GLOUCESTER, Va. – The smell of the salt in the air. The breeze brushing the nape of your neck. The comfort of finding peace in the stillness and sunshine. That’s what the founders of the new coastal lifestyle brand Marker Nine set out to create when they launched the casual apparel line earlier this year.

The Gloucester, Va.-based company officially incorporated in January before releasing its first products in March. But the idea of capturing the beauty of saltwater life was first planted nearly two years earlier when co-Founder Rudy Heinatz began pondering how to capitalize on his love of the outdoors and coastal life.

The concept gained momentum when co-Founders Michele Harrison and Mike Silberhorn joined the team, bringing with them graphic design skills and artistic vision. What took shape was a familiar southern, preppy vibe – think Southern Tide and Vineyard Vines – but with a Mid-Atlantic “roll your sleeves up and get a little dirty” attitude.

The result is a line of T-shirts, hoodies and accessories that captures the essence of the brand’s namesake, Marker Nine – a channel marker along the Chesapeake Bay’s York River.

“That’s really our symbol for the component of our lives that makes us the most happy, and the component of our release, the place that makes us say ‘Ah,’” Heinatz said.

Many of the shirt logos capture the roll of the waves or the tranquility of a quiet marsh. Knowing that there are many places and images that carry similar feelings for people, the founders of Marker Nine have been careful to include other designs that evoke similar messaging. One example is a shirt with an image of a vintage Jeep Wagoneer, which has been the company’s most popular selling shirt outside of coastal markets.

“We feel there’s an opportunity to tap into other things in terms of how other places make people feel the same way,” Heinatz said, “whether it’s in the mountains or on the lake or wherever the place may be. Marker Nine is as much a representation of an attitude as it is a place. We want that to be reflected in our products.”

Marker Nine initially launched as an online store, but has since expanded into local boutiques. The company hopes to grow its retail presence in businesses such as boat retailers with a ship store and marinas with boat supply stores. And the brand hopes to add polo shirts and button-down shirts that continue to capture that outdoor lifestyle aesthetic with a slightly more dressed up feel.

But Heinatz said the dream isn’t world domination. The point is to make good clothes made for real life. “Our first goal is to make sure we’re putting out a quality product,” he said.

Founded in January, 2015, Marker Nine is the brainchild of Rudy Heinatz, Michele Harrison and Mike Silberhorn. The casual apparel line of T-shirts, hoodies and accessories launched in March with positive fanfare. The outdoor lifestyle brand is available online and in boutique retailers. To learn more about Marker Nine go to www. http://markernine.com/ . Co-founders Rudy Heinatz, Michele Harrison and Mike Silberhorn are available for interviews upon request.

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