Danny Harris started the company that would one day become BELLA+CANVAS, along with his best friend, Marco DeGeorge, right after graduating High School. They soon became the largest contract decorators in California, and after creating cut-and-sew garments for companies like Banana Republic and the Gap, they made the decision to pivot the business to focus on manufacturing.
Bella (as the company was known at the time) was an instant hit. People were hungry for fashionable women’s’ product, which at the time did not exist in the wholesale market. After the success of Bella, they applied their standards to men’s’ product and Canvas was born. Eventually the two brands merged into BELLA+CANVAS, which is now the largest wholesale manufacturer of premium apparel in the world.
Mark Graham and I were in Los Angeles hosting sessions, our 1-day sales conference, and we had the opportunity to sit down with Danny along with BELLA+CANVAS Creative and Marketing Director Summer Barry. We toured their massive warehouse guided by Executive Vice President Chris Blakeslee, where they stock over 50 million units. and witnessed the manufacturing process in their cut and sew facility, one of the most advanced and largest in North America, where over a thousand employees manufacture and distribute the iconic brand many have grown to love.
We talk with Danny about:
Those early days and how they pioneered a movement toward fashion wear in the wholesale market
Their ecological footprint
Their dying, cutting, and assembly process
The influx of competition in the premium market
And how, for such a massive company, they are able to stay nimble, responding to fashion trends in the marketplace
Dealing with fast fashion, inventory accountability, and more
Join us for a visit with a pioneer in fashionable wholesale wear who still leads with passion and creativity.
