Metta World Peace invests in innovative men's shirting brand Butter Cloth

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Nov 28, 2017

Metta World Peace, aka LA Laker Ron Artest, has joined Long Beach, CA-based Butter Cloth as an equity partner. The direct to consumer men's shirting brand is looking to his celebrity status to expand market share.

Danh Tran founded Butter Cloth in January of this year. The shirts are designed to look like traditional men's dress shirt, yet have the soft handfeel of a high-end t-shirt.

They are 100% cotton double knit out of a proprietary fabric that Tran developed with a Chinese factory. The shirts come in patterns which include geometric shapes, plaids and solids.

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​In a video announcing his new involvement, Metta World Peace said he previously had trouble finding collared shirts that he could wear comfortably under a jacket without ripping. He lauded Butter Cloth's button down shirts as being "one of the best midday shirts."

Tran, founder, CEO and creative director of Butter Cloth, said Metta World Peace will help the brand enter the celebrity and sports market. The former LA Laker will serve as the brand's ambassador to help that strategy.

This is Tran's first independent design project. Previously the Vietnam native and OTIS graduate designed clothes for Barbie as well as for MMA brand Affliction.

Butter Cloth's short-sleeve men's dress shirts retail for $88 and long-sleeve options sell for $98. They are available online through Butter Cloth's e-commerce site.

Terms of Metta World Peace's personal investment were not disclosed.