Editing Mambo Graphics

{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}
{{short description|Australian clothing company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Mambo
| logo = Mambo australia logo.png
| logo_size = 250
| industry = [[Retail]], [[textile industry|textile]]
| fate = 
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| traded_as = 
| genre = 
| foundation = {{start date and age|1984}}
| founders = [[Dare Jennings]]
| location_city = [[Alexandria, New South Wales]]
| location_country = Australia
| location = <!--modifies "Headquarters" entry-->
| origins = 
| key_people = 
| area_served = Worldwide
| products = [[Surf_culture#Surfwear|Surfwear]] • [[Streetwear]]
| services = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| num_employees = 
| parent = Caprice Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Caprice Australia |url=https://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=5658 |website=guide.ethical.org.au |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108025031/https://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=5658 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| divisions = 
| subsid = 
| owner = 
| caption = 
| homepage = {{URL|https://mambo.cc/}}
| dissolved = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Mambo Graphics''' (also, '''100% Mambo'''; and marketed as '''Mambo''') is an Australian [[Brand|clothing brand]] specialises in [[swimwear]], [[wetsuit]]s, [[casual wear]] apparel and surfing accessories. Mambo was launched in 1984 by Australian [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneur]] and founder of [[Phantom Records]], Dare Jennings along with his business partner, Andrew Rich. The headquarters are located in [[Alexandria, New South Wales|Alexandria]], [[Sydney]].

Mambo is available in Australia and [[New Zealand]]. In 2011, the retail company expanded its market into the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], later establishing stores across the [[United Kingdom]]. The first pair of [[Boardshorts|board shorts]] were created by British fashion designer, [[Paul Smith (fashion designer)|Paul Smith]]. Peter Pilotto and other designers inspired the female wetsuits.

On 6 January 2015, Mambo was acquired by the [[America|American]] brand management and production company, [[Saban Brands]]. Four years later, Mambo returned to Australian ownership when it was acquired by Caprice Australia in July 2019.

== History ==
=== Early days ===
In the early 1970s, Dare Jennings owned a large and successful screen printing business, Phantom Textile Printers, producing t-shirt and fabric prints for a variety of commercial clients. He also owned an independent record label, [[Phantom Records]]. Mambo began life as an "after-hours" project in the Phantom art room. The graphics were initially created by in-house artists such as musician [[Jodi Phillis]], and by freelance artist, Richard Allan whose first t-shirt graphics, 'Real Wrestlers, Real Wrestling' and 'Call Of The Wild (Farting Dog)' were the best-sellers.

'100% Mambo' clothing was often available in surf / skate shops in the mid- to late 1980s in the UK. As skateboarders wore much surfer-inspired clothing, Mambo board shorts in loud / Hawaiian patterns were worn by skaters. Other similar surf / skate brands around at the time were [[Stüssy]], Life's A Beach and [[Vision Street Wear]]. As this was long before skate culture became mainstream (e.g. skate shops often only sold [[Vans]], Vision or [[Converse (lifestyle wear)|Converse]] shoes), these were usually niche products.

Allan's arrival at Mambo was followed by other Australian and overseas artists, including [[Reg Mombassa]], [[Robert Williams (artist)|Robert Williams]] (US) and Ben Frost.

=== Development ===
{{Prose|date=July 2023|section}}<!-- removed the bullets and merged some paras, but still sort of 'list-like' -->
[[File:Mambo Graphics logo.png|thumb|100px|A Mambo shirt logo]]

In 1994, the first Mambo 'Loud Shirt' was released. The design was influenced by the famous Hawaiian [[Aloha shirt|'Aloha' shirt]]. It was called 'Blue Hawaii' by [[Martin Plaza]] (a bandmate of [[Reg Mombassa]]). This shirt became one of Mambo's best-sellers and started the Mambo 'Loud Shirt' style. Mambo opened its first store in 1995. Located in the [[Sydney]] suburb of [[Paddington, New South Wales|Paddington]], it was called the 'Mambo Friendship Store'. Stores opened in other Australian cities and in the UK, [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[New Zealand]]. By 2001, Mambo had opened 25 independent retail stores .

In 2000 Mambo received an invitation from the [[Australian Wool Board]] to design the athlete's uniform for the [[opening ceremony]] of the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]]. After the Summer Olympic Games, Jennings was approached by [[Gazal Corporation]] to buy the brand. Jennings sold the company in March of that year and took over the role of creative director.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} Jennings left the company in 2002 and later went on to create the surf and moto-inspired brand ''[[Deus Ex Machina (company)|Deus Ex Machina]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-05-20|title=Dare Jennings, founder of Mambo and Deus Ex Machina, on how to build a successful global brand|url=https://www.businessinsider.com.au/dare-jennings-founder-of-mambo-and-deus-ex-machina-on-how-to-build-a-successful-global-brand-2018-5|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Business Insider Australia|language=en-AU|archive-date=17 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217055220/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/dare-jennings-founder-of-mambo-and-deus-ex-machina-on-how-to-build-a-successful-global-brand-2018-5|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2006, Principle (an Australian research company) named Mambo "Australia's sixth-most-authentic brand" alongside [[Bonds (clothing)|Bonds]], [[Speedo]], [[R. M. Williams]] and [[Billabong (clothing)|Billabong]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=100% Mambo |url=http://superbrands.com.au/BrandDetails.aspx?id=67 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222212525/http://superbrands.com.au/BrandDetails.aspx?id=67 |archive-date=2011-02-22 |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=superbrands.com.au}}</ref>
In 2008 Mambo was sold to The Nervous Investor Group, an Australian-based consortium headed by Angus Kingsmill and based in the Sydney beachside suburb of [[Manly, New South Wales|Manly]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-11-07 |title=Fashion: Born-Again Mambo - TIME |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1853177-1,00.html |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=7 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107142946/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1853177-1,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2015 Mambo was sold to US clothing group [[Saban Brands]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mambo sold to US clothing group Saban Brands |url=https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/mambo-sold-to-us-clothing-group-saban-brands/news-story/4ce0508b4eda4d50fcb368c7f4649b5b |website=news.com.au |date=7 January 2015 |access-date=22 December 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124223728/http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/mambo-sold-to-us-clothing-group-saban-brands/news-story/4ce0508b4eda4d50fcb368c7f4649b5b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150106005460/en/Iconic-Australian-Fashion-Brand-Mambo-Joins-Saban-Brands%E2%80%99-Portfolio|title=Iconic Australian Fashion Brand, Mambo, Joins Saban Brands' Portfolio|date=6 January 2015|access-date=22 December 2020|archive-date=13 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113114451/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150106005460/en/Iconic-Australian-Fashion-Brand-Mambo-Joins-Saban-Brands%E2%80%99-Portfolio|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2012, Mambo entered into partnerships with key players in the US and Brazil with plans to introduce the brand on a large scale in each country.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.textilesource.com.au/news/mambo-restructure-leads-to-global-expansion-20120202-20822.html | location=Melbourne | work=Textile Source | title=Mambo restructure leads to global expansion | date=2 February 2012 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120914092833/http://www.textilesource.com.au/news/mambo-restructure-leads-to-global-expansion-20120202-20822.html | archivedate=14 September 2012 }}</ref>
In July 2019, Mambo was acquired by 60-year-old family-run brand Caprice Australia, bringing ownership of the Mambo brand to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-04 |title=MAMBO ANNOUNCES 'LIFESTYLE' PARTNERSHIP WITH URBNSURF |url=https://asbmag.com/mambo-announces-lifestyle-partnership-with-urbnsurf/ |website=ASB |language=en-AU |access-date=24 April 2021 |archive-date=24 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424161159/https://asbmag.com/mambo-announces-lifestyle-partnership-with-urbnsurf/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Companies|Fashion|Australia}}
*[[List of swimwear brands]]
*[[List of Australian bicycle brands and manufacturers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.mambo-world.com.au/}}

{{Sports equipment brands}}

[[Category:Australian brands]]
[[Category:Clothing companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Surfwear brands]]
[[Category:Snowboarding companies]]
[[Category:Skateboarding companies]]
[[Category:Swimwear manufacturers]]
[[Category:Clothing retailers of Australia]]
[[Category:Companies based in Sydney]]
[[Category:Design companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Australian companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Kick scooters]]