High-end clothing store becomes go-to spot for PPE during the pandemic
When Dominick Davis and Steven White united to start the high-end clothing store “DifferentRegard” in 2011, their vision was to provide domestic and international manufacturing with various products for consumers, corporations, and governments. They accomplished that and quickly became the go-to shop for the perfect tuxedo, stylish dresses, and fashionable accessories.
The testimonials posted on the company’s website, along with a myriad of photos, show much love for DifferentRegard.
“Best experience I have had with getting a custom suit made,” wrote Stephen T.
Meagan L., another satisfied customer, wrote: “My husband’s wedding tux made by DifferentRegard was absolutely flawless.” And this from Victor B.: “Steven and Dominick are forces of sartorial nature. Their customer service is without parallel in the Baltimore men’s fine clothing market. These two young men have brought a certain stylistic panache to Baltimore that was previously sorely missing.” Then the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Like most businesses, DifferentRegard wasn’t prepared for COVID-19, which among many other things, pivoted the shop’s fashion brand.
“Our sales decreased by 90 percent, and we had to creatively meet and figure out who was going to be available to work during the pandemic,” Davis recalled. “We had to consider the safety of our team, and we took some time to do research and some development.”
Davis and White hit the ground running. They began to manufacture Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and obtained private and government contracts for the life-saving gear. They donated more than 20,000 facemasks to hospitals in Baltimore and locations around the country.
DifferentRegard also began selling stylish facemasks to the public, including the popular deep red, red sand, and smoke pleated masks.
“We were able to hire seven additional employees, and we increased our manufacturing and equipment by over 60 percent,” Davis noted.
The overall aim of DifferentRegard remains the same: to provide affordable luxury clothing for everyone.
According to Davis, the business’s clients are men, women, kids, and nongender who prefer a classic style with a modern edge.
The Baltimore-based clothing brand continues to design luxurious well- tailored garments that are created in-house “for those who have an uncompromising vision of style and quality,” he stated.
“We design for the professional, personal, and social lifestyle. We believe your clothing helps to promote your lifestyle growth. We create not just fashion-forward clothing, but a lifestyle and attitude.”
With the pandemic still raging, Davis said there remains a need to manufacture personal protection equipment while creating job growth, strengthening the community and families.
“Our company was not prepared for COVID-19 to come and pivot our fashion brand,” Davis said. “The pandemic had us shift our business from how we normally would operate and create another operation overnight. Our whole system and process had to be rebuilt. However, our company is honored to help during our global crisis.
