SEAN JOHN

This company was launched in 1998 by Sean "Puffy" Combs (1971- ), a rap artist and music executive (Bad Boy Entertainment). Capitalizing on the urbanhip-hopapparel trend, Combs initially focused onmenswearand boyswear but expanded the collection through the years with the help of a $100 million injection of capital in 2003 by billionaire Ron Burkle. The empire consists of more sophisticated clothing throughlicensingdeals which include men's suits, dress shirts, neckwear,outerwear,accessories, andfragrances. In 2004, Combs won theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America(CFDA) Menswear Award. In 2005, he created a line of shaving products, launched a women's collection, and opened his own flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City.