# Faherty Brand: Alex and Mike Faherty.  How Jersey Shore + Manhattan Chic grew to 80 stores.

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-10-13
- Length: 1h 13m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s

## Summary

Identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty, founders of Faherty Brand, explain how 12 years of preparation—Mike at Ralph Lauren and Alex in finance—enabled them to launch a clothing line blending surf culture with Manhattan chic. They detail their contrarian 'all channels' strategy, utilizing a mobile beach house pop-up, wholesale partnerships with retailers like Nordstrom and Journal Standard in Japan, and a print catalog to drive early growth. The brothers discuss overcoming severe cash flow constraints through PO financing and a key angel investor from Nantucket, and how they leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their retail fleet from 11 to 80 stores by signing long-term leases at favorable terms.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=0) Introduction: Mike and Alex Faherty and the Faherty Brand
- [3:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=216) 12 Years of Preparation: Ralph Lauren and Finance
- [17:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=1053) Product Development and the First Board Shorts
- [27:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=1669) Launch Strategy: Mobile Beach House and Wholesale
- [53:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=3180) Cash Flow Crisis and the Nantucket Investor
- [1:00:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=3613) COVID-Era Expansion: From 11 to 80 Stores
- [1:09:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-10-13-faherty-brand-alex-and-mike-faherty-how-jersey-shore-manhattan-chic-grew-to-80-s#t=4172) Family Dynamics and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Ralph Lauren (company)
- Nordstrom (company)
- Barney's (company)
- Journal Standard (company)
- United Arrows (company)
- Fred Siegel (company)
- Unify (company)
- Warby Parker (company)
- Harry's Razors (company)
- Casper (company)
- J.Crew (company)
- Vilebrequin (company)
- Quiksilver (company)
- Patagonia (company)
- Tommy Bahama (company)
- Rag & Bone (company)
- Vineyard Vines (company)
- Spanx (company)
- Panera Bread (company)
- WHP (company)

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## Citing this page

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