Brothers Alec and Aric Avedissian, co-founders of RAREFORM, will be pitching their brand to the investors of ABC’s S har k Tank in the eighth season episode airing March 3, 2017 at 8 PM.
RAREFORM, a sustainable lifestyle brand with roots in surf and the outdoors, repurposes billboard vinyls into one-of-a-kind backpacks, duffle bags, surf bags, wallets, and other gear. Launched in 2013, RAREFORM now sells into over 300 retail locations worldwide and has distribution in parts of Europe, Asia, and Central America.
Alec and Aric Avedissian initially applied fo r S hark Tank in January 2016 and filmed in July 2016. “We wanted to get our story out there and knew S hark Tank would be a great opportunity to do that. Plus, we’ve always been huge fans of the show,” said RAREFORM co-founder Alec Avedissian, of the inspiration to apply for S hark Tank.
Avedissian said that although arduous, the process to ge t on Shark Tank proved to be rewarding: “Talking to Mark Cuban and all the Sharks in person was an amazing experience. Because we were local, the producers were able to be more flexible with us. We got called in three different days hoping to film. The first day we were so nervous but by the third day we were just ready to go.”
“The biggest thing we were looking for,” recalled Avedissian, “is a partner in one of the Sharks, and ultimately, to have people learn about our story and become fans of the process.” RAREFORM hand-cuts, washes, and sorts all billboards in their Los Angeles warehouse and will continue to do so even as the company grows. Their goal is to get others excited about the story of doing good while making high-quality, unique, sustainable bags.
What is there to look forward to as the Shark Tank air date approaches? “Aric hit it off with Shark Barbara Corcoran. They might have a date set up in the near future,” recounted Avedissian, “You’ll have to watch to find out.”
RAREFORM appears on this season of Shark Tank on March 3 at 8 PM on ABC.
