Diddy is no stranger to the fashion world. His Sean John clothing company has been one of the most popular brands on the market since it’s inception in 1997 and now he has just acquired another top urban clothing line, ENYCE.  Enyce is a denim sportswear line specializing in wovens, knits, outerwear, and graphic tees for men and boys.  The company was started by Evan Davis, Lando Felix, and Tony Shellman in 1996, and had immediate success among the hip hop demographic. The company was purchased by Liz Claiborne in 2003 for $114 million, however soon Claiborne realized she didn’t want to be muddled with the hip hop crowd and began a mad search to unload it off to another company. That’s where Diddy stepped in.

“I remember when Enyce was sold back in 2003 for $114 million,” Combs told of how he became interested in the brand. “I was always a fan of the brand from when [founders] Evan Davis, Lando Felix, and Tony Shellman owned it. About a year ago I heard that Liz Claiborne was considering selling it because it wasn’t a good fit for their portfolio. I knew it would be a great opportunity so we began negotiations which took about six months.”

Diddy let it be known that this was not simply an extension of Sean John but an entirely new brand that he feels will suit the economic times and abilities of the people more than his high end Sean John line.  “We’re going to retool and make it completely different from our Sean John line, which is still the mothership brand,” Combs stated. “But with respect to the economic conditions many face, this offers us the opportunity to supply a quality fashion brand at a lower price point.”

Combs states that he feels the brand still has staying power with the public but just that it wasn’t marketed right.  “When we did our field research, we found a lot of people were aware of Enyce and it had a lot of the name recognition that’s missing from most of the brands out there,” Combs revealed. “But what happened was it stopped being marketed, and it fell out of the limelight. It’s our challenge to be innovative in our marketing to reintroduce the brand to the public.”

Puff  went on to say that he will put the same energy and focus into re-launching this clothing line as all his ventures. “Compare it to music where they call me the King of the Remix, we’re going to apply that same approach to the band: ‘remixing’ the sales approach, the brand marketing, and how the product is distributed globally and domestically.”  

He adds that overall this purchase is about more than just another acquisitioned power move but a step forward for the fashion game and a new hope and example for the youth. “I’m extremely excited about this purchase, and since my boy Tony Shellman used to own it gives me more motivation to do right by it,” Combs stated. “And above all, as a black businessman I want to keep inspiring the African-American community to keep moving forward and pursuing opportunities in business. Black entrepreneurship and wealth building is very important to me and I want the youth and everyone to know these goals are attainable to them as well.”

The exact amount ENYCE was purchased for is still unknown at press time.