Short guys don’t finish last, at least not while wearing clothes from Ash & Erie. When co-founders Eric Huang and Steven Mazur were unable to find pants or shirts that fit them correctly, they started an apparel business curated specifically for men 5’8” and below.
“As two shorter men, Eric and I could never find [off-the-rack] clothes that fit well, and we were forced to tailor everything we purchased or live with a bad fit,” Mazur said in an email to CNBC. “When we talked to our shorter friends and family members, they all said the same thing: that it was impossible to find a great fit off the rack. Everyone was sick and tired of paying hundreds of dollars at the tailor or shopping in the kid’s section!”
In the kick-off episode of “Shark Tank” Season 9, the pair asked for $100,000 in exchange for a 12.5 percent stake in their company, previously named Ash & Anvil. Their playful pitch left the panel laughing in their seats. That is, until Mazur and Huang touted their business using the slogan “Shorter Guy Clothes.”
“Guys, is it wise to brand it ‘Shorter Guy Clothes’ given the stigma you just spoke about?” Kevin O’Leary asked.
Mazur and Huang were quick to convince the Sharks that marketing to shorter men was a niche opportunity worth taking. Mr. Wonderful was curious to learn more — and he wasn’t the only one. The Tank soon turned into a battlefield, followed by an outcome that nobody saw coming.
Find out if Mazur and Huang ended up making a life-changing deal on the kickoff episode of Season 9 of “Shark Tank” on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m. ET on CNBC.
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