Retailer Spotlight - Little Ruler
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Not that Little Ruler appeals solely to skaters and skate enthusiasts. The San Jose Mercury News crowned the brand its “Find of the Week,” its punk styles have graced the pages of parenting and entertainment magazines, and “Access Hollywood” spotlighted its rising popularity among the celebrity mom set. For dressing her kids Maddox and Zahara, Little Ruler is Angelina Jolie’s “favorite fashion line,” and new moms Britney Spears, Jennifer Garner and Gwen Stefani, as well as new dad Jason Lee, have also embraced the brand for its “edgy style with attitude.”
Since its launch, the San Jose, California-based company has more than tripled its business, while expanding its product line to include fifteen licensed brands (such as Independent Trucks, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Nor Cal and Thrasher Magazine) and nearly as many punk bands (including The Ramones, Green Day, Vandals and Social Distortion). “Most of the brands and product we carry are exclusively licensed and have never been available to infants and toddlers before,” says Jeff Kendall.
Utilizing soft premium cotton, and 50/50 blends for its outerwear, Little Ruler offers a range of tees, onesies, jackets, shoes and headwear. True to its skater-punk roots, the colors tend toward black, grey, navy and red; for girls, the company is venturing into a more sporty palette including olive, lavender and pink. The price point certainly hues to a punk sensibility: $14 for one-piece items up to $28 for hooded sweatshirts. Sold primarily online www.LittleRuler.com, Little Ruler is also available through select skate/surf shops in Northern California, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and its first international outpost in Belgium.
Jeff Kendall grew up in Indianapolis, where he discovered and embraced skateboarding in 1978. Seeing more opportunity for growth and travel among the Northern California skate community, he made the decision to ride for Santa Cruz (NHS) in 1985 and turned pro soon thereafter, competing on the circuit until 1992. Among numerous awards, he earned second place in his first pro contest in Southern California and was ranked third in the world in 1989. Seen in the classic skate films Wheels of Fire (1987) and Streets on Fire (1989), Kendall has remained in the skate world as team manager for Santa Cruz Skateboards and senior marketing director at NHS.In July 2007, he was promoted to Vice President of NHS,Inc.
GIVING BACK Little Ruler is proud to donate to the following charities:
Alliance for Smiles-Non Profit helping children with clef lip/palate anomalies http://www.allianceforsmiles.org/
SMA-Non Profit helping children and families with Spinal Muscular Atrophy http://www.fsma.org/
