Harvard, the Clothing Brand
Harvard is a brand, and a powerful one at that. Regardless of whether the styles pique your interest (and some have critiqued the line for its insistence on all things patterned), Harvard is testing the reach of its brand name in an interesting way: they're launching a new clothing line. In terms of whether starting a clothing line is a mistake for the university, I think that by the time your name brand is as strong as Harvard’s, you might be in the clear to put your name on just about anything. What might save the project is that Harvard intends to direct the profits toward financial aid for students. How nice.
What’s funnier, however, is that the line seems to have hit the big times in the fashion world. Prada used the Harvard Yard look as inspiration for their men’s fashion line:
—Stephanie Martin