Sean John Clothing and Fragrance Brand
Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. His business interests under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide include Bad Boy Records; the clothing lines Sean John & Sean by Sean Combs; a movie production company; and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011 Forbes estimated his net worth at $475 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.
Sean John Clothing Inc is a clothing and fragrance company owned by hip-hop mogul Sean Combs and supermarket mogul Ron Burkle. The apparel company takes its name from Combs' first and middle given names, allegedly.
In 1998, Combs decided to launch a signature collection of sportswear under his name Sean John. Since its launch, Sean John has enjoyed critical and commercial success with revenues now exceeding $100 million annually. Sean John has often appeared at the award ceremony for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) held annually in New York. For five consecutive years since 2000, Sean John has been nominated for its excellence in design. In 2004, Sean John was awarded the CFDA Men's Designer of the Year award.
Combs have also released a fragrance for men under the same banner. In November 2008, Combs launched his latest men's perfume under the Sean John brand called "I Am King" dedicated to Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King. In his blog he stated: "There is a black president and it's time for there to be a black Bond". In November 2008, he unveiled a new Times Square billboard for the "I Am King" line to replace his iconic Sean John ad. The giant billboard is currently the largest print ad in Times Square.
"I always had the idea that I would start my own apparel line, but I wanted to make sure the timing was right and that I had the time to devote to it." - Sean Combs, Launching of Sean John.
