Clandestine Industries was formed in 2006 by Wentz, who published his first book,
The Boy With A Thorn In His Side, through the company. After Wentz found success with the book, he decided to expand the company to design and sell clothing. Previously, Wentz's Fueled by Ramen and Decaydance labels had released a DVD entitled
Release The Bats on June 11, 2005. The cover art stated the film was "presented by Clandestine Industries", suggesting the company had been mapped out since at least 2004. From its initial inception, Clandestine Industries released limited-edition
tees,
hoodies, and
accessories such as belts and jewelry, most embellished with the brand's trademark 'bartskull' logo. They also worked alongside companies such as
DKNY Jeans,
Wet Seal and
Nordstrom. In 2007, a Clandestine Industries Landmark retail store, which contained exclusive store-only garments, opened in Pete's hometown of
Chicago. In February 2009, Clandestine Industries relaunched its website and debuted a new collection entitled, "Don't Call It A Comeback," and immediately sold out of items only an hour after the release. The line was primarily sold on the brand's website, at the Landmark, and occasionally alongside merchandise at Fall Out Boy shows. Wentz, along with other musicians from the
emo circuit such as
Gabe Saporta,
Travie McCoy,
Patrick Stump, and
Mikey Way, often advertised his range by wearing the products in public; most famously the
Stay Gold hoodie and the
Please Call Gabe Saporta t-shirt. The latter item did not display Saporta's actual contact details, but workers from the production company employed by Wentz later
leaked them publicly. On June 27, 2010, the Chicago Landmark store closed. On Wentz's blog, he explained that the closing of the Landmark would aid in expanding the brand's webstore. In June 2011, the website was relaunched with a brand new summer range. Wentz commented on his blog, "this is what the original intention of Clandestine was". Despite no formal announcement of Clandestine's shutdown, the brand's
Tumblr,
Facebook, and
Twitter accounts were abandoned around 2012. Items from the brand’s original releases are rare due to their limited production, though they occasionally appear on resale platforms such as
eBay and
Livejournal. On November 7, 2023, Wentz posted a photo on instagram with the caption
Now with a working link clandestineindustries.com, announcing that Clandestine Industries had returned with new clothing items. A number of limited releases have followed, through the brand’s official website. ==References==