Marc Nelson threw it back to the 1950s Friday night with its “Rebel With a Cause” event.
Marc Nelson Denim, a popular men’s denim shop founded and based here in Knoxville, hosted a fundraiser event on Friday night supporting the Tennessee Theater in honor of the theaters 90th anniversary.
25% of the sales of the night went to the Tennessee Theatre, which has been nonprofit since 1996.
“As a nonprofit in the community, we love partnering with small and independent businesses that are local to Knoxville,” Lila Honaker, director of marketing and outreach at the Tennessee Theatre, said. “Marc Nelson Denim is something we are proud to have here in Knoxville.”
The popular 50s movie “Rebel Without a Cause” played on TVs throughout the store as guests browsed the large variety of jeans and denim jackets for sale. A DJ played popular music from the 50s on vinyl records, adding an authentic ambiance to the room. A woman dressed in a pink ladies jacket from “Grease” served themed drinks such as “Gin & Sin”, “Tom Collins” and “Whiskey Sour”, which were all popular in the 50s. The event was free for all to attend.
“(Denim got popular) through movies in the 50s. Certain actors like James Dean, Marlon Brando … (The event) was our way of combining the history of denim, movies and the theater,” Andy Jones, marketing director of Marc Nelson, said. “Before movies in the 50s, denim was just work wear. Thanks to movies showed right here in Knoxville at the Tennessee Theater, denim became super popular.”
Marc Nelson Denim was founded by Marcus Halls, a local Knoxvillian who grew up near the old Levi’s factory on Cherry Street where much of his family and friends worked. In an effort to restore jobs that had been lost to overseas factories, he started the company and made sure off of its products were made in the United States. The business fits each product directly to the customer, making each product unique and special. Marc Nelson Denim creates 214 of each style that they make to ensure that each customer has a truly exclusive product.
This is only one of the many events being held by the Tennessee Theatre to celebrate its 90th anniversary. The theatre has been holding showings of classic movies and cartoons to celebrate its roots as a movie theater. On Nov. 4th, the Tennessee Theatre is hosting a showing of 1928’s silent film “The Cameraman” with live organ music from Freddie Brabson.
“We want to give back and help support our community. The Tennessee Theatre is very important to us, as it is the official theatre of Tennessee,” Jones said. “We give back in a lot of ways locally, just like the theatre itself has given back to the community for years.”
Marc Nelson Denim is located at 700 E Depot Ave.
