Even at its height of distribution, Two3 was only available at a handful of stores in each major market. MJ was playing here in the DC area at the time, for example, and Two3 could be found in about seven store across the DC/MD/NOVA area. Awful. Its online presence wasn't much better. Niketown.com and, later, Macys.com were the only places to buy it online. They didn't feature the line on their front pages and never carried a decent portion of the various collection to boot. Again, awful.
I've seen mad NBA players wearing Two3, some even on benches during games when they are injured, but the average fan wouldn't have known what it was. With some notable exceptions, like the Carolina sweater, most of the Two3 apparel did not feature huge, sweeping logos and it would be very difficult for someone without a keen knowledge of the line to identify on television.
If you make it, the people will buy, especially with MJ, but you have to get the product to the people and let them know that it's there. I think that Nike messed up here and would hope that they recognize the line's potential and try again, maybe with a nice, big launch in lots of stores with a big marketing push this time. Maybe we'll finally get the SPike Lee-helmed ad campaign.
The problem is that I doubt that they will do it now that it has flopped so badly with their half-***** effort this tiem around. It kind of irks me.
I also remember Method Man saying that Jordan Brand will continue to manufacture casual apparel, it will just be under the Jordan Brand name. To me, this isn't that great of news because there is such a marked difference between Two3 and Jordan Brand casual apprel. In addition to quality differences, there are major design descrepancies. Two3 just was putting out sleeker, more refined product. Likewise, just the idea of having a Jordan line of sportswear that is sold in places like Bernini and Fred Segal is awesome.
Bring it back and do it right.
Opinions?