Streetwise Brand Development was founded by Thomas Cunningham to offer brand consulting services to the U.S. menʼs fashion industry, particularly the premium denim and premium sportswear markets. Using connections and expertise gained through his years as editor for WWD and DNR magazines and business analytics gained during an earlier career in finance, Cunningham provides carefully researched brand assessments and strategies that are attuned to the subtleties of the marketplace and the realities of business.
Streetwise launched in 2004 when Cunningham developed the initial marketing materials for Project, the enormously successful tradeshow that was ultimately sold to MAGIC/Advanstar for over $37 million. Another early client was Diesel USA for whom Cunningham provided brand assessments backed by market research of both retailers and end-customers. Additional current and past clients of Streetwise include Itochu Prominent USA and CFDA designer Mark McNairy.
Cunningham took a two-year hiatus from consulting between 2007 and 2009 when he was chief financial officer of Thom Browne, Inc., the menʼs luxury fashion brand. While in that position he gained extensive experience with the mechanics of doing business in Japan and elsewhere overseas, as well as valuable strategic planning and operations expertise.
From 2004 to 2006 while operating Streetwise, Cunningham also launched and ran Sacque Suit a better-priced line of slim cut suits that was retailed by Bloomingdaleʼs and specialty stores including Rolo. For his design work at Sacque Suit, Cunningham won a ʻFresh Faces in Fashionʼ award from industry development group Gen-Art.