The clothing brand Everlane is being sued to vacate its San Francisco headquarters by its longtime landlord, who claims that the brand has not paid its overdue rent.
According to an unlawful detainer action filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Thursday, which starts the process of evicting a tenant, Everlane owes $51,273.40 to its landlord for its offices on the second floor of 2150 Folsom St. A three-day notice to pay rent or evict the premises was served to Everlane on March 18.
Building owner Chris Hickey, who also owns City Picture Frame in the same building, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer SF.
Everlane initially signed its lease in 2014, according to a leasing agreement attached to the lawsuit, after seeing a 200 percent increase in sales from the prior year. The direct-to-consumer apparel darling popularized the idea of “radical transparency,” a trend of disclosing its manufacturing process to consumers that has since been cribbed by competitors like local discount luxury brand Quince. Everlane’s minimalist stylings and $100 cashmere helped to define a strain of 2010s fashion that focused on utility and uniform dressing, not unlike Allbirds (which has also fallen from grace).
(In 2017, artists working at studios inside 2150 Folsom alleged that they were getting evicted under the auspice of renovations in order for Everlane to expand its office space.)
This eviction threat is the latest in what has been a difficult decade so far for Everlane. In early 2020, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the brand for laying off customer service employees who sought to unionize; months later, former employees alleged a culture of internal racism within Everlane. Still, the brand had convinced investors of its viability, raising $85 million in funding in September 2020 for a valuation of $550 million.
But internal challenges persisted. By 2021, founder Michael Preysman stepped down as CEO, and Everlane has since cycled through multiple leaders, most recently appointing Alfred Chang from streetwear brand Fear of God to the post. Everlane generates an estimated $170 million in annual sales and is breaking even, according to a March report from Puck, but is still searching for new investors.
Everlane's Valencia St. outpost is still open and operational.
A representative for Everlane did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer.
