Oxford’s Hunter Knight turned a high school project into a national brand
When Hunter Knight was president of the Lafayette High School Beta Club, he was tasked with producing T-shirts for members to wear to statewide events.
Knight parlayed that simple entrepreneurial assignment into Properly Tied, a national clothing business that has expanded significantly over the past 12 years and continues to do so through strategic partnerships.
“At first, the goal was to develop the line directly to consumer via my website only,” said Knight, 29, CEO of Properly Tied. “However, after retailers began reaching out to inquire about carrying the line in their stores, I decided to launch our wholesale program, which has grown to more than 750 retail stores nationwide.”
To get started, Knight needed capital. He didn’t want to borrow money, and it was just as well, because it might have been a tall order for a 17-year-old to secure funding. So, Knight got creative.
As a high school student, he set up tents in The Grove before Ole Miss football games. He invested that money into producing a line of bow ties and T-shirts with eye-catching motifs. With his mother’s help, he learned how to make his first ties, which inspired the name Properly Tied. Encouraged, he made it official. He created a mallard logo with a bowtie and focused the line on neckwear, tees, and hats. Neilson’s in Oxford and Reed’s in Tupelo were some of the first retailers to carry his products. An instant local favorite: the blue-and-red Hotty Toddy bow tie.
“Customer requests and market research have driven much of the product line,” he said. “We’ve expanded into a vast line of products ranging from tops, bottoms, outerwear, travel goods, and more for children and adults.”
Knight initially entered Ole Miss to pursue pharmacy but shifted to marketing and business administration. In his sophomore year, Knight left the university.
“My employees started calling and saying, look, we need you here,” he said. “I made the decision to put a college degree to rest. Spending more money to get a degree when you’ve already got the job you want seemed frivolous.”
However, Knight’s ties to Ole Miss remain strong. Company headquarters are located in Oxford. Of his 35 employees, many are Ole Miss students. He involved family in his business plan. His mom, Beth Knight, and his younger brother, Colby Knight, who graduated last year from Ole Miss, work with Properly Tied. His dad, Ken Knight, an Ole Miss alum, has yet to retire, but stops by the office every afternoon to lend moral support.
“It’s because of my little brother that we started our ‘Lil’ Ducklings’ children’s line, which has become very big for us,” said Knight. “When I started the company, he was only 10, so I started making some one-off samples for him. That was an aha moment.”
Because a polo can only be made so many ways, Knight believes Properly Tied’s main competitive edge is its fabric components.
“Everything we make is extremely soft and comfortable,” he said. “We pretty much won’t make a product unless it passes the ‘soft test.’ And it’s going to last a long time.”
As product lines evolve, Knight’s favorite apparel constantly changes, but it’s Properly Tied’s longstanding Upland Pullover that remains his top pick.
Knight said controlled growth has been the secret of the company celebrating its 12th year of business.
“As we’ve grown, we’ve had to expand both our team and our physical spaces,” Knight said. “Fortunately, we’ve been able to overcome these challenges and have built an incredibly talented team across all aspects of the business.”
To support the continued growth, Properly Tied now operates out of its fourth office and warehouse location in Oxford, growing with each move.
What’s next?
“We’re looking at further expansion, particularly with national retailers that carry the line and with partners like Mossy Oak to bring their patterns to some of our top styles,” said Knight. “As far as our wholesale operations, distribution team and our office team in general, we’re looking at growing our team further, adding new stores and continuing along the path we’ve paved, while refining what we do as we go along.”
