Cotte D'Armes
Cotte D'Armes is a New York City-based independent fashion brand founded by creative director Clarence Ruth, operating with 1–10 employees and selling ready-to-wear, couture, accessories, footwear, and art via its own e-commerce platform and select high-profile brand collaborations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLong Island City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cotte D'Armes does
Cotte D'Armes is a New York City-based independent fashion brand founded by creative director Clarence Ruth, operating with 1–10 employees. The brand designs, produces, and sells menswear and womenswear through its own e-commerce platform (cottedarmesnyc.com), supplemented by distribution through partner channels such as Tommy Hilfiger retail and online stores and the Mercedes AMG F1 online shop. Its core technical capabilities center on denim fabrication innovation (developed with Xiqiao in South China since 2014/2015) and a sustainability initiative, CMIRECYCLE, launched in 2019 with Brightly International, which transforms dead stock fabrics into new garments and reached 85% upcycled fabrications in the Spring-Summer 2025 collection.
The product portfolio spans ready-to-wear (denim, pants, shirts, coats, jackets, dresses, robes, suiting), made-to-order couture (one-of-a-kind pieces such as The Solomon Suit Black at $3,460), limited-edition accessories (a 300-unit baseball cap at $100), Nike footwear resales ($170–$190), fine art paintings and prints ($150–$10,000), and published books (Colors De La Runway at $18.99, Num8ers De La Runway at $20). Revenue streams include DTC unit sales, inquiry-based couture commissions, and licensing/design fees from brand collaborations (Tommy Hilfiger x Mercedes AMG F1 capsule priced $90–$690; Disney Create100; Andy Warhol Foundation). Supporting offerings include the Care Concierge repair service and gallery exhibitions (e.g., the Carrom x Clarence Ruth show at KI Smith Gallery, January–February 2026).
The go-to-market model is event-driven, anchored by New York Fashion Week runway shows, Art Basel appearances, and high-profile cultural moments such as the 2024 Met Gala unveiling of The Bulletproof Dress with March For Our Lives. Customer segments include fashion-forward men and women, luxury couture clients, art collectors, and F1/motorsports enthusiasts. Marketing channels span organic social (Instagram @cottedarmesnyc, YouTube @cottedarmesnyc7528), email newsletter, fashion-week shows, and recurring press coverage in Forbes, WWD, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Hypebeast, and Hollywood Reporter. The brand positions itself around NYC cultural identity, limited-edition exclusivity, and sustainability-driven design.
Cotte D'Armes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cotte D'Armes
- Legal name
- Cotte D'Armes
- Website
- https://cottedarmesnyc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cotte D'Armes is a New York City-based independent fashion brand founded by creative director Clarence Ruth, operating with 1–10 employees and selling ready-to-wear, couture, accessories, footwear, and art via its own e-commerce platform and select high-profile brand collaborations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cotte D'Armes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Designer Apparel
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where Cotte D'Armes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Long Island City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cotte D'Armes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Ready-to-Wear & Apparel Sales: Primary revenue through direct e-commerce sales of men's and women's ready-to-wear including denim, pants, shirts, coats, jackets, dresses, and robes
- Couture Sales: Exclusive made-to-order couture pieces sold as unique, never-duplicated creations; inquiry-based sales model for high-value items
- Footwear & Accessories: Collaborative footwear (Nike collaborations) and limited edition accessories including caps sold through e-commerce
- Art & Prints: Fine art paintings and prints sold through the brand's art gallery section; prices ranging from $150 to $10,000
- Publications: Coffee table books including Colors De La Runway ($18.99) and Num8ers De La Runway ($20) - limited edition publications
- Brand Collaborations: Collaborative capsule collections with Tommy Hilfiger, Mercedes F1, and others where brand receives licensing/design fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Footwear - Nike collaborations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Edition Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tommy Hilfiger x Mercedes F1 x Cotte D'Armes Capsule |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fine Art Prints and Paintings |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Publications |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Couture Pieces |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cotte D'Armes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cotte D'Armes designs, produces, and sells designer apparel for men and women, including ready-to-wear (denim, pants, shirts, coats, jackets, dresses, robes, suiting), made-to-order couture pieces, limited edition accessories (e.g., the CDA Black Baseball Cap), collaborative Nike footwear, original fine art and prints, and coffee-table books. The brand operates its own e-commerce storefront cottedarmesnyc.com and supports a sustainability-focused CMIRECYCLE upcycling program that transforms dead stock fabrics into fashion pieces.
Product overview
Cotte D'Armes is a New York City-based fashion brand offering a diversified portfolio of ready-to-wear apparel and accessories, couture pieces, footwear, publications, and art. The core offering consists of the Ready-to-Wear line (men's and women's clothing including denim, pants, shirts, coats, jackets, dresses, robes, and suiting) alongside a made-to-order Couture collection featuring exclusive one-of-a-kind pieces. The brand extends its creative vision through collaborations like TH x MBF1 x CR with Tommy Hilfiger and Mercedes AMG F1, as well as art collections and limited edition accessories including the CDA Baseball Cap. Supporting offerings include the Care Concierge service, CMIRECYCLE sustainability initiative, and published books (Colors De La Runway, Num8ers De La Runway). The Spring Summer 2025 collection notably uses 85% upcycled fabrications. The brand also offers Nike footwear through its e-commerce platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CMIRECYCLE: Upcycling program that transforms dead stock fabrics into sustainable fashion pieces, developed in collaboration with Brightly International's Esther Her
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% upcycled fabrications achieved in Spring-Summer 2025 collection
Companies that use Cotte D'Armes
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cotte D'Armes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Cotte D'Armes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- KI Smith GallerycoreHosted Carrom x Clarence Ruth exhibition January 24 - February 22, 2026. Features functional art - playable Carrom boards designed by artists including Clarence Ruth.
- March For Our LivesflagshipPartnership to create The Bulletproof Dress - a red gown with ballistic-resistant material featuring gun violence awareness message, unveiled at Met Gala 2024. The dress was worn by Racquel Chevremont outside the Pierre hotel.
- Racquel ChevremontflagshipReal Housewives of New York City star and mother of two teenagers wore The Bulletproof Dress at Met Gala. Her credibility as a mother brought authenticity to the gun violence awareness message.
- Brightly InternationalcoreLaunched CMIRECYCLE upcycling program with Esther Her of Brightly International in 2019, transforming dead stock fabrics into sustainable fashion pieces.
- Xiqiao (China)corePartnership with China's Xiqiao - one of South China's biggest denim manufacturing cities. First seen at Shanghai Fashion Week FW 2015. Two divisions: Beauty of Floral (washing/printing techniques) and Sports Chic (super stretch denim).
- Tommy HilfigerflagshipMajor capsule collection integrating Tommy Hilfiger heritage with Mercedes F1 performance. Includes apparel items from t-shirts ($90) to varsity jackets ($690). Available on Tommy.com and in select stores.
- Mercedes AMG F1flagshipThree-way collaboration featuring F1 heritage and high-performance aesthetics. Soccer jerseys, rugby items, and varsity jackets available through Mercedes F1 online shop.
- CarromcoreFunctional game boards collaboration selling art pieces through carrom.com. Featured artists include Clarence Ruth, James Rubio, James Reyes, and others.
- DisneyflagshipDisney Create100 collaboration for Disney's 100 year anniversary. Designed limited edition polo gown; proceeds contributed to Make-A-Wish Foundation.
- Coleman DomingominorActor collaborated on a capsule collection with the brand.
- The Standard HotelminorCollaborated on varsity jacket featuring the brand's cross and shield artwork, available at Shop The Standard.
- LVMH x Harlem's Fashion RowflagshipWon the 2022 New Legacy Challenge; collection shown during 2022 NYFW presented by LVMH x Harlem's Fashion Row.
- Andy Warhol FoundationminorAndy Warhol x Clarence Ruth collaboration featuring artistic works.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cotte D'Armes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pyer Moss: Kerby Jean-Raymond's NYC-based fashion house blending couture, ready-to-wear, and social advocacy (e.g., "Your Hands Are Tied" with Reebok, Met Gala appearances). Most structurally similar peer to Cotte D'Armes in terms of founder-led couture-plus-collabs identity.
- Bode: Emily Adams Bode's NYC-based emerging luxury brand with strong vintage/sustainability narrative, NYFW presence, and collaborations (e.g., with Hermès, Birkenstock). Comparable trajectory to Cotte D'Armes in terms of emerging-designer DTC and limited-edition model.
- Vaquera: NYC-based conceptual fashion collective known for runway-driven drops, subcultural press, and limited production. Comparable in micro-team runway-led model and downtown NYC fashion identity.
- Collina Strada: Hilary Taymour's NYC sustainable fashion label with upcycled collections, NYFW presence, and a vibrant DTC community. Closest peer on the sustainability/upcycling axis (analogous to CMIRECYCLE) at a similar scale.
- Brother Vellies: Aurora James' NYC-based accessories and fashion label emphasizing craftsmanship, sustainability, and high-profile collaborations. Comparable founder-led, BIPOC, sustainability-anchored positioning and small team.
- KidSuper: Colm Dillane's NYC-based creative collective producing runway-driven ready-to-wear with high-profile collaborations (Puma, Tommy Hilfiger). Comparable in size, founder-led art-meets-fashion DNA, and collaborative model.
- Telfar Global: Brooklyn-based designer Telfar Clemens' DTC-first fashion and accessories label known for the viral Shopping Bag and cultural cachet. Comparable in founder-driven, scarcity-led, culturally coded positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Off-White LLC: Global luxury streetwear brand built on a single creative founder's vision and high-profile collaborations (Nike, IKEA, Jimmy Choo). Directly comparable to Cotte D'Armes on the DTC fashion-plus-collab model, though at vastly larger scale.
- Fear of God: Jerry Lorenzo's luxury label built on premium essentials, religious/cultural aesthetic, and high-profile collaborations (Nike, Ermenegildo Zegna, Cadillac). Comparable in DTC + collab + couture-priced model, though significantly larger.
Emerging players
- Theophilio: Edvin Thompson's NYC/Jamaica-rooted emerging designer brand with NYFW runway presence and culturally-driven collections. Comparable emerging-designer runway trajectory and DTC model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cotte D'Armes social profiles
Digital presenceCotte D'Armes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cotte D'Armes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cotte D'Armes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cotte D'Armes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cotte D'Armes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cotte D'Armes
What does Cotte D'Armes do?
Cotte D'Armes designs, produces, and sells designer apparel for men and women, including ready-to-wear (denim, pants, shirts, coats, jackets, dresses, robes, suiting), made-to-order couture pieces, limited edition accessories (e.g., the CDA Black Baseball Cap), collaborative Nike footwear, original fine art and prints, and coffee-table books. The brand operates its own e-commerce storefront cottedarmesnyc.com and supports a sustainability-focused CMIRECYCLE upcycling program that transforms dead stock fabrics into fashion pieces.
Is Cotte D'Armes a public or private company?
Cotte D'Armes is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cotte D'Armes founded?
Cotte D'Armes was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cotte D'Armes based?
Cotte D'Armes is headquartered in Long Island City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cotte D'Armes make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ready-to-Wear & Apparel Sales are the primary driver. The others are couture Sales, footwear & Accessories, art & Prints, publications and brand Collaborations.
Who are Cotte D'Armes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pyer Moss, Bode, Vaquera, Collina Strada, Brother Vellies, KidSuper and Telfar Global. Broad incumbents are Off-White LLC and Fear of God. Theophilio is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cotte D'Armes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cotte D'Armes.
What industry is Cotte D'Armes in?
Cotte D'Armes's product category is Designer Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAMAK, Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing), with a secondary code of CRAAAAAI, Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers. Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 2300.