Andrew Christian

Andrew Christian is an American apparel brand founded by designer Andrew Christian in 1997. The company began by selling clothing through boutiques and developed from a general fashion label into a business focused on men's underwear, swimwear, sportswear, lingerie, and related apparel. Its name comes from its founder, while its logo uses a generic cross symbol that Christian selected because he wanted to avoid overt religious associations. The brand's early assortment consisted of regular fashion clothing. Over time it added sportswear and swimwear before entering men's underwear in the mid-2000s. The underwear business became the company's most prominent commercial category: according to the brand's Wikipedia account, the addition of underwear lines in 2006 was followed by a sharp increase in sales and helped establish Andrew Christian's strongest market identity. The label became associated with body-conscious cuts, fashion-oriented styling, and visually distinctive men's intimate apparel. Andrew Christian also used limited thematic and political products as part of its marketing and product activity. During the 2007–2008 season, it produced Barack Obama-themed underwear and donated one dollar from each sale to the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. In 2008, Christian introduced Black Line, a higher-end men's dresswear line inspired by clothing he had made for himself. The range included ready-to-wear tailored pants and vests, extending the brand beyond underwear and casual apparel. The company began making women's clothing during the 2008–2009 season and continued developing its sportswear offering, with an expansion of the sportswear lines reported in 2013. Even with this broader assortment, public descriptions of the brand continue to center on men's underwear and swimwear, with fashion styling and close-fitting silhouettes serving as recurring characteristics. In June 2025, Andrew Christian announced that he planned to shut down the brand and retire by the end of 2025. The announcement represents a planned conclusion to the label's operations, although the available reference material does not establish whether the shutdown had been completed or describe the disposition of its assets, product inventory, or corporate structure. Information about headquarters, ownership beyond the founder's association with the label, revenue, distribution scale, and current operating markets is not sufficiently documented in the supplied sources.

Andrew Christian began its clothing line in 1997 under the direction of its namesake founder, Andrew Christian. The company initially sold clothing through boutiques and operated as a general fashion label rather than as a specialist underwear business. Christian selected a generic cross as the brand's logo because he wanted the mark to avoid explicit religious connotations. The assortment developed progressively. Regular fashion clothing was followed by sportswear and swimwear, and the business later entered men's underwear. The underwear launch became the decisive turning point in the brand's public identity and commercial development. The supplied Wikipedia reference states that underwear was added in 2006 and that sales grew exponentially afterward. From that point, Andrew Christian became primarily associated with men's underwear and related intimate apparel, while retaining links to swimwear, sportswear, and broader fashion clothing. The brand's product and communications activity included a political-themed offering during the 2007–2008 season. Andrew Christian produced Barack Obama-themed underwear and donated one dollar from each sale to the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. In 2008, the company also moved toward a more formal and premium expression with Black Line, described as a higher-end men's dresswear line inspired by clothing Christian had created for himself. Its ready-to-wear tailored pants and vests expanded the label's scope beyond underwear and casual fashion. During the 2008–2009 season, Andrew Christian began producing women's clothing as well as men's clothing. The brand subsequently continued to develop its sportswear business, with a further expansion of the sportswear lines reported in 2013. Nevertheless, the label's strongest association remained men's underwear and swimwear, categories in which design, close-fitting silhouettes, and fashion presentation were central to its market identity. In June 2025, Christian announced that he intended to shut down the brand and retire by the end of that year. The available source characterizes this as an announced future closure rather than documenting a completed liquidation. It does not provide reliable detail on the brand's corporate ownership, headquarters, revenue, international distribution, or final operating status. Accordingly, those aspects remain unconfirmed.

• 2025

  Planned shutdown announced

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  In June 2025, Andrew Christian announced plans to close the brand and retire by the end of the year.

• 2013

  Sportswear lines expanded

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  The brand expanded its sportswear lines.

• 2008

  Black Line launched

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Christian introduced Black Line, a higher-end men's dresswear range including ready-to-wear tailored pants and vests.

• 2008

  Women's clothing added

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  During the 2008–2009 season, the company began making clothing for women alongside its men's apparel.

• 2007

  Obama-themed underwear campaign

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  During the 2007–2008 season, the company produced Barack Obama-themed underwear and pledged one dollar from every sale to the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

• 2006

  Men's underwear becomes a core category

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  The company added underwear lines, after which the reference source reports a major increase in sales and a stronger market identity for the brand.

• 1997

  Clothing line begins

  [1]Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Christian started its clothing line and sold apparel through boutiques.

A fashion-oriented apparel brand centered on men's underwear and swimwear, with body-conscious styling and extensions into sportswear, lingerie, women's clothing, and tailored men's dresswear.

• Intimate apparel · 2006

  Men's underwear

  Men's underwear became the brand's defining product category after its introduction in 2006. The line helped shift Andrew Christian from a broader fashion label toward a specialist identity built around body-conscious design, close-fitting silhouettes, and fashion-led presentation. The available source does not provide a complete list of collections, materials, or current availability.

• Swimwear

  Men's swimwear

  Men's swimwear was added before the underwear business became the company's main commercial focus. It extended the brand's emphasis on fitted, visually expressive apparel into beach and pool settings and remains one of the product categories most closely associated with Andrew Christian.

• Sportswear

  Sportswear

  Sportswear formed part of the brand's expansion beyond regular fashion clothing and swimwear. The sportswear lines were expanded in 2013, although the supplied sources do not identify specific garments, collections, technical features, or distribution arrangements.

• Men's dresswear · 2008

  Black Line

  Black Line was introduced in 2008 as a higher-end, dressier men's clothing line. Inspired by clothing Andrew Christian had made for himself, it included ready-to-wear tailored pants and vests and represented an effort to extend the brand into more formal fashion.

• Women's apparel · 2008

  Women's clothing

  The company began making women's clothing during the 2008–2009 season, broadening its customer and product scope beyond men's apparel. The supplied reference does not specify the range's main garment types or subsequent commercial scale.

• Intimate apparel

  Lingerie

  Lingerie is identified among the product areas associated with Andrew Christian's manufacturing and apparel activity. Detailed collection information and launch dates are not established by the supplied reference material.

• 2007Barack Obama-themed underwear campaign

  United States

  During the 2007–2008 season, Andrew Christian marketed underwear themed around Barack Obama. The company stated that it would donate one dollar from every sale to the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

  Outcome. The available source documents the donation mechanism but does not provide total units sold, total donations, or campaign performance metrics.

  Source

• 2025

  Planned brand closure and founder retirementStrategy

  Background

  After operating as a fashion and intimate-apparel label for decades, founder Andrew Christian announced a change in the brand's future direction.

  Action taken

  In June 2025, Christian announced plans to shut down the brand and retire by the end of 2025.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not confirm whether the shutdown was completed or explain the treatment of employees, inventory, intellectual property, or remaining operations.

  Source

• 2013

  Sportswear expansionStrategy

  Background

  Sportswear was already part of the company's broader apparel assortment.

  Action taken

  The company expanded its sportswear lines.

  Aftermath

  No further operating or financial details are provided in the supplied reference.

  Source

• 2008

  Black Line introducedProduct launch

  Background

  The brand sought to extend its fashion offering beyond underwear and related casual apparel.

  Action taken

  Andrew Christian released Black Line as a higher-end men's dresswear line with ready-to-wear tailored pants and vests.

  Aftermath

  The available source identifies the launch and product scope but does not report sales or subsequent collection development.

  Source

• 2008

  Expansion into women's clothingStrategy

  Background

  The company had historically been identified most strongly with men's apparel.

  Action taken

  During the 2008–2009 season, Andrew Christian began making clothing for women as well as men.

  Aftermath

  The source confirms the expansion but does not establish its scale, duration, or commercial result.

  Source

• 2006

  Entry into men's underwearStrategy

  Background

  The company had previously developed regular fashion clothing, sportswear, and swimwear before adding underwear lines.

  Action taken

  Andrew Christian introduced men's underwear lines, making intimate apparel a central part of the business.

  Aftermath

  The reference reports that sales grew exponentially after the underwear lines were added, and the category became the brand's principal public association.

  Source

1. 1Andrew Christianen.wikipedia.org