Editor's note: This is one of 10 companies profiled by DC Inno for its annual Startups to Watch feature. Go here to see all of this year's honorees and learn more about the young, promising companies poised to shake up the region's innovation community.
About the company: The Rebel Fix Co. LLC, doing business as Bored Rebel, is a premium apparel company that is redefining the concept of undershirts. Founded in 2021 by CEO Stacy Flax, the startup has introduced a patent-pending design called Graphic Undershirts. These unique tees, made with high-quality fabric, feature prints that stay hidden under a dress shirt, allowing them to be worn as a base layer or a standalone T-shirt by both men and women. Despite being a relatively young company with a full-time employee count of just two, Bored Rebel has already made a significant impact in the apparel industry without any outside investment.
Why we’re watching: Bored Rebel is not just another apparel company. It’s an innovator that has breathed new life into the drab T-shirt. The company’s unique vertical text designs have broad visual appeal, earning the T-shirts a place in the coveted swag bag given to Oscar nominees in 2023 and 2024. In February, Bored Rebel launched with Nordstrom, offering customers a range of popular designs and making its mark in the gift category on Nordstrom.com. The textile innovator is also tapping into the trend of personalization, offering customers the ability to choose from dozens of designs on its website, BoredRebel.com. The company is expanding into custom corporate swag and has even collaborated with music artist Nick Elliott.
Quotable: “Undershirts are a ubiquitous staple in our society, yet practically everyone would agree that the category is, well…boring. Bored Rebel is poised to disrupt the blah world of undershirts with a brand and product mix that has mass appeal. Our new partnership with Nordstrom is going to explode our ability to reach customers with our easily lovable products. — Stacy Flax, CEO
The basics
- Founder: Stacy Flax, CEO
- Founded: 2021
- Headquarters: Northern Virginia
- Full-time employees: 2
- Total funding: Self-funded
- Annual revenue: Declined to disclose