MagnaReady

MagnaReady is an American clothing technology and e-commerce brand based in Raleigh, North Carolina that produces adaptive clothing for those with dexterity issues. Maura Horton, adaptive clothing pioneer, created MagnaReady in 2013 after her husband, Don Horton struggled buttoning shirts. MagnaReady is the original magnetic shirt technology and it is patented.[1] MagnaReady was the first adaptive clothing technology to reach mass market, with the technology licensed to products available at many online retailers.[2]

MagnaReady
TypePrivate
IndustryRetail
FounderMaura Horton
Headquarters
Raleigh, North Carolina
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsClothing
Websitemagnaready.com

History

In 2009, Don Horton, a football coach at North Carolina State University, struggled to button his shirt in the locker room due to Parkinson's disease. That day his shirt was buttoned by Russell Wilson, but his wife, Maura Horton, wanted a better solution for her husband. A former children's clothing designer, she decided to sew magnets into her husband's shirts for ease of use.[3] In 2015, a patent was granted on the technology developed.[4]

In early 2013, after a few years of research, design, and sourcing, the MagnaReady technology was used in shirts launched under a brand by the same namesake. The initial small run of shirts was targeted to elderly men with mobility issues.

In 2016, PVH Corp., producer of Van Heusen, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and IZOD, licensed the MagnaReady technology in order to bring the adaptive shirts to a mass-market audience through stores and e-commerce.[5] In September 2016, a co-branded line of VanHeusen MagnaClick shirts were unveiled and marketed to men suffering from Parkinson's disease.[6]

In September 2017, the MagnaReady technology was licensed in a partnership with LF Americas, a division of Li & Fung, to bring the adaptive products to a larger retail audience.[7]

In October 2017, a shirt using MagnaReady technology was featured by New York’s Museum of Modern Art in the Items: Is Fashion Modern? exhibit as the modern version of a male dress shirt. The exhibit is scheduled to run through January 28, 2017.[8]

MagnaClick

MagnaClick is an adaptive clothing brand based on the MagnaReady technology developed by Maura Horton that is distributed and sold via licensing of the patented technology.[9]

History

The MagnaClick brand was born in 2016 when MagnaReady technology was licensed to PVH Corp. to create a line of Van Heusen MagnaClick dress shirts for men. PVH billed it as "a game-changing product that offers a stylish, high quality solution for consumers with limited dexterity or those seeking an alternative to buttons.”[10] The shirts were to be sold by select retailers in-store and online in the fall of 2016, including Amazon, Belk, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s.[11]

In 2017, MagnaClick expanded through a partnership with LF Americas, a division of Li & Fung Limited. The partnership will initially expand the brand to men's and women's shirting as well as children's school uniforms. The new MagnaClick line will debut with LF Americas retail partners in 2018.[12]

References
  1. Article of Clothing Having Magnetic Fastening Assemblies, 2012-11-12, retrieved 2018-04-09
  2. "Van Heusen launches men's dress shirt designed with adaptive technology that eliminates traditional buttons". EPR Retail News. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  3. Kavilanz, Parija. "Football coach's battle with Parkinson's inspires a line of dress shirts". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  4. Article of Clothing Having Magnetic Fastening Assemblies, 2012-11-12, retrieved 2018-04-09
  5. "Style Watch: Raleigh-based MagnaReady could get wider reach". newsobserver. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  6. Parmley, Suzette (2016-12-09). "Van Heusen releases men's dress shirt with magnets instead of buttons". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  7. "LF AMERICAS TO LICENSE MAGNAREADY SHIRT COMPANY". www.mr-mag.com. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  8. Bain, Marc. "111 iconic objects that defined the last century of fashion, according to New York's MoMA". Quartz. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  9. "Making a new connection to certain dress-shirt buyers - Philly". Philly.com. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  10. "Van Heusen Introduces Adaptive Clothing Solution in Major Retailers Utilizing Hidden Magnetic Closures". Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  11. Scarano, Genevieve (2016-09-29). "Van Heusen Launches Adaptive Magnetic Clothing Solution for Retailers". Sourcing Journal. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  12. "MagnaReady and LF Americas Announce New Partnership". Retrieved 2018-04-09.
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