Davison’s of Bermuda has produced a line of America’s Cup commemorative shirts for adults and children as part of being an AC Licensee.

Laura Pitt, of Davison’s of Bermuda, was extremely proud to have been granted an America’s Cup licence to produce the Bermuda Home of America’s Cup 2017 line.

It is a line of adults and children’s souvenir T-shirts, polo shirts and sweatshirts for the 2017 Americas Cup in Bermuda.

“We currently offer two American style football jerseys, crew and hooded sweatshirts, collegiate tees in addition to hat and tee combo sets,” she said.

“Our new 2017 items are in production now will be arriving shortly. This will include polo shirts as well as long and short sleeve T-shirts.”

Davison’s of Bermuda opened in 1970 with a focus on providing gift items from around the world and were placed in high-traffic tourist locations.

As times have changed so has its product lines, and in the 1980s and Nineties the company began designing and manufacturing its own apparel.

It also branched out into the United States, opening stores in similar tourist destinations such as Baltimore, New Orleans and Miami.

The company now continues to design and manufacture the bulk of its souvenir apparel, it also carries gift and fashion brands that appeal to local clientele.

On a personal note, Mrs Pitt expressed her joy while watching the last America’s Cup.

“We did watch AC 2013, although like the rest of Bermuda our interest is considerably greater now, and we are so excited for the world to see our beautiful island.”

Davison’s of Bermuda has a long association with sailing.

“Nautical signal flags are incorporated in our logo and in many of our designs,” she said.

“While nautical inspired fashion and lifestyle are currently extremely mainstream, Bermuda’s maritime ties are extensive.

“Bermuda doesn’t have to market a ‘nautical lifestyle’ because it is just who we are. No matter where you are on the island you are only a minute away from an ocean view, giving all of us a connection to the sea.”

As soon as the news was announced about the America’s Cup Licensee programme the company immediately got involved in the application process.

“Our biggest challenge was getting our foot in the door,” Mrs Pitt said.

“While America’s Cup is extremely welcoming and supportive of the local talent and businesses, it is a global entity, with global partners.

“As clothing manufacturers we were pegged against global brands and companies that specialise in manufacturing and selling event merchandise.

“It was a lot of persistence, and constantly rethinking how we could position ourselves, to fill a void in what was currently on offer.”

She added: “From our review of the market we felt that the global apparel partners were successfully meeting the demand for high-end and technical gear. Additionally, the event merchandiser and teams were successfully covering the demand for America’s Cup event and team-related apparel.

“We saw a void in the ‘Bermuda Pride’ angle, and as Bermudians we felt that we could best fill that gap.

“We wanted to create a line that Bermudians would embrace as it reflects our pride in our island home, but also a line that tourists would buy as it said: ‘Hey, I’m not really into sailing, but I went to Bermuda, home of AC 2017, and it’s a pretty big deal’.

“By pricing the Bermuda Home of AC 2017 line at the same affordable prices as our regular lines, between $13.95 and $29.50, we have been able to meet a customer that may not have been willing to purchase from the higher-end lines, but still wanted to connect with the experience of Bermuda hosting Americas Cup 2017.”

As a tourism-related business Davison’s is extremely happy for the exposure this event will bring to the island.

“However, as Bermudians, we are proud of how our community has gained from the exposure into this unique America’s Cup World Series,” Mrs Pitt said.

“From an increased sense of community spirit that comes when these world-class athletes participate in local fundraisers, community and sporting events, to the long-term benefits of education programmes, this event has truly benefited our community is so many positive ways.”

The new clothing line is available in all five local stores.

For more information visit Davison’s of Bermuda on Facebook.