Apparel brand Dad Gang teams up with Shopify on limited-edition hat drop as sales top $35 million
Bart Szaniewski, Grant Eastey and Ejay O’Donnell had been close friends for years when each of them started becoming a dad. They had a group text where they talked to each other about the highs and lows of fatherhood, and “dad gang” became a phrase they used constantly. But when they looked for products that reflected what being a dad actually meant to them, they found that much of the marketing aimed at fathers leaned heavily on stereotypes.
“We were looking for something that would represent fatherhood, and we just couldn’t find it,” O’Donnell said. “It was always goofy, dorky stuff — mow lawns, drink beer, wear your Nike Monarchs.”
So one day, Szaniewski, who was working in marketing for other people’s brands, suggested stitching “dad gang” on a hat. Each of them put in $250, for a total investment of $750. The minimum order from the factory was 100 hats. They posted the hats on personal social media and listed them on the brand’s new Shopify store, which Szaniewski had whipped up in under 30 minutes. They sold out in 36 hours.
That was four years ago. Since then, Dad Gang Co. has sold more than one million hats and crossed $35 million in revenue. Shopify has also taken notice of Dad Gang’s growth on its platform. That’s why the e-commerce technology company tapped the dad-focused apparel brand to launch a limited-edition Shopify hat.
The exclusive, which launches Tuesday, comes in a dusty rose and dark navy colorway. It features Shopify branding throughout, including interior labeling that reads “Shopify X Dad Gang.” Dad Gang produced 2,500 units, with each hat priced at $35 a pop. The drop is being sold on both Dad Gang’s website and through Shopify’s Supply Store, using Shopify’s own Collective feature, which allows inventory to be shared and sold across multiple storefronts simultaneously.
The product launch is part of Shopify Exclusives, where the e-commerce company teams up with merchants to create limited drops that spotlight their products and storefronts. Other collaborations include limited exclusives with performance brand Outway, wallet-maker Ridge and tumbler brand Kinto.
Eastey said the collaboration took shape after Shopify reached out directly via email. Dad Gang caught Shopify’s attention through its rapid growth on the platform. In 2024, Dad Gang was interviewed for Shopify’s Masters podcast, where the e-commerce company spotlights stories of entrepreneurship. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein has also taken to wearing the brand’s hats.
“Being a founder and being a parent have more in common than most people think. The early mornings. The patience. The long game. Dad Gang started with three friends in a group chat about fatherhood. They wanted gear that matched how they felt. So they made it. They started with less than a thousand dollars and have now sold over a million hats — all on Shopify,” Finkelstein told Modern Retail in an email statement. “When we asked our community who they wanted to see next, Dad Gang was one of the loudest answers. The overlap between founders and fathers is massive — so we built a founders edition hat together.”
Shopify was involved at every step of the design process, according to Dad Gang’s co-founders. “They were so hands-on with the design, with exactly what they wanted, with how they wanted the tag to look, the hat to look,” Eastey said. “This was a really special project that they were a part of every single step of the way.”
Shopify also organized a production shoot at its headquarters, bringing in dads and their kids to photograph the hat, and featuring Finkelstein as well. “They really embraced the brand and the message we have,” Eastey said, “which was really awesome to see.”
Dad Gang has grown largely through social media and word of mouth. Szaniewski, who oversees marketing, said the company has posted on Instagram every day since launch. Dad Gang also uses its platform to create a sense of community. Every hat has “IYKYK,” short for “if you know, you know,” embroidered onto the side. It’s a small detail that has helped turn customers into a tight-knit collector base. One customer owns 180 of the brand’s hats. “He will buy this look without a doubt,” O’Donnell said, referring to the Shopify exclusive.
That approach has helped Dad Gang attract attention from athletes including Mookie Betts, Justin Turner and Teofimo Lopez, as well as musicians such as Post Malone and Teddy Swims. Dad Gang’s founders said those relationships were not the result of paid sponsorships or gifting campaigns.
“All of those guys were organically wearing our hats already,” O’Donnell said. “It’s not something where we reached out, or we tried to seed it and say, ‘Hey, we’d love to work with you.’”
Dad Gang has also recently expanded into national retail. The brand launched in 93 Lids locations in May, and O’Donnell said Lids quickly moved to add more than 100 additional stores after seeing early results, bringing the total to around 200. Products are also carried in Scheels, Pro Image Sports and independent retailers. The brand plans to release more than 60 hat styles this year.
Still, Dad Gang’s founders said the company’s biggest validation comes from seeing ordinary customers wearing their hats. As Szaniewski put it, “It’s even more special for us to be at the airport or walking down the street and seeing a random dad with a Dad Gang hat.”