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Worse on Purpose

William Rast

Celebrity-founded American denim and lifestyle label. Distributed via Macy's, Target, JCPenney, and similar mid-tier department stores.

Status: Avoid
Founded
2005
HQ
USA
Manufacturing
Various
Ownership type
Brand licensing (ABG-style)
Parent
WHP Global
Acquired
2021-11
Status since
2026-04-25

Ownership

Justin Timberlake and his childhood friend Trace Ayala co-founded William Rast in 2005 in Los Angeles as a premium denim brand (the name combines their grandfathers' names). The brand expanded into outerwear and sportswear, sponsored the Bryan Herta Autosport IndyCar that won the 2011 Indianapolis 500, and went through multiple ownership changes before landing under Sequential Brands Group, which filed Chapter 11 in 2021. WHP Global acquired William Rast and Joe's Jeans out of the Sequential bankruptcy in November 2021 in a joint $48.5 million transaction.

Why Avoid

Acquired out of bankruptcy by a brand licensing firm. The original founders (Timberlake and Ayala) launched fragrances under the name in 2022 but the brand operates as a licensed apparel line at Macy's and other mid-tier retailers.

Reversibility

What would change our verdict

Disclosure of stable in-house design or factory relationships, which the current licensing structure does not provide.

Sister brands under WHP Global

See all 12 sister brands

Read the full investigation

Investigation · March 23, 2026

Your Backpack Got Worse On Purpose

VF Corporation owns about 55% of the US backpack market. JanSport, The North Face, Eastpak, Kipling. Lower denier counts, generic zippers, warranties rewritten to match the cheaper construction.

Read the full investigation

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