What Creative Apparel Concepts does

Creative Apparel Concepts, Inc. is a privately held apparel design, manufacturing, and distribution company founded in 2000 by brothers Scott, Jeff, and Ben Gray and headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota. The company operates a custom-built consolidated facility where design, production, warehousing, and distribution are housed under one roof, employing approximately 70 people. CAC creates customized apparel across four primary product categories: sleepwear, team sports, souvenir/private label, and novelty (Faux Real), serving mass merchandisers (Walmart, Target, Sams Club, TJ Maxx), premium department stores (Nordstrom), entertainment and tourism venues (Six Flags, Harrah's, Universal Studios, Disney, House of Blues), catalog partners (Blair, Paradies Shops), and proprietary e-commerce channels.

The company's technical platform centers on a multi-technique print and embellishment stack that includes screen printing, sublimation, belt prints (large-format all-over discharge printing), all-over sequins, garment washes, burnouts, and specialty inks (glitter, high-density, faux leather, appliques, embroidery). An in-house creative team provides custom artwork and graphic design services in collaboration with the sales function. CAC distributes and manufactures over 100 licensed properties (including Disney, NBA, Coca-Cola, collegiate sports, I Love NY, and others) and owns proprietary sub-brands Munki Munki (playful sleepwear), Faux Real (photorealistic novelty apparel), and Retrospective.

The business model is B2B sales-led with quote-based pricing on custom orders, supplemented by direct-to-consumer e-commerce through proprietary brand storefronts and Amazon. Revenue streams include licensed apparel sales (royalties), private-label manufacturing for major brands (Adidas, Harley Davidson, Disney, Coca-Cola), souvenir/resort merchandise, and proprietary brand sales. Distribution spans mass, premium, boutique, catalog, and digital channels across North America and select international markets (gift shops and boutiques worldwide for Faux Real). The company received the Ernst & Young 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Upper Midwest region.

Name

Creative Apparel Concepts

Legal name

Creative Apparel Concepts, Inc.

Website

https://creativeapparelconcepts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Creative Apparel Concepts is a privately held US apparel design, manufacturing, and distribution company that produces licensed, private-label, and proprietary apparel across sleepwear, team sports, souvenir, and novelty categories, serving mass merchandisers, premium retailers, entertainment venues, and catalog partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sportswear Customization & Printing Retail (CRAMACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD), Fashion Accessories Manufacturing (Hair Accessories/Headbands/Clips) (IMAOAFAF)

Keywords

• Custom apparel manufacturing
• Licensed apparel design
• Private label apparel
• Screen printing services
• Sleepwear apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Licensed Apparel Sales: Distribution and manufacture of over 100 popular licensed properties for collegiate, professional sports, resort wear, and sleepwear markets
2. Private Label Apparel: Custom private label garment creation for brands including Adidas, Harley Davidson, Disney, and other major clients
3. Souvenir/Resort Merchandise: Regionally-inspired souvenir items for resort and boutique locations
4. Proprietary Brand Sales: Multiple proprietary brands including Munki Munki (sleepwear) and Faux Real (novelty apparel) sold through various retail channels

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Creative Apparel Concepts is an apparel design, manufacturing, and distribution company that creates customized apparel for souvenir, private label, collegiate and professional sports, resort wear, and sleepwear markets. The company distributes and manufactures over 100 popular licensed properties as well as multiple proprietary brands, using innovative print and embellishment techniques such as screen printing, sublimation, belt prints, all-over sequins, garment washes, and burnouts.

Product overview

Creative Apparel Concepts is an apparel design, manufacturing, and distribution company operating as a multi-brand portfolio with proprietary sub-brands including Faux Real (photorealistic novelty apparel) and Munki Munki (sleepwear), alongside a services-based model offering print production (screen prints, sublimation, sequins, garment washes, burnouts), custom garment development, graphic design, distribution, and licensing/private label services. The company distributes and manufactures over 100 popular licensed properties as well as multiple proprietary brands, serving markets including sleepwear, team sports, souvenir/private label, and collegiate/professional sports apparel. Distribution spans mass merchandisers (Walmart, Target), high-end retailers (Nordstrom), boutiques, resorts, gift shops, and catalogs worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Munki Munki: Sleepwear brand offering playful, story-driven prints and elevated everyday essentials.
• Faux Real
• Retrospective

Products and services

• Faux Real Photorealistic novelty apparel line featuring quirky, funny, and scandalous designs sold to gift shops, boutiques, department stores, and catalogs worldwide. Targets consumers who want standout fashion.
• Munki Munki Sleepwear brand offering comfortable, quality sleepwear with playful story-driven prints and elevated everyday essentials for private label or licensed brand customers.
• Retrospective Proprietary apparel sub-brand of Creative Apparel Concepts with an established Instagram presence.
• Sleepwear Line Sleepwear category including branded products (Munki Munki) and private label options, featuring comfort, quality, and standout design for retailers and brand customers.
• Team Sports Apparel Team sports division with hundreds of collegiate and professional sports licenses, focused on mass merchandisers and contemporary missy fashion tops.
• Souvenir and Private Label Apparel Souvenir and private label division creating regional-inspired souvenir items and unique custom garments for brands, including services for resorts, boutiques, and major retail clients such as Adidas, Harley Davidson, Disney, and Coca-Cola.
• Custom Garment Development Full-service apparel design and manufacturing service creating trendsetting fashion tops, lounge wear sets, and custom garments, leveraging in-house artists and designers.
• Graphic Design Services In-house creative team providing custom artwork and design collaboration services, working closely with the sales team and clients to produce on-trend prints and apparel art.
• Licensed Apparel Manufacturing Manufacturing and distribution of over 100 licensed properties including Disney, I Love Lucy, Elvis, Betty Boop, I Love NY, NBA, and multiple collegiate sports licenses for fashion tops, sleepwear, loungewear, mens, kids, and womens wear.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products sold at major retailers from Walmart to Nordstrom and entertainment venues from Six Flags to Harrahs

Named customers25 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Delta Apparel: Public apparel manufacturer and marketer with branded and licensed basics, activewear, and sportswear sold through mass and specialty channels. Directly comparable as a multi-channel apparel producer reliant on licensed and private label programs.
• Mad Engine: Licensed apparel company producing pop culture, sports, and entertainment apparel for mass retailers. Directly comparable on the licensed apparel manufacturing and mass-channel distribution model.
• Bioworld International: Manufacturer of licensed and novelty apparel, accessories, and home goods sold through mass, specialty, and tourism channels. Closely matches CAC's licensed + novelty + souvenir go-to-market.
• Freeze (Freeze Manufacturing): Custom apparel screen printer and manufacturer serving sports, entertainment, and private label clients. Comparable on the B2B custom print and embellishment services side of CAC's business.
• Centric Brands: Specialty apparel company focused on licensed and private label brands across sportswear, sleepwear, and accessories for mass and mid-tier retailers. Closely aligned on licensing-centric model and entertainment/IP-driven product mix.
• Riverside Sportswear: Licensed sports apparel manufacturer producing collegiate and pro team merchandise for mass retailers. Directly comparable to CAC's Team Sports division in product mix and channel.
• Komar: Sleepwear and intimate apparel maker with licensed character and entertainment brands sold through mass and specialty retail. Closely matches the Munki Munki sleepwear business and licensed IP approach.

Broad incumbents

• G-III Apparel Group: Large apparel company holding licenses for DKNY, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and major sports leagues. Comparable as a multi-brand, license-driven apparel platform, though at materially larger scale and breadth.
• Authentic Brands Group: Brand management platform that licenses major entertainment and lifestyle IP to apparel manufacturers including Disney-adjacent and entertainment properties. Comparable as a counterparty in CAC's licensing ecosystem.

Emerging players

• T-Shirt International / Threads Etc: Smaller-scale custom screen printer and apparel decorator serving brands and promotional markets. Useful smaller comparator for CAC's custom print and embellishment services, though without the licensed content portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/fauxrealshirt
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fauxrealshirt
• Instagraminstagram.com/munkimunki_pj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Apparel Concepts