Contravisual acquires Sullen Clothing

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 19, 2016

Contravisual, owner of SoCal lifestyle brands including Affliction and Society, has acquired tattoo apparel brand Sullen Clothing.

Sullen Clothing was founded in Orange County 15 years ago by tattoo artist Ryan Smith and Jeremy Hanna. Sullen Clothing quickly occupied the niche market of tattoo apparel, growing exponentially over the past decade. When their primary investor passed away last year, the founders began seeking other options to continue growing.

Smith said, “Jeremy and I have done a decent job at growing this brand out of our garage into an internationally recognized brand, but Contravisual’s principals Courtney Dubar and Eric Foss’ experience in building brands is just what we need to get Sullen Clothing to the next level."

Contravisual's brand portfolio includes Secret Artist, American Fighter, Psych Industries, Sinful, Xtreme Couture, and has an affiliation with one of California's largest screen-printers, Massive Prints.

Hanna commented, “There couldn’t be a better partner to team up with. I am super excited to learn from them. Their work ethic is second to none. Their team has already taken so many duties off of our to-do list, giving Ryan more freedom to be creative, and me more freedom to create those events and relationships that got us where we are today”.

Sullen has already closed their old shop in Los Alamitos and moved into Contravisual's 60,000 square foot space in Seal Beach.