“I was sitting in class and I was doodling,” says Daniel Neeson, son of actor Liam. A junior at Tulane University, Neeson explained that the idea for his debut clothing line, Pine Outfitters, came to him in the middle of a class period. A self-professed “hat guy,” Neeson started sketching hats and at the suggestion of his peers, eventually expanded his doodles to include clothing as well.
Neeson’s collection includes hats, joggers, pants, shirts and sweaters. The unisex line, which ranges in price from $45 to $350, launched this week with a pop-up shop in SoHo and will be made available online starting in September.
“I’m excited to not only promote our clothing, but to promote our mission, which is to help embrace the wild side and help promote environmental awareness,” Neeson said at an opening event Thursday. “Our concern is about embracing diversity, sexuality, gender, everything. We want everybody to look at each other equally and enjoy this world together.”
Related Galleries
A theater and digital media double major, Neeson added, “I love the outdoors and I love to style.” He’s recruited his friends to be a part of the business with him, and has also sought advice from his father, who kept a low profile at the intimate celebration.
“Obviously, you get a big cliché. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, another celebrity son doing a fashion line,’ or becoming an actor and stuff like that,” Neeson said. “For me, it came naturally. My father’s been really supportive along the way. Whatever endeavor I decide, he’s been on my back helping me, not just emotionally, but supporting what I do. He really loves that. I can’t be more thankful for that.”
When asked what advice his father has given him, Neeson responded, “There’s always a way to get it done. All negatives are positives. I can’t really quote this line well, but Samuel Beckett, it’s a huge quote. It goes something like, ‘No matter how much you fail, fail again and fail better.’ That’s a quote that all thespians use before they go on stage. You make a mistake, it’s great. You learn from it. That makes it exciting.”
The Pine Outfitters pop-up shop runs until July 19 at 121 Prince Street.
More from WWD.com:
Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix Finds Her Footing With ‘Love’