How Colorado Fell in Love With the ‘Daytona Dong Sarong’
Shinesty CEO Chris White got his start selling thrift store finds to his fellow CU Boulder students hoping to stand out at parties. Thanks to a surprise shout-out from Al Roker, Shinesty is now the fastest growing apparel company in Denver, with millions in venture-capital investment, new retail deals with Zoomies and Buckle, and their own MTV docu-series to boot. But they’ve captured Coloradans’ attention not with a better puffer jacket or cowboy hat, but with novelty underwear and raunchy, irreverent, and over-the-top designs for the kind of theme parties millennials love. Host Bree Davies sits down with White in Shinesty’s Highland office to ask how he made millions with products like the “Daytona Dong Sarong,” where to find the best thrift shops and estate sales across the Front Range, and what Shinesty’s success says about Coloradans’ taste in fashion.
Paul mentioned the e-bike rebates re-opening today at 11 a.m., Mayor Hancock’s bike lanes, and layoffs at Twitter and Guild.
The “Year of Efficiency” Hotline is Open! Have you or someone you know been affected by layoffs in the tech industry? We’d love to hear what’s happening inside these local tech companies. Send us a text or leave us a voicemail at (720)500-5418.
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