Timeline: The rise and fall of Kansas City’s Baldwin Denim
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Washed Out
Baldwin Denim, a local billionaire and the demise of a beloved KC brand.
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Washed out: The mystery behind the demise of iconic Kansas City brand Baldwin Denim
Timeline: The rise and fall of Kansas City’s Baldwin Denim
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‘Gross negligence, bad faith’: Read the Baldwins’ claim against Cliff Illig’s firm
Baldwin Denim’s founders were a ‘detriment of its success,’ Illig’s attorneys claim
The rise and fall of Baldwin Denim
2003
Matt and Emily Baldwin open Standard Style Boutique in Leawood.
2009
The couple launch their first denim line, Baldwin Denim.
2010
Matt Baldwin creates a menswear line, the Baldwin Collection, which includes shirts, pants, jackets and the all-wool KC hat, sold at high-end retailers nationwide.
2011
Baldwin Men’s Shop opens in Leawood.
2013
GQ names Matt Baldwin one of the four top menswear designers in the U.S.
2014
The Baldwins and Matt’s parents, Ron and Cindy Baldwin, take out $2 million in loans and begin seeking outside investors to grow the business.
2015
Matt Baldwin is a finalist for a prestigious Vogue fashion award. He and the family appear in the magazine with Jason Sudeikis and Kendall Jenner.
2016
Baldwin retail shops begin to open in other cities, eventually landing in Austin, New York, Los Angeles, San Jose and Dallas, in addition to KC locations.
2017
TIFEC, an LLC controlled by Cerner co-founder Cliff Illig, becomes majority owner of Baldwin LLC.
January 2018
Johnathan Crocker takes over as president and creative director. Matt and Emily Baldwin stay on as “inspiration guides.”
September 2018
The company rebrands as BLDWN and moves to Los Angeles.
October 2019
Crocker is fired as president and is not replaced.
March 2020
BLDWN lays off its entire staff and closes all seven stores. It soon liquidates assets.
December 2020
Citizens Bank sues the Baldwins to collect $760,000 in unpaid debt.
February 2021
The Baldwins sue Illig’s company to repay the loan, citing his team’s “incompetent” management.
August 2021
Illig’s attorneys respond to the lawsuit, saying the Baldwins lack business sophistication and “begged” his firm to invest in their company.
October 2021
The Baldwins and Illig’s company settle out of court. The cases are dismissed.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
