In Rockford, for Rockford: Weekdays Social Club features clothing line, FVV merchandise
Most of the world’s famous brands started out small.
The first Nike sneakers were sold out of a car trunk in Seattle. The Ralph Lauren Corporation began with a line of neckties that eventually found its way into Bloomingdale’s in New York City.
If Rockford native Marquez Beeks has his way, his line of Weekdays Social Club clothing will springboard from his downtown retail store to outlets across the country and beyond.
Beeks opened the Weekdays Social Club inside Spafford Square, 333 E. State St., last fall with his business partner, NBA star Fred VanVleet. It offers high-end sneakers and streetwear, including the Weekdays brand.
“We have other brands, but it’s going to be the primary brand that will be in there,” he said.
Once established locally, Beeks said he’d like to expand the clothing line to other cities like Atlanta, Chicago and Houston, where he’s primarily based these days, managing VanVleet's business ventures while VanVleet plays for the Rockets.
“Being in a smaller city, it takes a little bit of time,” Beeks said. “But it’s been doing pretty good, and there’s been a lot of support. Every day I am thinking about marketing and new ideas.”
Some of those ideas, Beeks said, involve Spafford Square, which VanVleet now owns.
Although he’s not ready to announce what’s coming next to the building, retail will remain part of the plan because it’s something downtown needs more of.
“There’s beginning to be more and more retail,” he said, “which is great because it brings more options. Not everybody is coming downtown to get something to eat. ... Now, you can come downtown and shop, and you can stop in for nice glass of wine or something like that. So, I think the trajectory is amazing as far as how our downtown is looking.”
Weekdays Social Club offers event space and carries Fred VanVleet merchandise, gear that was previously available at the FVV Shop across the street before it closed in 2022. Beeks said plans to reopen the shop were scrapped in favor of another platform to market the popular products.
“We made the decision to pretty much hold his stuff in my store,” Beeks said. “And people can also order it because we still have it online.”
A standout on the 2010 and 2011 Boylan football teams that won back-to-back state titles, Beeks went on to play wide receiver at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He knows he could have launched his business career in a bigger market after college but like VanVleet, he chose to give back to his hometown.
“I am a Rockford guy, so I wanted to establish this in Rockford for Rockford," Beeks said.
Weekdays Social Club is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
Jim Hagerty writes about business, growth and development and other general news topics for the Rockford Register Star. Email him at jhagerty@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Weekdays Social Club in downtown Rockford launches own clothing line
