Why You Should Check Out Le Alfre
By Anthony DuPrau
Right now there’s a new brand that is taking the traditional menswear scene by storm: Le Alfre. Le Alfre, the brainchild of entrepreneur Brandon Snower, was born during his brief stint in finance. The brand sought to revolutionize the traditional menswear scene that traditionally has been seen as old school. As described by Brandon himself, Le Alfre has an “unparalleled approach to creating a captivating community that effortlessly combines playfulness and sophistication.”
Le Alfre was started by Brandon after only a year of being in the real world. Brandon upon finishing his degree, followed a similar sentiment often seen at Trinity: wanting to work in finance specifically in New York City. However, after a year of working in investment banking, he noticed a gap in the market for a brand that combined top-quality European craftsmanship with a fun, unique, and relaxed vibe. Brands synonymous with classy elegant style had not yet adapted to younger consumers. Thus Le Alfre was born. The philosophy of Le Alfre embodies the original vision of the brand. When asked about the philosophy, Brandon said, “Our philosophy behind Le Alfré is to create a new vibe and aesthetic in the realm of traditional menswear. We are a modern heritage brand that combines elegant design with a fun and playful attitude and flair. It is important to us that we always incorporate culture in every aspect of our brand and let this be the foundation where we can build a community that resonates with it. We want to build a community and culture that extends beyond fashion, and to do that you have to go out there and do it – whether partnering with other brands, people, or companies that meet the same vibe and aesthetic we are creating.”
Since leaving finance, I’m sure Brandon doesn’t miss the late nights and long weekends in the office. However, it wasn’t all for nothing. In an interview with The Stanza, Brandon talked about his experience in finance which resulted in mixed feelings. He credits a lot of his tenacity, resourcefulness, and understanding of business to finance. While the work was different, there were a lot of crossover soft skills that helped him succeed as an entrepreneur. These soft skills have helped Le Alfre develop a small cult following especially amongst young millennials and Gen Z men and women.
What truly makes Brandon and Le Alfre unique to the fashion scene is the emphasis on community within the brand. It has become a growing trend among young adults that we lack places outside of work and living to meet people and socialize. Also called a “third place” on social media, these areas have come into high demand as young people look for comfortable ways to socialize. Places like Soho House and Zero Bond have shot up in membership and private clubs continue to pop up left and right. Noticing this trend, Brandon started “Le Club,” a private club for like-minded people within the brand. The club offers a lot of perks including a more behind-the-scenes look at the brand, getting an exclusive code that allows one to have early access to new products, and getting invites to be able to attend private events. These private events, often announced in tandem with new releases, offer a chance for customers to be able to connect and socialize. What also makes “Le Club” so popular among new and existing customers is the initiation fee to get in: buying a piece of clothing from Le Alfre. This allows Le Alfre to balance having a feeling of exclusiveness where one can interact with like-minded people while also being incredibly accessible, unlike other private clubs in New York City. The idea of “Le Club” puts them at the forefront of a shift to brands becoming more of a community rather than an out-of-touch producer. Starting from humble beginnings, these events have grown drastically in popularity as the brand continues to build on its cult following. These club events started mostly with a small group and a few appetizers, to recently selling out Maxwell social with its release of a recent line of t-shirts.
A lot of what has made Brandon grow so much is his way of approaching marketing. Brandon recently has gone viral on TikTok and other forms of social media for documenting days in the life of being a business owner which has helped him connect with people around the world that otherwise would not have heard of Le Alfre. When asked about it in an interview, Brandon said, “I think when building a community through TikTok, it has to be done through the founders’ lenses. So much of a clothing brand’s marketing as photoshoots, models, videos, and mood boards – which, don’t get me wrong—is necessary, but to separate and add that extra level of community and engagement, founders & CEOs must interact with their members.” Another unique part of Le Alfre operations is Brandon’s commitment to customers which I can attest to firsthand. I first got connected with Brandon through Instagram Dms on the official account. I had seen screenshots of different customers reaching out and asking questions about his products and decided it would be worth a shot. To my surprise, he responded in under five minutes. We had a great conversation about his shirts and what he recommends which ultimately led me to buy two shirts. After that, I kept in touch with him every once in a while which eventually led to him coming to campus to speak at a Mark Twain event which was one of the highlights of the semester. What’s truly incredible about his customer service is that I am not a special case. He has been able to keep in touch with hundreds of existing and potential customers while also running Le Alfre. If this brand is even remotely intriguing to you, I highly recommend looking up @le.alfre on Instagram and shooting them a DM.
While all of these aspects of the brand have helped with its skyrocketing popularity, what has truly made it the company they are today are its products. As a proud owner of multiple shirts, I can say that Le Alfre shirts are the best I’ve ever owned. Their quality is something not offered on the market for less than $300-$400. With brands like Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers choosing cheaper products to stay profitable, it is truly rare for a shirt to have this level of comfort while also being relatively affordable as far as dress shirts go. They also feature unique styles in an ode to the old-school Wall Street contrast collar shirts which was their first shirt. Since then, they’ve branched out into other styles which round out one’s wardrobe. The brand also has other items that I highly recommend including the rugby shirt, their t-shirts, and the weekend bag. All of which have incredible reviews and are highly recommended across the board.
With Le Alfre’s current trajectory, I believe that they are only a few years away from truly breaking into mainstream fashion. Their products, marketing, and customer service have allowed them to develop a strong cult following that grows by the day. If you or someone you know are looking for a nice comfortable dress shirt that can be worn to work then to a happy hour, look no further.