Virginia Beach-based lifestyle boutique, Commonwealth, helps drives the “cool factor”
When Larry Incognito and Omar Quiambao started their men’s contemporary streetwear store, Commonwealth, 16 years ago, they never could have imagined its growth, let alone that they would become collaborators with Adidas, the global sportswear giant.
Incognito and Quiambao, who are first cousins, are a dynamic duo. Incognito handles the business side while Quiambao is the designer.
Both men honed their skills in New York City before returning home to Hampton Roads. They launched their special boutique in Ghent in 2004.
“We got in at the right time,” Incognito said. “There was nothing like it in the 757; that’s why it took off.”
Today, the Virginia Beach-based company boast locations in the city’s Town Center, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and has three shops in the Philippines.
The apparel and footwear store sells clothing and home accessories featuring Commonwealth’s inline brand and a few dozen national and international brands.
“We carry brands exclusive to our store and a lot of limited editions,” Incognito said.
That’s how the Adidas sneaker deal landed in Commonwealth.
Incognito said that while the major sportswear designers and manufacturers sell their goods to big box stores, they also have a side brand intended for boutiques.
“That actually drives the cool factor first,” he said. “If they have a shoe model they’ll kind of test it out with boutiques.”
A limited-edition design was released at Commonwealth flagship stores at the end of November and sold out within days.
Incognito said they typically get 100 pairs per store and 150 for online sales.
“They’re very sought out,” he said of the sneaker, which sold for $130.
The shoe model, Response CL, pays homage to the running shoes of the early 2000s. One side is a muted, warm white and the other showcases a range of earth tones with black three-stripe branding.
Quiambao said the project — with its contrasting palettes — was about trying to bring back a sense of discovery oftentimes diminished in today’s technological world.
A marketing campaign focused on employees’ responses to the sneaker and their feelings about social issues affecting the world.
Previous collaborations — almost yearly — with Puma, Vans, Asics, K-Swiss and Brandblack also have sold out quickly.
This wasn’t Commonwealth’s first collaboration with Adidas and it won’t be its last. They teamed up in 2018 and have at least one (this spring), if not two, planned for this year.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com
