Meet Sven

The Shirt That Leaves An Impression, Not A Stain

The idea originally came to me when I was flying from Amsterdam to Montreal and sat next to a guy wearing a blazer. About half way through I noticed that he was still had it on. I’m talking about a six and a half hour flight here. I don’t normally make conversation with the person I’m battling the armrest for, but reaching the four-hour mark with a blazer on was just too intriguing. A short conversation later he confided in me that he had huge armpit stains and didn’t want to risk showing them to the other passengers. I could understand, but what I didn’t understand was why there wasn’t a shirt that would allow this poor guy to travel more comfortably!

Meet Sven. No, he wasn’t the guy on the plane (although I wish I had gotten his contact info: I think he’d love what we’re doing now).

Sven Marquardt, is in charge of what gets in and what stays out. He’s the most famous bouncer in the world; the gatekeeper of the infamous Berghein in Berlin. It’s said to be one of the most exclusive techno clubs. Read: waiting in line for 2 hours, inching your way forward, speaking as little as possible, all to get moved to the side; rejected, for no apparent reason. Sven is 53 years old and has denied entrance to hundreds of thousands of people.

Not coincidentally, Sven is also our line of high-performance, stain-resistant shirts for men. We like to think of our shirt as a tireless gatekeeper that keeps the unwanted stuff out (wine, coffee, any liquid), and releases the bad stuff that’s already inside (sweat and odors).

We partnered with Induo to create this everyday essential. The French startup patented a hyper-performative cotton twill fabric, and it’s kind of a small revolution. The fabric is sweat and stain resistant. Its special properties can be explained by the combination of two qualities:

Repellency (the fabric is hydrophobic and lipophobic)
Breathability (the cotton helps disperse perspiration to prevent underarm rings and the odors often associated with them).

What we really admire about Sven Marquardt is the dichotomy between his nightlife and his daytime life. By day, he’s actually a renowned professional photographer who sees his pictures as a ‘one-on-one’ relationship. We love it. Our shirts don’t give up day or night, either. They allow you to focus entirely on any task at hand; to foster and maintain close relationships with whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. This liquid repellant, super breathable fabric enables you to funnel your attention, and dress and act with confidence when you need it most, whether you’re dining out with your boss, consoling a friend, or catching up on a weekday night out.

Combine Sven with Yatra for a put together yet relaxed look that transitions you effortlessly from weekday to weekend.