INTERVIEW| Beltmaker Mannella hopes you’ll tie on a Knot

Nick Mannella and Caitlin O’Hara, the entrepreneurial designers of Knot Clothing, pose with Boston, their home base.

Earlier this summer, through Laurentian friends on Facebook, I learned about Knot Clothing, the latest entry into the ribbon belt and accessory market.

Started by Nick Mannella, a native of Naples, N.Y. and a member of the St. Lawrence class of 2006, Knot follows in the tradition of Green Lobster USA, the brainchild of my St. Lawrence classmates, Ward Meehan and Luke Adovasio. Aiming their product at the northeastern collegiate set, Mannella and his partner, Caitlin O’Hara, offer whimsical motifs on colorful, high-quality grosgrain ribbons.

Among the motifs offered in the Knot line are tributes to the sea, golfing, equestrian pursuits and tennis.

Available now through an online store and soon at boutiques around the country, Knot’s line includes a range of belts for men and women, collars and leashes for dogs, key fobs and t-shirts.

I recently talked with Mannella about his inspiration, his style and his hopes for his fledgling business.

Q: Tell me about yourself and what led you to start Knot.

A: When I was little my parents always stressed the importance of a clean appearance and good first impression. From there, I was always dressed well and wanted nice clothes … and obviously wanted to always make a good first impression because you only have one chance at it.

I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York and worked every summer at a golf club on Canandaigua Lake, Bristol Harbour. At Bristol Harbour, I would always sport classic boat belts, golf-club belts, whale belts, and belts with the St. Lawrence crest. Lots of the members and summer renters would actually come into the pro shop the next day with the same belt I had been wearing the day before. It was a compliment and I always thought, in the back of my mind, that I should get into clothing or something to do with it.

After graduating from St. Lawrence, I interviewed with just about every clothing company and manufacturer out there and each one of these places probably still has my résumé on file under the “no thanks” section or something. Nobody would give me a job.

I moved to Boston and found myself in a basically dead-end job. The people were great, it was a solid company but there was no room for individuality. I thought back on how much I enjoyed summers back home and St. Lawrence in the fall and winter and started dreaming up these ideas for clothing products and designs. At first, nothing seemed to fit exactly what I was looking for to represent myself. Then, finally I thought of the idea of making belts.

I started researching clothing companies and shoe manufacturers, sports apparel companies and even some luggage manufacturers. I called fabric producers and wrote e-mails to importers from Asia, India and Italy and inquired about everything from material costs to production to turnaround time. Everything. And I did this all day, every day while at work during my day job for about four more months. After another long five months of searching and saving money and then some, I settled on ribbon belts and focused my searches on that, where I found a connection through St. Lawrence. After a few sample runs of belts we had our product set.

The business officially went public in Nantucket over the July 4 weekend, about a year after I began drawing designs and thinking of how to go about creating a clothing company. I had logo stickers, beer koozies and T-shirts made and just gave a bunch of stuff away. If someone said,“hey awesome koozie!,” or “that belt is great looking,” I would throw them a koozie and some stickers. One night at the Straight Wharf in Nantucket, this girl complimented me on my belt and that it would look great on her boyfriend. I literally took it off and handed it to her. She was blown away.

We also have had raffles on Facebook where our fans can email us or post their favorite design. Once we have enough entries we pick one and give them that belt and one for a friend. Everyone likes a raffle and it gets people involved, which is important.

Q: It might be said that Knot is coming into the belt game a little late. Camilla Bradley’s been doing grosgrain belts for more than 10 years. Other small producers have come and gone. Why now and who do you see as your competition?

A: It is time for a new generation of ribbon belts. CK Bradley has some nice belts, as do Polo, J.Crew and all of the top competitors, but the difference is in the manufacturing. Each Knot belt is double sided and is thick and durable. They are American-made and because each belt is so durable, you are getting the added quality you won’t find with other ribbon belts. I’m sure you have some old ribbon belts that have frayed at the ends or just won’t hold tight to your waist because they are so thin. Knot belts will hold tight, guaranteed.

Q: Have other Laurentian efforts like Green Lobster USA and Sara Langley Designs inspired you?

A: Absolutely. I had the privilege of working with the Green Lobster crew and did some work for them fresh out of St. Lawrence. Their niche was a lot tougher to sell because companies like Vineyard Vines and Leatherman, Ltd. limited already had those cloth belts made. Ward Meehan from GL really gave me some good insight when I approached him about Knot and we still hang out and talk to this day. I actually just saw him at the Phish show in Saratoga. That was an epic time and lots of Larries were there. I was wearing my “Why Knot?” launch t-shirt and everyone kept screaming “WHY KNOT!?”

Q: You’ve got some clever motifs, like the Ski Bunny and Chick Magnet designs? What inspires your design choices?

A: My mom always said I was creative so I guess this just comes with it. If you’re wearing a belt that has a tennis racquet on it, people glance at it and move on. If you’re wearing a design that makes someone stop and laugh or stop and think about it, chances are they’re going to be more inclined to research where it came from and can instantly think of someone who that design would be perfect for. What you wear around your waist shouldn’t be boring.

Q: Your belts are made in New England. Tell me a little bit more about that process and where your supplies come from. Who’s making the belts?

A: When I was working for GL, I worked with a fellow Laurentian whose mother owns a company that works with ribbon fabrics and belts. After contacting her and discussing what I wanted to do with my own label, everything just fell into place. She is awesome and I’m glad to be in business with her.

Q: Who is your core market? Where would you like to see Knot belts sold and where would you like to see them worn?

A: Our core market is definitely your classic, east-coast American. Knot belts are for people who enjoy and seek out quality in a product. Without quality, you have nothing. I think our belts hold true to that look you have in memories about from vacationing on Nantucket. Orders have been coming in from mainly the New England area, but we’ve also gotten many inquiries from Florida, California, and even Mississippi. We will be selling mainly from our online store, however we will be selecting a handful of choice boutiques and shops along the way. I’d like to see my belts worn on the golf course or with a nice pressed shirt heading to a cocktail party or mixer. I’m excited to be out somewhere and see someone wearing a Knot belt!

Q: Obviously belts are your core product for the moment. What’s next for Knot? Where do you see the project in 5 years?

A: We have lots more designs in the works right now. Not to give too much away, but we will be introducing tote bags, hats, and Croakies for your sunglasses soon.

I do have a business partner with Knot. Her name is Caitlin O’Hara and she is one of my best friends and everyone should know that. We get along great, feed off of each others’ energy, and brainstorm really well about what classic America is all about. Without her I’m not sure Knot would exist. I would say the most thought went into creating this Knot as the logo. Living in Boston and so close to the water it was almost a no-brainer to do a knot. I drew it out and showed it to Caitlin. She tweaked it a bit and from there, and Knot Clothing was born. I doodled more designs during my lunch breaks, went window shopping and studied fabric materials after work, and most importantly I watched people. I’ve been to Europe and the UK and all over the place and I love watching people. Caitlin and I would just sit in the Boston Common, in the North End, or in the Navy Yard and just watch people and their styles and how they react with one another. We wanted Knot to be very American and bit like something out of the 1980s when people created their own individuality through their clothes and behavior and lived on the edge a little bit. I think people are feeling that “me me me” feeling again like they did in the ‘80s because so many have lost a lot during this economic downturn. If the classic style of our Knot ribbon belts can make someone remember a good time they had 20 years ago, then we’ve done an awesome thing, especially on the east coast where that work hard play hard attitude holds strong. Everyone should treat themselves once and a while. Why Knot?

Knot Clothing
lifestyle@knotclothing.com