The Marc Nelson Denim brand’s history runs deep in East Knoxville
The founder of Marc Nelson Denim grew up around the Levi Strauss plant on Cherry Street. Today his shop blends custom suiting, college golf lines and a long-term goal of bringing textile manufacturing back to Knoxville.
Marc Hall stood near the window of his Knoxville storefront on Depot Street, surrounded by neat piles of high-end golf shirts, tailored suit jackets and a wall of luxury denim. Now, in the mid-2020s, made-to-measure suits make up the bulk of the shop’s revenue; however, denim was the material that put the Marc Nelson brand on the national map.
Hall, founder of Marc Nelson Denim, has spent more than a decade trying to rebuild a piece of what Knoxville lost when Levi Strauss & Co. left town.
From the 1950s to the 1990s, many East Knoxville families worked at the Levi Strauss & Co. plant on Cherry Street. Hall’s relatives and friends were among the workers who cut and sewed jeans sold around the world.
Unfortunately, in the late 90s/ early 2000s, the plant closed, ending more than four decades of economic security for many Knoxville families. The shutdown was part of a broader corporate move to end domestic manufacturing and send production overseas to cut costs.
“I remember the nostalgia and the feeling that we got when we talked about Levi’s. It represented so much to us,” Hall said. “Our community was crafting something that was sold all over the world.”
Hall never forgot that local history.
Building on the history of denim in Knoxville
After graduating, Hall moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. But instead, in the City of Dreams, he gravitated towards an industry all too familiar: denim. Hall took a job at a denim shop called HCD Denim and started to learn the ins and outs of an industry that his family had such deep expertise in.
That sparked an idea: What if Hall brought luxury denim back to Knoxville?
About 16 years ago, Hall moved back to Knoxville to pursue his own business. He found an old building off Randolf Street near Knoxville’s Old City and said that he began manufacturing the first line of Marc Nelson jeans in the basement.
Hall motioned around his shop, pointing out the sleek, modern exterior and the red accents inside.
“We completely renovated this place. This red door is custom-made. There’s red splashed throughout – even on our chandelier,” Hall explained. “When we first started making our denim, there was a little red tack mark to show that it was Marc Nelson.”
He also decided on the brand name: Marc Nelson. “Marc,” after himself, and “Nelson,” after his great-grandfather’s last name. To the right of the front door, a picture of his great-grandfather overlooks the shop.
“I just wanted to pay homage to him because he’s the reason that I dress the way I do. He wore a suit every day and was such a stylish guy,” Hall said.
From denim to made-to-measure
Hall built Marc Nelson by wholesaling to department stores. At one point, he says, his denim was carried in 50 to 60 Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide.
Then about 10 years ago, Hall expanded beyond denim.
Customers who came in for jeans increasingly wanted sport coats and jackets to go with them.
“Guys would come in and buy jeans, and then I wouldn’t see them for a year,” Hall said. “They’d ask where in town they could get a custom sport coat or suit. After a while, I wondered why I was sending that money out the door.”
Hall took a tailoring class and partnered with local shops to launch the made-to-measure side of the business. The shift was worth the risk, as made-to-measure has kept a consistent stream of repeat customers coming through the doors
Two years ago, the University of Tennessee licensed Marc Nelson to use its colors and logos. Now, they carry a very popular golf line, which has once again brought a new group of customers to the shop.
Hall said the company is pursuing licenses with other universities to expand its e-commerce line, and that the University of Alabama recently signed on.
Building a new legacy for East Knoxville
As Hall walked around his shop, giving a tour of the architecture, design, and clothing for sale, he said the heart of his mission remains consistent more than a decade later. He keeps in mind his friends and family members, those still living and others deceased, who had dedicated their careers to building the Levi Strauss & Co. brand from the heart of Knoxville.
“I want to leave a legacy here in Knoxville, for East Knoxville,” he said. “I’d love to bring textile manufacturing back here and grow Marc Nelson to support a plant of 50 to 100 people, whether we’re making jeans, aprons, uniforms, whatever it is.”
For now, Hall is focused on building awareness of his store, which sits near Covenant Health Park, the downtown ballpark that opened in April 2025 as the home of the Knoxville Smokies.
“The Smokies stadium has definitely uplifted the area,” Hall said. “The more they build, more is going to pop up around us. It’s a great part of town to be in.”
Whether the plant Hall imagines ever comes together, he has already put something back on a label that his old neighborhood had not seen in years: made in Knoxville.
Check out Marc Nelson inventory online.
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