Askov Finlayson
A Minneapolis-based menswear and outdoor brand that evolved from a curated retail store into a direct-to-consumer outerwear company with a climate-focused business model.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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History
Askov Finlayson was established in Minneapolis in 2011 by brothers Eric Dayton and Andrew Dayton. The brand's name was formed from Askov and Finlayson, neighboring small Minnesota communities associated with the same Interstate 35 exit. This naming choice gave the business a strong regional identity and reflected its founders' effort to create a contemporary brand rooted in Minnesota rather than in a traditional coastal fashion center. The company began as a specialty retailer focused primarily on men's clothing and goods connected to outdoor life. Its assortment included menswear, outdoor apparel, gear, and accessories. The store's appeal came from combining practical products with a carefully edited lifestyle presentation. National editorial attention followed: Esquire listed Askov Finlayson among the best men's stores in America in 2014, and GQ placed it in a similar national ranking in 2015. The business later began changing from a retailer of selected outside labels into a developer and seller of its own products. In 2017–2018, it hired Adam Fetcher, who had worked as a Patagonia executive and served as a spokesman for President Barack Obama, to help devise an environmental-impact model. The initiative was branded Give 110%. Its stated method was to estimate the social cost of the company's global carbon emissions and give 110% of that figure to climate-change solutions. The program was intended to make the company's climate responsibility measurable and integrated with its operating model. In January 2019, the North Loop store closed. The decision accompanied a move to focus on proprietary outdoor products and to stop selling third-party brands. Later that year, in November, Askov Finlayson relaunched as a direct-to-consumer outerwear brand. By selling directly rather than through conventional wholesale and retail channels, the company sought to eliminate retail markups and price its products below competing outerwear offerings. The relaunch therefore combined a product strategy, a distribution change, and an impact-oriented brand promise. The available record does not establish the company's current legal or commercial status. A January 2025 Minnesota Star Tribune article suggested that Askov Finlayson was no longer active and that its founders had moved on to other environmental ventures. The brand should consequently be treated as having an unknown current status pending authoritative confirmation. Its documented trajectory is nevertheless clear: it moved from a nationally recognized Minneapolis men's store to a vertically focused outerwear label built around direct sales and climate-conscious operations.
- 2025
Current activity becomes uncertain
A Minnesota Star Tribune report suggested that Askov Finlayson was no longer active, although the available material does not confirm a formal dissolution.
- 2019
North Loop store closes
[1]The company's Minneapolis North Loop retail location closed as Askov Finlayson shifted toward proprietary product development.
- 2019
Direct-to-consumer outerwear relaunch
[1]The brand relaunched as a direct-to-consumer outerwear business and stopped relying on third-party brands.
- 2018
Give 110% introduced
[1]Askov Finlayson launched the Give 110% framework, based on contributing 110% of the estimated social cost of its global carbon footprint.
- 2017
Begins climate-impact model development
[1]The company hired Adam Fetcher to help develop an impact model linking its carbon footprint to contributions for climate solutions.
- 2015
Recognized by GQ
[1]GQ named the retailer among its top men's stores in the United States.
- 2014
Recognized by Esquire
[1]Esquire included Askov Finlayson in its selection of the best men's stores in America.
- 2011
Brand founded in Minneapolis
[1]Eric Dayton and Andrew Dayton founded Askov Finlayson as a Minneapolis-based menswear and outdoor outfitter.
Products and positioning
A Minneapolis-rooted, premium-but-accessible outdoor apparel brand combining Midwestern identity, functional cold-weather products, direct-to-consumer pricing, and a climate-positive impact model.
Apparel · 2011
Menswear
The original retail assortment centered on men's clothing selected for a modern Midwestern wardrobe. Menswear formed the foundation of Askov Finlayson's early identity before the company narrowed its focus toward proprietary outdoor products.
Outdoor clothing · 2011
Outdoor apparel
Askov Finlayson offered clothing intended for outdoor and cold-weather use. Outdoor apparel became increasingly central as the company transitioned from a multi-brand retailer to a brand developing its own products.
Outerwear · 2019
Outerwear
Following its 2019 relaunch, outerwear became the brand's principal product category. The direct-to-consumer strategy was designed to sell proprietary cold-weather products without conventional retail markups.
Outdoor equipment and accessories · 2011
Outdoor gear and accessories
The original outfitter carried outdoor gear and accessories alongside apparel. The available sources identify these categories but do not provide a complete product catalog or confirm which items were later developed in-house.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Give 110%
United States
Give 110% was Askov Finlayson's climate-impact initiative. The model sought to calculate the social cost of the company's global carbon footprint and contribute 110% of that amount to climate-change solutions.
Outcome. The initiative became a defining element of the brand's later environmental positioning. The available sources do not provide verified cumulative contribution figures or a complete record of its subsequent operation.
Brand decisions
2019
Close the North Loop store and end third-party brand salesStrategyBackground
The company was shifting from a curated retailer toward development and sale of its own outdoor products.
Action taken
Askov Finlayson closed its Minneapolis North Loop store and focused on proprietary product development rather than continuing to stock outside brands.
Aftermath
The move prepared the company for its later direct-to-consumer outerwear relaunch.
2019
Relaunch as a direct-to-consumer outerwear brandStrategyBackground
After leaving its multi-brand retail model, Askov Finlayson sought to concentrate on its own cold-weather products and change how those products reached customers.
Action taken
The brand relaunched in November as a direct-to-consumer outerwear company, aiming to remove retail markup and price below competing products.
Aftermath
The relaunch made proprietary outerwear, online distribution, and climate impact the central elements of the brand's later identity. Its longer-term commercial outcome is not established in the available sources.
Sources1 sources
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