Merrill and Pines

Every big idea needs a little random inspiration to get going. For MP founders Patrick Merrill and Alex Pines, it came from people they saw on a daily basis, the styles they loved and the athletic trend that they wanted to expand on.

Aside from the occasional pair of skinny jeans or flannel button-down, Pat and Alex's college campus was dominated by a casual preppy and athletic style. Casually timeless. Effortlessly upscale. And after a series of "If we started our own business, what would it be?" conversations, they had it.

Design clothes for our friends. Be our own bosses. Help shape the trends instead of just wearing them. For two college sophomores at Indiana University, it doesn't get much better than that.

They chose preppy athletic tee shirts as the inaugural product--the perfect foundation to what they hope will one day become an entire clothing line. And as for their basic name and distinctly elegant logo? The pine tree represents nobility, a symbol of refinement, and for two friends born and raised in the suburbs, a welcoming feeling of sophistication.