MR: August 2018

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AUGUST 2018

EUROPEAN RUNWAY TRENDS

THE MENSWEAR INDUSTRY’S MAGAZINE / THE CONTEMPORARY I SSUE / MR-MAG.COM

THE CONTEMPORARY ISSUE SPECIALTY STORE MERCHANTS SHARE SECRETS DENIM DIRECTIONS

A WAINSCOT MEDIA PUBLICATION Vol. 29 No. 4

MAKING WAVES

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INSIDE MR

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10 18 BEST FOOT FORWARD

31 UNPRETENTIOUS STYLE

Former NFL star Rashad Jennings discusses his new book, his fashion style and his favorite moments in his remarkable life.

20 STEPPING UP THE GAME Gene Hiller’s Tom Gangitano reveals how the California store has remained relevant for 65 years.

24 EMBRACING CHANGE! Specialty store merchants share secrets on how to get guys into their stores.

30 THE NEW ZEGNA

Baldassari’s hand-crafted Italianmade collection helps retailers and consumers stand out from the crowd.

32 BEYOND THE SUIT Corneliani looks to fabric innovation and technology in order to keep its costumer happy.

38 FRESH OFF THE RUNWAY The seven most prominent spring/summer ’19 trends seen on the European runway that belong in the U.S.

42 MODERN TIMES From strong colors to bold prints to wider silhouettes and streetwear-inspired tops, fashionforward looks are dominating spring ’19 contemporary collections.

Alessandro Sartori enlivens Ermenegildo Zegna, while maintain the brand’s luxe standards.

46 VIVA BODEGA

54 48 GOOD JEANS From innovative washes to new fabrics and colors, denim will look and feel different next spring.

50 A GREENER JEAN After decades of being one of fashion’s harshest abusers on the planet, the denim world is suddenly embracing sustainability as a perfect fit.

52 MAVI MOVES FORWARD Ersin Akarlilar and Arkun Durmaz respond to the challenges of going public.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Masthead 6 Editor’s Letter 8 Ones to Watch 10 Scene 54 Fashion 64 The Last Word: Don’t Blame Amazon

The Boston-based contemporary store is expanding its reach.

COVER: FENDI; PHOTOGRAPHY BY MENELIK PURYEAR

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MR

The Menswear Industry’s Magazine

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MR (ISSN 1049-6726, USPS 7885) IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, JULY, AUGUST) MR MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY WAINSCOT MEDIA, 110 SUMMIT AVENUE, MONTVALE, NJ 07645. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT MAHWAH, NJ. AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO MR MAGAZINE 110 SUMMIT AVENUE MONTVALE, NJ 07645. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: TO CHANGE AN ADDRESS OR REQUEST A SUBSCRIPTION, WRITE TO SUBSCRIPTIONS, MR MAGAZINE, 110 SUMMIT AVENUE, MONTVALE, NJ 07645; TELEPHONE: 201-573-5541. ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: CONTACT SHAE MARCUS AT 856.797.2227 OR SHAE.MARCUS@WAINSCOTMEDIA.COM. COPYRIGHT © 2018 BY WAINSCOT MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 29, ISSUE 4. ©2018

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{ EDITORIAL }

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT Change is tough, but change we must...

THIS ISSUE OF MR, with its focus on the contemporary/denim markets and European runway fashion, is a reminder of the importance or staying fresh: merchandise mix, store design, special events, marketing concepts, all aspects of our business must be reassessed frequently as today more than ever, ideas age virtually overnight.

Already, or so it’s been said, bloggers/influencers, pop-up shops, tight pants, shrunken suits, celebrity ambassadors and other recent industry innovations are starting to feel tired.

But fortunately for menswear merchants, the streetwear trend that’s been so popular for the past few seasons is now penetrating beyond contemporary to inspire both mainstream and luxury markets. That’s not to say that luxury merchants should run out and fill their stores with voluminous pants or bold graphic tops and matching bottoms but clearly, streetwear (e.g. sneakers!) is bringing new energy to menswear and sophisticated elements of the look can add much-needed excitement across the board.

As for the denim market, it might seem relatively quiet in terms of fashion innovation but think about it: so many of the lighter-weight stretch fabrics we now wear year-round did not even exist a few years back. Nor did the sustainability efforts that much of the industry has embraced with enthusiasm. I strongly believe that if guys knew they could buy lightweight, perfect-fitting jeans that are sexy, comfortable and eco-friendly, they’d run out and grab an extra pair or two. So why aren’t more retailers shouting about these important advances in their marketing and promotional outreach?

But as much as magazine editors love to give advice, it’s often hard for us to follow our own. So I must admit that when it comes to MR magazine, any change that was not part of our original vision has been difficult for me to implement. Fortunately, as part of Wainscot Media, MR now welcomes Shae Marcus to our publisher position. We’ve just begun to work together but already I can see that her energy, enthusiasm and passion for the menswear market is generating great ideas and inspiring our entire team. We’re truly excited about our new vision that you will soon see come to life both online and in the pages of our print magazine in issues to come.

Finally, a retirement message to my colleague and great friend Stu Nifoussi, MR’s publisher for the past three decades: It isn’t just your selling expertise, knowledge of the menswear industry, genuine love for its people and creative ideas that have sustained MR magazine for so many years. Rather, it’s your generosity of spirit, your willingness to share what you know with industry colleagues so that they too can benefit from your wisdom and experience. Along with everyone in the menswear industry who knows you, I wish you tremendous happiness and fulfillment in the years to come.

All aspects of our business must be reassessed frequently as today more than ever, ideas age virtually overnight.”

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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{ ONES TO WATCH }

Danish Delights SELECTED HOMME

Returning to Las Vegas this season is Danish brand Selected Homme. Still relatively new to the American market, it is part of Copenhagen-based company Bestseller A/S, which has over 20 brands under its umbrella including Jack & Jones and Vero Moda.

Given the brand’s Scandinavian roots, it’s not surprising Selected Homme has a cool, updated approach to men’s contemporary fashion – capturing the leading trends, while positioning itself as an authentic brand with a minimalistic expression and a clear focus on quality and fit. And with prices ranging from $110 to $180 for denim and $110 to $310 for tailoring, this collection offers an entire wardrobe of updated items at a great price.

But which categories are driving the brand’s sales? “We’re really known for our sportswear, which is our strongest category,” notes Brian Edgar, country manager of Canada and United States. “Printed shirts, sportcoats and the slim/straight twill pants are our top-selling styles. But most recently, we’ve seen tremendous growth with our footwear – especially in sneakers.”

Selected Homme can be found at Nordstrom, Rothmans and 15 other high-end boutiques in the United States, and Edgar expects further retail growth. “We believe the U.S. market is poised for a change,” he says. “We are really focused on what we call the three pillars of fashion: sportswear, footwear and tailoring.”– SG

“An authentic brand with a minimalistic expression and a clear focus on quality and fit.”

Soft Touch GUNZE

Officially launching sales in the U.S. for spring ’19 are two great underwear lines from Japan: Seek and Body Wild. Both come from parent company Gunze, which has over 100 years of experience and is the leading manufacturer for underwear in Japan, thanks in part to its “Comfort Science Lab”, where it uses a state-of-the-art machine and a laboratory that scientifically verifies the comfort of each pair of underwear. And comfortable they are, since every product is made from organic materials and has a soft texture and a finish that gently touches the skin.

Items to look out for include Seek’s sleek boxer briefs with soft waistbands and its cut-off undershirts which lay flat on the skin to create a no-show look, while Body Wild’s signature pieces include their colorful range of boxer briefs and ribbed T-shirts. Prices

“Every produtct is made from organic materials ands has a soft texture and finish.” range from $45 to $80 for Seek and $30 to $60 for Body Wild.

“We are eager to make the consumer’s life more comfortable here in the U.S., just as we have been doing in Japan since 1896,” said Masahito Shindo, U.S. president of Gunze. “There is currently only one shop which sells our product in the U.S., so we are looking forward to developing partnerships with major department stores and specialty stores. We believe that our ‘Made in Japan Quality’ has huge potential in the U.S. market.” – SG

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{ ONES TO WATCH }

American Made MAGILL

Todd Magill’s sportswear line, MAGILL Los Angeles, may have seemingly sprung up out of nowhere last year, but the truth is this small, curated collection of All-American shirts and accessories was really decades in the making.

“I studied at FIT, and then I spent over 20 years designing for companies such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Anthropologie, and then Jack Spade, where I spent five years as its design director,” says Magill. “After I left that job, I decided to take a year off from work and came back to Los Angeles, where I had lived for a few years, to chill out and think about what I wanted to do next. I realized I still wanted to design, just not for another big company.

Eventually, some friends from Jack Spade hooked me up with The Mott House, a major showroom on Tokyo, and I decided to small collection of rugby shirts – lots of solids and stripes – that I thought would be trendy. And they went over very well.”

With that first collection under his belt, Magill decided to expand the line (as well as its U.S. distribution), adding pleated pants, workshirts, bags, belts and even a mechanic-style jumpsuit. (Retails are $88-$450).

“Because of my background, I am really drawn to classic American sportswear, but I am trying to make it feel more modern through the use of color, clean lines and fresh fabrics,” he says. “Everything is made in Los Angeles, and what I love best is just jumping in my car and heading over the factory or sitting down with the pattern-maker. It’s truly a hands-on business for me.”

MAGILL Los Angeles currently retails in the U.S. at Sault, Wiltmore, Mettlers American Mercantile and a few stores in Japan. – BSL

“I am drawn to classic American Sportswear, but I am trying to make it feel more modern”

True Colors DUXTON

Co-founded by married couple Dustin Ramos and Iris Sangalang, Duxton is a lifestyle fashion brand designed for the doers and dreamers of the world. The couple’s vision for the brand grew from their success with Monument Lifestyle, a café and retail store they launched in 2016 on Duxton Road in Singapore. Home to a carefully curated selection of men’s brands from the U.S., the store provided the perfect platform for the couple to bring a piece of home to Singapore and showcase great brands that were yet to make their way to Asia.

Showcasing a collection of knits and wovens, Duxton provides a variety of staples to fit and flatter men of every shape and size. Most importantly, Duxton introduces 20 to 25 colors in each collection. In addition, Duxton’s commitment to producing a desirable, high-quality collection is reflected in their sourcing of both premium cotton slub in Los Angeles as well as the printed woven fabrics from Japan.

For each collection, Duxton draws inspiration from different metropolitan cities. Duxton’s debut spring 2018 collection was inspired by Los Angeles; the palm trees and relaxed vibe of the shortsleeve button-down shirts are symbolic of the laidback vibe of the city. Meanwhile, fall/winter ‘18 pays homage to Portland and spring/ summer ‘19 is inspired by New York City. – SG

“Inspired by Los Angeles; the palm trees and relaxed vibe.”

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COME TO YOUR SENSES

Las Vegas’ newest places to eat and drink will suit every taste.

BY BRIAN SCOTT LIPTON

1. OVER THE MOONSHINE There may be no food available at the Mob Museum’s fascinating “The Underground,” but this immersive exhibition exploring the history of the Prohibition era is more than just pictures and artifacts; it actually houses a real working distillery and speakeasy. Visitors can quench their thirsts with the museum’s own house-distilled spirits (including vodka, gin and rum), house-brewed beer, and truly tempting Prohibition-era cocktails, many featuring genuine Moonshine made onsite from corn mash!

(300 Stewart Avenue. 702-229-2734)

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2. CAN YOU PERU? A welcome new addition to the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and the Palazzo, Once (pronounced on-se) offers visitors a rare Peruvian dining experience from acclaimed chef Ricardo Zarate. The intriguing menu offers a variety of small plates (which rotate on a seasonal basis) that might include a Big Eye Tuna Sashimi, Arroz Chaufa (a Peruvian fried rice with snow crab, crispy calamari and a yuzu aioli) or Oxtail Bibimbap. Libations are equally luscious, especially those come from the house’s special gin+tonic “Slushee” machine. No matter how the restaurant is pronounced, we’re sure you’ll want to come back more than once!

(3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702-607-3797) 3. HELL-O AGAIN! Given his remarkable popularity as a TV show personality, Gordon Ramsay made sure his loyal viewers would feel right at home at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen, which opened recently at Caesars Palace. In fact, you can find his signature fiery pitchfork marking the eatery’s entryway, while there’s a life-size video screen of Ramsay that greets guests upon arrival. Of course, the food matters as well, which is why such favorites as Pan Seared Scallops, Beef Wellington, Truffle Arancini and Crispy Skin Salmon, all of which have been featured on the small screen, can be found on the wide-ranging menu. Expect a heavenly experience!

(3570 S Las Vegas Blvd. 702-731-7373) 4. A WINNING PAIR Bringing two of Las Vegas’ most beloved attractions together, the fountains at the Bellagio Resort & Casino and superstar chef Wolfgang Puck, the new Spago Las Vegas is an unbeatable combination. Wherever you sit, you can still witness spectacular views of the waterworks and dine on truly creative cuisine, ranging from a Saffron Risotto which features Santa Barbara Spot Prawns to Wolfgang’s Famous Veal “Wiener Schnitzel” and Puck’s world-famous wood-fired pizzas.

(3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702-693-8181)

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CALIFORNIA DREAMING

When you go West, these are the hotels that will make you happy.

BY BRIAN SCOTT LIPTON

1. PUTTING ON THE RITZ Once you check in to the gorgeous Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel, there’s a good chance you’ll never want to leave the premises. And why should you? The hotel is particularly well known for its luxurious spa, which offers a wide variety of special treatments inspired by the sea. Meanwhile, one can eat and drink at one of six outstanding properties at the hotel, including Raya, which offers superstar chef Richard Sandoval’s delicious pan-Latin fare and coastal views, and the stunning 180blu, an outdoor lounge that sits high above the Pacific Ocean. Last but not least, art lovers will also be thrilled by the wide variety of exhibitions on view throughout the hotel. They are just one more reason to call this hotel your home away from home. –BSL

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2. HOLDING COURT The Harbor Court San Francisco, positioned in the city’s trendy SoMa district, recently completed a $10 million renovation – and it shows! Visitors will delight in its 131 redesigned guestrooms and suites (highlighted by their many high-tech amenities and spacious walkin showers) and a brand-new lobby with a grand fireplace offset by mismatched chairs surrounding a rustic communal working table.

(In addition, there are numerous co-working areas for business travelers.) And while there’s no shortage of great restaurants throughout the City by the Bay, Harbor Court is home to Ozumo, a trendy eatery that serves sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delights in a lively, contemporary setting and boasts a lounge that features one of North America’s largest sake lists. –BSL 3. GETTING PACIFIC Situated atop the scenic bluffs overlooking Santa Monica Beach, the iconic Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows spans five acres, faces the Pacific Ocean and is located minutes from many of Southern California’s most famous attractions. Head out to the nearby Santa Monica Pier and its historic carousel, Malibu, as well the Third Street Promenade, which is justly famous for its fine restaurants, live entertainment, movie theatres, shopping, local artists’ scene and weekly farmer’s market.

Or if you don’t want to leave the premises, the property is also home to FIG restaurant, a seasonal Mediterranean-influenced eatery using hand-picked ingredients from farmers and purveyors in Southern California; The Bungalow, a beachfront cocktail bar with a back garden, private dining room and large outdoor area; and the Exhale Mind Body spa. –SG

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THE PREMIER NATIONAL MENSWEAR SHOW.

. & Sons Garment Co.

0909 Fatto in Italia 2UNDR 34 Heritage 6 East 7 Diamonds 7 Downie St. A A Fish Named Fred A Kurtz Belt A. Kuehnert & Co Ace & Everett Age of Wisdom Alan Paine Knitwear Alan Payne Footwear Alberto Alden Shoe Company Allen Edmonds Company Alpetora Imports Alpha Industries Alternative Apparel Amalfi Woolen Group Amanda Christensen American Needle Headwear Anderson’s Andrew Fezza Tailored Clothing Andrew Marc Tailored Clothing Angelo Nardelli Anthime Mouley Ties and Pocket Squares Aquarius LTD Aristo Ariston of Italy MTM Cloth Artphere Bags Aston Leather AT.P.CO Atlas International Textiles, INC Austen Heller Austin Reed Tailored Clothing B Bacco-Bucci Shoes Bailey of Hollywood Ballin Ballin Casuals Baracuta Barbara Blank Neckwear & Pocket Squares Barbour Barcelona Baroni BAT Wear Apparel Bed Stu Bellfield Belstaff Ben Sherman Ben Sherman Footwear Benson Berle Berragamo Bertolini Beverly Hills Polo Club Beware Biarelli Bills Khakis BKLYN Black Dog Blu Blue Blue Lion Blujacket Bobby Jones Bogner

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WE HAVE THE BRANDS. Borelio Descendant of Thieves Borgo 28 Desoto Knit Shirts - Germany Bosca Accessories DIBI Brackish Digel Brax Feel Good Dion Bridge & Burn Di’Ruggiero Briggs & Riley DKNY Tailored Clothing Brooklyn Brigade DL1961 Premium Denim Brown Bilt Dobb’s Hats & Caps Bruno Magli Footwear Dona Dona Bruno Piattelli Neckwear Donald Pliner Brunos Footwear Dormeuil Bruun & Stengade Dream World International Inc. Bugatchi DUCA by Matiste Bugatti Duck Head Buki Dugdale Bros.

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Gordon of New Orleans Grayers America Greyson Clothiers Gruppo Bravo H h American Tailor H. Freeman Hagen Haggar Halsey 44 Happy Socks Hardwick Clothes, Inc. Harley of Scotland Harmony Clothes Hart Schaffner Marx Hart Schaffner Marx Belts & Small Leathergoods Haupt Havaianas Heel to Toe by B&B Socks Heritage By Report Collection Heritage by St. Croix Hex Hickey Freeman Sportswear Hickey Freeman Tailored Clothing Hillflint Hiltl HL Sport Holebrook Sweden Holland & Sherry Hommard Cashmere Hook & Tackle Outfitters Horn Legend Hudson hystrix I I.C Richard Choi Ibiza / Azure iDesign Apparel IMM Neckwear Impulso Ingram Inserch International Laundry Ital Uomo Italo Ferretti Ties J J Brand J&M Est. 1850 J.S. Blank J.Wingfield J.Z. Richards JACHS NY Jack of Spades Jack Victor Jack Victor #Cityline Jack Victor #Easyliving Jack Victor 1913 Jean Paul Germain Jerry Garcia Socks Jerry Kaye Jimmy Sales Corp JKT New York JM Dickens Socks Joe’s Jeans John Cooper John H. Daniel Legendary

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AUGUST 5-7, 2018 SUN/MON/TUE American Tailors John Lennon John Smedley John Varvatos John Varvatos Footwear John Varvatos Jewelry John Varvatos Star USA Tailored Clothing Johnnie-O Johnston & Murphy Jon Randall Collection Jose Real K KAM JEANS Kangol Headwear Karissa & Me Kinross Knowledge Cotton Apparel Komono Eyewear and Watches Kroon Kühl L L.B.M. 1911 L.E.N L.E.N Leather Goods La Vita Lacoste LAMARQUE Lambretta Lanificio F.LLI Cerruti Lauren Ralph Lauren Tailored Clothing LCR Black Edition Ledbury Lee Allison Left Coast Tee Lejon Lenor Romano Leo Chevalier Lief Horsens Lipson Shirtmakers Liverpool LLOYD Shoes Loake Shoemakers Loft 604 London Fog Lords of Harlech Luchiano Visconti Luchiano Visconti Limited Edition Lucky Brand Luigi Bianchi M M. SINGER MAC of Germany Maceoo Madeleine Finn Madison Creek Outfitters Majestic International Mantoni Marcello Marcello Sport Marchesi Di Como Martin Dingman Matt & Nat Mattarazi Uomo Mauritius Mavi Jeans MaxDavoli Measure Up Mel Gambert Meyer - MMX Mezlan Shoes Michael Kors Tailored Clothing

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Michael’s Missani Le Collezioni Mission Belt Mitchell & Ness Mitchell Evan Mizumi Collezioni Mizzen+Main Modena mododoc Montechiaro Moore & Giles Move Performance Apparel Muroexe Shoes Murray Hogarth n: Philanthropy Nautica Nicoby Nifty Genius Nigel’s Drape Clothing Nino Valenti Nove Nth Degree Underwear OAS Company Oliver Ridley OluKai OPB Orciani Ordean Original Penguin Over Under Clothing Overton Apparel Oxford Oxford Lads Pacelli Pacific Silk PAIGE Palm Beach Pantherella Pantropic Parajumpers Patrick Assaraf Paul Betenly Peerless Clothing Pendleton Woolen Mills People Footwear People of Shibuya Per Pedes Socks Perfecto Brand Peru Unlimited Pete Huntington Peter Millar LLC Peter-Blair Accessories Petrocelli PieroGabrieli Made in Italy Pig & Hen Ping Platinum International Apparel Group Polifroni Milano Privé Projeck Raw USA Proper Shirtings Psycho Bunny Punto Socks PVH Q by Flynt Quantum Quantum Ballroom Inside Quieti Apparel R. Hanauer

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THE PREMIER NATIONAL MENSWEAR SHOW.

OPENING NIGHT PARTY | SPONSORED BY HARDWICK Sunday | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | The Mart River Park

The Chicago Collective’s Opening Night Party has become the staple event for most buyers and exhibitors.

Celebrating the show’s opening and Hardwick’s recent rebrand, this lively annual event will take place along the Mart River Park, overlooking the Chicago River.

Guests will savor summery cocktails, local brews [sponsored by Lake Shore Beverage] and food [catered

by Marshall’s Landing] while enjoying live music, mingling with familiar faces and new acquaintances alike amidst the city’s awe-inspiring architecture.

MARKET HAPPENINGS.

SPECIALTY COFFEE BAR SPONSORED BY ANDERSON’S Sunday & Monday: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Tuesday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

BUGATCHI LOUNGE Daily Stop by the Bugatchi Lounge open throughout the show to take a break, relax, mingle in various events of interest and enjoy the daily happy hour.

[Center Lounge]

BARBOUR CAFÉ Breakfast daily | 8:00 a.m.

Lunch daily | 12 noon - 2:00 p.m.

Buyers & Exhibitors: Join us in the Barbour Café for complimentary breakfast and lunch daily.

[7th Floor]

Enjoy the taste of Italy, complimentsof Anderson’s: stop by for an espresso, cappuccino or latte.

[Located outside of the Show Office]

GREAT BRITISH BRANDS CELEBRATE GREAT BRITISH FASHION AND DESIGN WITH THE UK’S DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE The UK’s Department for International Trade is proud to support this year’s summer show. We are delighted to bring you closer to the cutting-edge design, longstanding heritage and outstanding quality of UK menswear brands.

[Located on the 6000 Aisle]

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theMART, Chicago

BEER PUB FRONT AISLE Sunday | 3:00 p.m.

Check out our front aisle brands: Gillis London, Pig & Hen, Secrid and Tateossian. Each brand has incredible product and a unique story to tell.

Hear all about it all over a brew during our Beer Pub Hour.

[Located on the 6000 Aisle]

BLOODY MARY BAR Sunday | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Need a Bloody Mary to help kick off your day? We welcome you to the show with our complimentary Bloody Mary bar with all the delicious fixings.

[Located in the Center Lounge]

FRESH POPCORN SPONSORED BY iDESIGN Daily | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Looking for an afternoon snack? Stop by for a bag of freshly popped popcorn - sponsored by iDesign.

[Located along the 6000 Aisle]

HAPPY HOUR SPONSORED BY BOTRAN

BLOODY MARIA BAR SPONSORED BY TEQUILA REVOLUCIÓN Monday | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Sunday | 3:00 p.m.

This is going to be juicy: join us in the Center Lounge for a Watermelon Punch mixed up with Botran Rum – the ultimate summer cocktail!

South of the border Mary goes by Maria and takes her drinks with Tequila Revolución. Be sure to check out our complimentary Bloody Maria bar with all the delicious fixings.

[Located in the Center Lounge]

[Located in the Center Lounge]

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

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{ MAN OF STYLE }

BEST FOOT FORWARD!

Former NFL star, TV sensation and recent author Rashad Jennings discusses his new book, his fashion style and his favorite moments in his remarkable life.

BY BRIAN SCOTT LIPTON

A

former record-setting NFL running back, 2017 champion of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and noteworthy philanthropist, 33-year-old Rashad Jennings credits his success to one simple attribute: a strong work ethic. In high school, Jennings overcame poor vision, debilitating asthma, a 0.6 GPA and being the fifth-string running back to receive a scholarship to play college football at the University of Pittsburgh. After his freshman season, however, he transferred to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in order to be near his family and to take care of his ailing father. He then spent eight years in the NFL, where he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants before retiring last December.

Most recently, Jennings has added author to his resume; his new book “The If in Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self” was published earlier this year. We recently spoke to Jennings about the book, his fashion style, and his favorite moments in his own life.

MR: What is the most important lesson you want the reader to learn from this book?

That dreams do come true through dedication, discipline and hard work.

Who are your favorite designers?I I have different favorites for different items; they include Y3, AllSaints. Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Suitsupply, Rag & Bone and Common Projects.

Where do shopping?

you

most

enjoy

In New York, it’s Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman Men and Kith. In Los Angeles, I go to the Grove, Undefeated, and Top Flight.

What are your best tips for any man on how to look their best?

Stick to the basics: Brush your teeth, spend money on a good barber, exercise daily, eat right and work on the inside.

When you feel your best, you will wear the clothes you buy, the clothes won’t wear you.

Do you think it’s important for athletes to become role models for other men both on and off the field?

Athletes don’t need to become role models, they automatically are.

I am always conscious of what I wear and how I act, both off and on the field, because you never know who’s watching.

What were your favorite moments as a football player?

My first NFL touchdown in Jacksonville with the Jaguars and my Dad’s last game he got to watch me play, at Met Life Stadium with the Giants.

How do you describe your own personal style?

I would say it is a combination of spunky and sleek. On a day-today basis, you’ll find me always wearing something that stands out from other people in order to say “yeah, that’s Rashad.”

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What was your favorite moment on “Dancing with the Stars”?

All the hard work coming to fruition when I won the Mirrorball! l MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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{ RETAILING }

STEPPING UP THE GAME Gene Hiller’s Tom Gangitano reveals how the California store has remained relevant for 65 years.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

tinues. “We all know today’s retail landscape is shifting; it’s increasingly difficult to maintain stability if business strategies do not align with modern-day consumers who seek a unique, convenient and meaningful shopping experience.”

Among the major steps the Gene Hiller team is taking to deliver this experience: creating entertaining and educational content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.

“We’ve found this to be an authentic and effective way to expand our reach and provide valuable content for people to enjoy,” insists Gangitano.

“As a business with a rich history, we’ve built an impressive clientele whose life stories and lessons are worth sharing.

We also share the excitement of our buying trips to various trade shows, allowing our customers to preview next season’s fashion. And we create content to educate our customers about various mensriginally etablished in 1953 on San wear topics. It is all produced in-house so Francisco’s Geary Street by Gene we can control our brand message and Hiller, an astute businessman with reduce production costs.” an innate sense of style, Sausalito specialty Connecting regularly with their cusstore Gene Hiller Stylists remains true to its tomers through special events is another original vision 65 years later: to provide upkey to the store’s enduring success. “We’ve scale Italian fashions complemented by perhosted our annual Holiday Affair & Fashsonal styling services. ion Show on the first Saturday of DecemOne reason for the company’s longevity ber every year for two decades now. This is the vision of Tom Gangitano, its CEO, who event has become an integral part of our joined the team in 1976 and easily adopted business and we welcome clients from this formula – and alongside managing partTom and Gene, back in the day... around the world,” says Gangitano. ner Wayne Kaleck built on Hiller’s strong “On June 9th of this year, we hosted our Summer Fashion foundation. “The company’s mission has always been to provide men with the highest quality service. And as we celebrate our 65th Show paired with our 65th anniversary celebration. In fact, June year in business, we’re grateful to have remained relevant in the 9th is now recognized by Mayor Joan Cox as Gene Hiller Stylists hearts and minds of our customers and vendors for so long,” says Day in Sausalito,” he adds.

That same day, the team also launched their first-ever Gene Gangitano.

“At Gene Hiller Stylists, we take pride in every stitch we sew, Hiller Collection, a sophisticated in-store and online brand that the styling services we provide, our curated assortments and our is already getting great customer response. It’s just one more way ability to affect our local culture in a meaningful way,” he con- this creative group of merchants keeps on innovating! l

O

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Craftsmanship and natural materials Platinum-plated writing implements with barrels made from dark brown Grenadilla wood segments, separated by gleaming platinized rings. Available in Fountain Pen with 18-karat bicolor gold nib, Rollerball, Ballpoint and Pencil. Sophisticated leather accessories combine elegant design with maximum functionality.

For More Information Please Visit www.Graf-von-Faber-Castell.com • Faber-Castell USA, Inc • Sheila@fabercastell.com

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{ ROUNDTABLE }

EMBRACING CHANGE! Specialty store merchants share secrets on how to get guys into their stores.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

Some of America’s top luxury merchants are successful facing new challenges. From left, standing: Larry Davidson, David Levy, Mark Koplow, Jim Foley, Rich O’Boyle, and Scott Shapiro. Seated: Robin Rose, Ellen Levy, Barry Segel and Blair DeLongy.

Kick-off Question: How’s business?

LARRY DAVIDSON, DAVIDSON’S, ROANOKE, VA: We’re

having a disappointing sportswear year: all of our sales are driven by tailored clothing. We do fine with Peter Millar and Tommy Bahama — that’s the sportswear direction we’re taking — but none of our brands are performing as well as they should be. There’s no action in knits and no hot sportswear item.

BARRY SEGEL, MR. SID, BOSTON: Are your sellers as engaged in selling sportswear or is it easier to go after the higher ticket suits, sportcoats and made-to-measure?

DAVIDSON: They’re as engaged as they’ve ever been. I think the problem is more my sportswear mix and presentation than it is my staff. Or maybe it’s just a traffic issue: we had the coldest April and the wettest May ever.

SCOTT SHAPIRO, SYD JEROME, CHICAGO: Spring is always a slower sportswear season than fall but for us, even in spring, luxury sportswear sells better than the commercial stuff since these are the guys who buy out of want rather than need. Barbera,

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Zegna, Isaia — this is the stuff that sells early in the season while the cheaper stuff depends more on the weather. We also had a really cold March and a really wet April: no one was out playing golf! But if you focus on luxury, that customer shops early!

MARK KOPLOW, RALEIGH LIMITED, INDIANAPOLIS:

I also think sportswear is slower in the spring because customers prefer items they can throw in the washing machine.

JIM FOLEY, WOODBURY MENS SHOP, LONG ISLAND, NY:

Our sportswear business has been very strong, most of it is denim-driven brands: Citizens, MAC, Joe’s, Brax. The trick is to build a sportswear sale (shirts, knits, accessories) around sportcoats.

BLAIR DELONGY, JOHN CRAIG, WINTER PARK, FL: Our casual pants business is up 35 percent. We do really well with J. Brand — they have a French terry pant that feels like lightweight sweatpants at $198 that we can’t keep in stock; they also have a great five-pocket. And when we do contests among our associates, the sales are insane! I realize that brands like this are widely distributed but often, we can do it better.

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{ ROUNDTABLE }

SHAPIRO: Since we’ve got everyone’s A stores right in our backyard (three Nordstroms, two Neimans, Bloomingdale’s, Saks, Barneys), we’re starting to do more business with smaller clothing manufacturers, brands like Castangia and Santorelli.

First of all, there are no minimums and no competition. It’s easier to romance a new exclusive brand and they’re happy to come in and do an event to tell their story. I strongly believe that for independent specialty stores, that’s where the business is going. Consumers get weary of the same old trunk shows but introducing a new luxury brand gives us a good reason to call them. Even if we invite 100 customers and get 10, multi-unit purchases add up. Of course, not all our events are at this luxury level: our Father’s Day was all about polos and t-shirts.

FOLEY: I agree that a focus on new brands is key. We’ve had very good JIM FOLEY, WOODBURY MENS SHOP, results with Paul Taylor, a hip brand LONG ISLAND for more mature customers (although we had expected it to skew younger).

They do great knitwear at $195-$245, really nice softcoats out of Italy at $495-$595, an amazing fit pant. It’s more colorful than some of the Italian brands that are so neutral. Plus it goes with everything. Of course, Luciano Barbera is still our #1 luxury line but not everyone wants to spend $350 for a shirt.

DAVID LEVY, LEVY’S, NASHVILLE: Since MTM is driving clothing sales for most stores, we’re doing very well with Trans. The opening price at a former key brand got too expensive, so now, we can offer a custom suit from $995 to $1.395 with a huge markup. And the beauty of this brand is their three different models: we can fit a lot more guys with just minor adjustments in the arms or shoulders.

SEGEL: It’s interesting how different the demographic is in our two stores: Boston is turning out to have a hip cool customer: young wealthy kids living in new luxury apartments. Although the product mix is similar to what we have in Newton, they shop with more of an urban edge, e.g. New Balance sneakers, an Eleventy stretch sportcoat with leather trim that keeps selling out.

“The trick to selling sportswear is to build the sale around sportcoats.”

Could we talk a bit about in-store events and promotions: DELONGY: I’m a strong believer in contests: when our sales associates get excited, our customers get excited! With J. Brand pants and jeans, for every five pairs sold, the sales associate gets a free pair. For Stone Rose shirts, for every sale after the first 10, the sales associate gets a free shirt or $20. We also do window contests (my way of ensuring they change the windows) or google review contests (which of our stores gets the most five-star reviews).

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The Eleventy sportcoat looks great with jeans.

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{ ROUNDTABLE }

Brax has proven to be a strong seller for many stores, especially those with a denimdriven mix.

RICH O’BOYLE: WOODBURY MENS SHOP: We do well with direct mail, especially since we send a hard plastic card rather than a coupon. Our most recent mailing offered $100 off a $300 purchase or 25 percent off a single item. Most guys used the 25 percent off for a tailored clothing purchase and $100 off for shirts and ties. We used to send the two mailers a month apart; we now mail them together at a cost of $1.16 per piece.

DAVIDSON: We do both a coupon in our magazine and a monthly mailer with a price hook on a specific item. We use a local printer and make sure the card they bring back to us has the customer’s name printed on it.

SHAPIRO: I think a general price break is okay during sale season but it’s dangerous at other times: your good clothing customers get annoyed that they paid regular price and now you’re offering 25 percent off; why shouldn’t they get that discount retroactively?

I think it’s better to do targeted promotions on specific categories at certain times of the year: buy five shirts and get the sixth for free, that kind of thing. Our biggest months for clothing are March and September so we focus on custom events, rather than price promotions.

SEGEL: We’re doing a lot of networking with the Seaport for the new store. We recently reached out to concierges, general managers of restaurants, those kinds of influencers and invited them to a cocktail event in the store. They received a gift bag that included a custom shirt and an incentive card that explained for every customer they send to us who spends $1,000, they get 10 percent on a personal house charge. We had around 20 people and they loved it! It didn’t cost a lot because we had food and wine comped; we now have these influencers feeling connected to Mr. Sid in Boston.

FOLEY: We no longer use the term trunk shows; we call them Style by Design events, a more creative phrase connoting the experience of customers selecting their own custom details. We just had a great event with Paul Taylor: we served Aperol spritzers; everyone shopped like crazy and had fun.

O’BOYLE: These Style by Design events definitely work best with a truly personable rep, rather than some old guy standing around taking orders in a boring suit and tie. Once customers get to know the rep, they look forward BARRY SEGEL, MR. SID, BOSTON to coming back and seeing him again next season.

SHAPIRO: We often arrange special intimate dinners in town with our key reps and top customers. We’ve done this with Barbera, Brioni, Canali…

DELONGY: Why can’t trunk shows be for sportswear as well as clothing? We recently put a fresh spin on a trunk show with Johnnie O; we called it a “spring fling” and served margaritas. It was very successful.

SEGEL: We do something we call ‘Memphis in May’ featuring barbeque ribs, bourbon tasting, a blues band. The point is to promote our Made-in-America product: jeans, Hamilton shirts, Torino belts. Every year it gets bigger.

“The challenge is finding new niche brands to partner with.”

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{ ROUNDTABLE } Could we get a few thoughts on your biggest challenges: what’s keeping you up at night?

DAVIDSON: I sleep pretty well but worry about what I can do to make the experience of shopping in my store more exciting. We all know that traffic is down and clearly, most men are still dressing sloppy. I think it’s up to the women to raise the bar and demand better from the men they go out with.

DELONGY: I think a lot of the problem with business today is sales associates who are not fully engaged or there’s conflict among associates. The constant challenge for me is finding the best people and keeping them. I’m worried about how to target millennials. (Our compensation involves a base salary plus tiered commissions.)

DAVIDSON: We’ve experimented with incentive programs, settling on a monthly bonus if the store target is hit. In this way, sellers can pick up a team bonus even if they miss their personal goal.

LEVY: Our staff is suddenly a millennial generation and they’re doing great! We’re trying to give them the authority to solve problems on the spot, rather than depend on the CAO (chief apology officer). This has minimized the drama and I think they actually appreciate the structure and the challenge.

SEGEL: I worry about vendor direction: most major brands are still catering to the big department stores who, ironically, are often the ones who LARRY DAVIDSON, DAVIDSON’S, ROANOKE have ruined the integrity of these brands. We’ve cut back a bit on the big brands who sell direct, who offer deep discounts, who promote online earlier and earlier, who list their own stores Paul Taylor on their website, but we don’t drop them entirely because we still has proven do a better job of presenting and selling their product than they to appeal to mature do! The challenge is finding new niche brands to partner with. customers.

SHAPIRO: A big challenge for us is keeping our sales associates motivated. They have such big client lists now: it takes more than emails to stay in touch with everyone. The goal of course is to LEVY: I agree but then they see these old guys staying on their bring in new customers while maintaining relationships with our job much too long and they get discouraged. (And the older guys existing base. But sellers get complacent. are pretty protective of their territory.)

FOLEY: We’ve been in business six years and we have a great KOPLOW: I agree with Rich that it’s hard to get young talented team of sellers and tailors, several of whom are at retirement age. sellers to think of retail as a career: most see it as a transition to So finding young talent is indeed challenging. something else. I also agree with Barry’s point on major brands: I’m flanked by Saks and Nordstrom which is bad enough but now O’BOYLE: Not enough young people are serious about a career in retail. There’s money to be made in sales and we’re ready and I have some of my own luxury clothing makers wining and dining willing to train but their prior experience in department stores is my clients; they don’t have much assortment in Indianapolis so they fly them to NY with their wives, give them fancy dinners and killing their ambition. theater tickets and a 20 percent discount on MTM in their stores.

KOPLOW: You can make money in sales but can you get rich?

And these were my customers who were buying that brand from No. And most young people today want to get rich!

SEGEL: It’s incumbent upon us to inspire young talent. Teach me, a brand I’ve been carrying since they first launched in the them the business; bring them to trade shows in New York. Give States. The brand is clearly buying the business but they have that ability. How does an independent store compete with that?” l them a small category to buy or give them a new title.

“I think it’s up to women to raise the bar and demand that their men dress better!”

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{ ITALIAN DESIGN }

THE NEW ZEGNA Alessandro Sartori enlivens Ermenegildo Zegna, while maintaining the brand’s luxe standards

BY JOHN RUSSEL JONES

That chapter relies heavily, says Zegna, on connecting with all of its customers. “We are now focused on creating a closer emotional bond with our loyal customers, while recruiting younger ones, all while staying true to our values and anticipating the needs of the market. We can now offer a cohesive and consistent style message throughout all our collections. We are also aligning the brand’s perception with its reality, so that men of all ages can love, admire and trust Zegna to meet their evolving needs.”

spring/summer ‘19 collection

Alessandro Sartori

W

hile beloved Italian designer brand Ermenegildo Zegna remains firmly planted in the luxury sphere, the company also recognizes that it’s necessary to appeal to younger customers in order to assure longevity. Bringing Alessandro Sartori as artistic director back to the company in 2016 was seen as a crucial step in that direction, and the move is paying off!

(Sartori started his career with the brand in 1989 but left in 2011.)

“I brought a kind of rejuvenation to the company by getting Alessandro and making a move towards casualization,” says Gildo Zegna, the brand’s CEO. “We were known as a clothing company — now we are a lifestyle brand. Today’s fashion is becoming more casual, more accessories-driven and more digital. Alessandro’s appointment was the start of a new chapter for the company.”

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Accomplishing that goal, says Zegna, is a challenge. “It’s a new branding strategy for us, requiring very disciplined people and management, and without Alessandro, it would have been difficult to realize,” he adds. “He is creative, fast, and a leader. With him, we not only have a designer, but also someone who looks after store design and image campaigns. We have changed our organization so that we can react faster than ever to market changes.”

Indeed, since his return, Sartori has been carefully evolving the brand, while enlivening the collections with a bright, youthful spirit. For example, the spring/summer ’18 marketing campaign showed Academy Award nominee Dev Patel and Oscar winner Javier Bardem in a playful, friendly interchange that exemplified how two generations could share friendship and style.

Meanwhile, the spring/summer ‘19 collection, shown in Italy in June, strode a fine line between athletic and elegant, providing Instagrammable moments via the occasional bold print, playful plaids and stripes, and the use of the iconic “XXX” logo as a design motif in embossed leather. As Sartori intended, many of his pieces will appeal to a younger, more fashion-forward luxury customer, while other items are sure to find their way into the wardrobes of life-long Ermenegildo Zegna fans of all ages. l MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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{ ITALIAN DESIGN }

UNPRETENTIOUS STYLE

Baldassari’s hand-crafted Italian-made collection helps retailers and consumers stand out from the crowd.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

T

he verdict is virtually unanimous among independent specialty retailers: the key to a successful business in today’s highly competitive era is a greater emphasis on niche brands. Among our favorites, a wonderful family business based in the Brera district of Milan (home to numerous creative types) by the name of Maurizio Baldassari.

The founder of this eponymous brand, Maurizio started his design career at La Rinascente department stores, sharing an office with Giorgio Armani. When he left to start his own company, his collection immediately caught the attention of Takashimaya Japan, a prestigious first client indeed. Since then, Baldassari has built a successful luxury menswear business throughout Europe and Asia, with select retail stores in the States.

The hallmarks of the collection: easy modern designs, luxurious fabrics and hand craftsmanship. The company employs 10 associates in Milan and 10 artisan partners in nearby districts.

According to Maurizio’s son Renato, who with his brother Roberto runs the day-to-day business (their parents Maurizio and Grazia are still very much involved), “Because we’re a family company, we put much passion into our product. Many family businesses in Italy are now owned by big corporations so they’re driven by the numbers. We’re driven by the product and what works best for our clients. The beauty of a family business is its flexibility.”

According to U.S. sales manager Michal Sestak, Baldassari’s overall story for spring ’19 is about effortless, educated wardrobe building. This includes a strong denim story and the use of Solaro

textiles for jackets, pants and shirts. “The clothes are right when they express one’s unique point of view,” says Setak.

Among retailers’ favorite ‘self-expressing’ items (to mix and match as you please) for spring ’19: the soft unconstructed Solaro jacket in iridescent beige, the ivory chevron drawstring pant, the honeycomb-knit sweater jacket in navy wool/silk, and the overdyed denim overshirt.

Or as Renato puts it, “Style is not the same for everyone. It’s an attitude; it’s being confident and comfortable in what you wear.

Of course, Italian style is a little more ‘proper’ than American style: I would never dress for work like I’m going to the gym That said, when you’re comfortable and relaxed, you’re stylish!” l

“Style is not the same for everyone. It’s an attitude; it’s being confident and comfortable in what you wear.”

RENATO BALDASSARI

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{ ITALIAN DESIGN }

BEYOND THE SUIT Corneliani looks to fabric innovation and technology in order to keep its customer happy.

BY STEPHEN GARNER

I

n the last 20 years, many things have changed in men’s fashion. Dressing today is not as much about your age as it about what’s appropriate for your social environment and your culture. Even more importantly, the daily sartorial habits of men have also changed as gentlemen want to look and feel casual on most occasions.

Keeping that mind, Corneliani plans on staying ahead of the curve, or at least on pace with the market, by studying and developing new fabrics that will keep its customer happy with new and innovative product. And its spring’ 19 collection delivers on that promise through a wide and versatile offering that was developed to meet the needs of a contemporary man’s dynamic lifestyle.

“We presented three capsule collections that are each distinguished with its own dedicated label,” says Corneliani’s style director, Stefano Gaudioso Tramonte. “The first capsule celebrates the heritage of the brand, ‘Beyond the Rain,’ which is a collection of four iconic raincoats that mix tradition and innovation. Elegance and performance are melded together in ‘Style & Freedom’ — the capsule consisting of a special offering of sweatshirts, joggers and knitted sweaters, all crafted from luxe materials.”

As for the third capsule, Tramonte notes: “In keeping with the hyper-connected lifestyle of contemporary men, the ‘Connected Style’ capsule includes a series of iconic pieces, such as a zippered jacket, a field jacket, a backpack, a small travel bag, and a computer case, all which offer an elegant and refined look with a discrete high-tech soul. Each item includes a customized power bank, which through electromagnetic induction, enables the wearer to recharge the mobile phone in the pocket of the jackets and bags.

And to guarantee safety, all the products included in the ‘Connected Style’ line feature a silver film protecting from radiations.”

These capsules, which are part of the larger Corneliani line, are sure to attract new consumers, but will also feel relevant to its current customer base. “We are most excited to keep moving forward and to bring the company into the digital age,” says Tramonte. “Above all, we want to continue creating experiences for our customer that fit seamlessly in today’s world but do not exclude our rich history as curators and creators of Italian style.” l

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TO STU NIFOUSSI Our fearless leader for the past 28 years You’ve been the heart and soul of MR magazine The entire menswear industry thanks you for your kindness, intelligence and guidance May your future be filled with family, friends, laughter and love.

With deep gratitude,

Your family at MR and Wainscot Media

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{ EUROPEAN TRENDS }

FRESH OFF THE RUNWAY

The seven most prominent spring/summer ’19 trends seen on the European runways that belong in the U.S.

BY STEPHEN GARNER

A lot has happened this summer in the market, from designers Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh making their debuts at their respective houses (Dior Homme and Louis Vuitton) in Paris to Roberto Cavalli making its triumphant return to Florence under new designer Paul Surridge. Without question, it’s an exciting time to be in menswear. After a whirlwind three-week trip around Europe, we’ve rounded up the hottest trends seen on the runways of London, Florence, Milan and Paris that will undoubtedly be key items to look out for when planning your spring/summer ’19 buy.

A NE W TAK E ON TAI LORING Tailoring made a resurgence in a big way this season from both the usual suspects, such as Ermenegildo Zegna and Dunhill, to less likely players reinterpreting their versions of what makes a great suit.

The suit of spring 2019 is a tad oversized and a bit dramatic, often in technical performance fabrics, and in colors from the typical navy to bold highlighter colors.

These suits were often cut in double-breasted models and are best worn open.

Moreover, since we’ve seen this oversized trend happening across product categories for a few seasons now, this may be the time to freshen up your tailoring departments.

Dior Homme

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ROOMY S HO R T - SLE E VE S HIR TS While the resort “Hawaiian” shirt is still having a strong presence in the market, designers are tweaking it slightly. Still shown in an oversized, comfortable silhouette, with sleeves that reach the elbow, lthese shirts can come in solids, camos or monograms. This is the shirt to beat for summer ’19.

Band of Outsiders

Issey Miyake

Ermenegildo ´Zegna

Fendi

MSGM

Versace

SMALL SUNGLASSES In a move that is reminiscent of “The Matrix”, it seems the trend of the shrinking sunglasses have made its way from dominating the women’s accessories market to the menswear realm. Often done in a rose-colored glass (yes, pun intended) or just regular-old black, these lenses are barely big enough to cover your eye balls. Still, you’ll look chic as hell in them, so who cares if the sun is in your eyes?

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{ EUROPEAN TRENDS }

O V ER - THE - K N E E S H O R TS Since we are in the age of oversized, roomy silhouettes, it’s only natural for shorts to follow suit. While a roomier short allows for more “breathing room” in the summer heat, it also makes for a great look to pair with sandals and a resort shirt. Also look for styles that are a bit high-waisted that fit just below the knee, otherwise you’d just look like a typical sloppy American tourist, and we don’t want that.

Cerruti 1881

Dior Homme

Issey Miyake

DAD J EA NS While we’re on the subject of pants, the most glaring thing happening on the Euopean runways when it came to denim, was the “dad jean”. Typically in a light wash with an oversized fit (and most likely paired with those pesky dad sneakers), these jeans are for the stores that want to offer something new to those elusive “younger customers.” Apparently, like father, like son, right?

Balmain

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Valentino

Versace

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REL AX E D TRO U S E RS Speaking of freshening up, this trend closely follows with the aforementioned new way of how suits should fit. We know, “you just got your customer into skinny pants”, but we’ve only seen this relaxed trouser trend grow exponentially in popularity both on the streets and the runways for a few years now. Look for pants that have a higher waist and a carrot leg, a style which tends to look the best on multiple different body shapes.

Hermés

OAMC

Pal Zileri

N E C K WA LLE TS In the same way that sunglasses keep getting smaller and smaller, fanny packs are also in the middle of a renaissance. In the span of about a year, they’ve gone from waist bags to shoulder bags, and now they seem to be turning into necklaces. In a move that seems to cater to tourists, these look more like a phone holder or a passport case worn around your neck. But don’t worry, there are still plenty of fanny packs around: rest assured, they aren’t going anywhere.

Fendi

Pal Zileri

Valentino

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{ CONTEMPORARY OVERVIEW }

MODERN TIMES

From strong colors and bold prints to wider silhouettes and streetwear-inspired tops, fashion-forward looks are dominating spring ‘19 contemporary collections.

BY JOHN RUSSEL JONES

T

he contemporary menswear category continues to serve up more fashion-forward options to its customers, as it faces increasing competition from the streetwear juggernaut. Color (as contrasted with the minimalistic black and white of a few seasons back) and florals were key trends for spring

2018 and will still be seen next season, while alternative large prints and colorful basics are anticipated to grow in importance for the spring 2019 market. Moreover, “Logomania” and “Dadcore” looks (throwbacks to the 1990s) are also key to expansion in this market.

Above: L to R, Descendant of Thieves (Photo: Dan Lecca), Carlos Campos, Descendant of Thieves.

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{ CONTEMPORARY OVERVIEW } “The entire range of pale colors is resonating with our customer, as well as the floral short-sleeved shirt trend, which is explosive! The tropical prints that his dad may have worn are being reimagined in new silhouettes and now offer the younger guy a moment to self-express and get credit for his fashion choices,” says Durand Guion, fashion director at Macy’s. “The ‘logomania’ trend has definitely captured the attention — and wallet — of our consumer, creating a new platform for legacy contemporary brands.”

One reason men want to make a bold statement, say experts, is the desire to stand out on Instagram and other social media.

“If it looks good in a photo, then our customer is interested,” says Justin Berkowitz, fashion director at Bloomingdale’s. “Embroideries, patches and appliqués, pastels, and tropical florals were all strengths this season.

Adds Todd Bernstein, president of Original Penguin. “Prints of all kinds are resonating: food, flowers, and anything related to music all seem to be working. Even in fashion swim and board shorts, color and prints are very good performers. And color is working! Sophisticated colors that complement black and navy are particularly strong.”

Matteo Maniatty, co-owner of Descendant of Thieves, echoes their assertion. “Men are buying bolder prints, more color and are less afraid of fashion. Animal prints are also very important to us next season, as is striped shirting. As for color, washed pinks and

blushes were very strong this spring and will continue to be an important color next year as we bring in more golds and browns that really complement it.”

Another hot designer, Carlos Campos, took a bold approach to color in his new 2019 collection, incorporating tones he called “pale sienna,” and a brilliant “amarillo yellow,” with bold stripes executed in deep navy and white.

BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL The importance of making a bold statement also seemed to drive one major trend from this past season, that of the “ugly” or “dad” sneaker. Prada introduced the Cross-Section sneaker back in January, which streetwear blog Highsnobiety promptly declared as being “ugly in all the right ways.” So it’s not surprising the trend will continue next season, not only in footwear, but in knitwear and sweaters as well.

“I think our consumer is reacting to fashion items that are new to him,” says Guion. “As he evolves beyond skinny silhouettes he is intrigued by the chunky sneaker.” Adds Berkowitz, “The chunky sweater specifically is where we are focusing on the ‘ugly’ trend. However, we are also seeing it from quite a few of our footwear partners and consumers definitely like the fresh silhouette.”

As Maniatty notes, silhouettes are also relaxing and gaining volume. “Men are responding to new silhouettes, including wider

Beautiful Fül

“If it looks good in a photo, then our customer is interested.”

JUSTIN BERKOWITZ, FASHION DIRECTOR, BLOOMINGDALE’S.

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and looser items in both top and bottom categories. It’s great to see men feeling comfortable enough to really step it up. That’s a big reason we will continue to offer wider silhouettes in more categories, including wovens and knits.” ibers and fabrics are also important elements to consider in this category, as consumers, used to the performance and comfort provided by the athleisure trend, have come to expect them across all offerings. For a recent collection, Los Angeles-based Beautiful Fül placed maximum importance on what they consider their take on classic, standard pieces, but rendered them in carefully selected fabrications.

“Our hoodies are made from custom knitted French terry, while our heavyweight T-shirts are modeled after vintage army ‘physical training’ models,” says designer Alejandro Rodriguez. “Stretch denim has taken over much of this market, and our customers appreciate that we use a 14-ounce Japanese selvedge denim, but still get a slim fit. The brand has also been seeing success with making its own shirting fabrics.”

“From custom-printed cupro to hand-painted silks, we’ve gotten an unbelievable response,” adds Rodriguez. “This is something we’re even taking into Original Penguin, DYNE knits.”

F

surprising that sportier silhouettes and graphics have gained further prominence in the contemporary market. “With a new generation of designers and a very prominent, dominant group of influencers, it makes perfect sense that streetwear is having a resurgence,” says Guion.

“As the strict codes defining menswear have finally started to dissolve, we can confidently predict that this is a fashion direction that will continue to inspire the mainstream.”

“We feel the resurgence of streetwear is a sign of something l arger,” says Berkowitz. “The current intersection of street and luxury — especially as we just saw with Virgil Abloh’s debut at Louis Vuitton — also implies a certain sense of inclusivity, shifting the traditional luxury paradigm to a mode of thinking that relates to a larger social context.”

Adds Maniatty: “I think we can’t talk about streetwear anymore as an isolated genre. The lines have blurred as streetwear has crept into contemporary and luxury markets. It has given new life to fashion and is evolving beautifully. There is a continuation of sophisticated elements of streetwear that I’m loving.”

Adds Bernstein: “I think streetwear will have a profound long-term effect on fashion. Certain brands will fully embrace it, while heritage

PHOTO: CHRIS CALLAWAY

{ CONTEMPORARY OVERVIEW }

“New fashion items are clearly resonating with our customers.”

DURAND GUION, FASHION DIRECTOR, MACY’S

Renowned for incorporating technology and innovative fabric choices into his offerings, Christopher Bevans, creative director of DYNE, utilized the most advanced Schoeller fabrics from Switzerland, lightweight wool from Tollegno 1900, along with recycled fabrics in his spring ’19 collection. “Our connection is not only to the modern technological world but also to the natural world in which we all must coexist,” he says. In addition, the collection was full of pieces in strong colors such as bright poppy red, maritime blue, charcoal and sleek onyx and featured silhouettes that reflected the season’s interest in volume, especially in its extremely functional outerwear.

TAKING IT TO THE STREETWEAR As streetwear brands like Supreme remain strong sellers, it’s not

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brands like Original Penguin will translate what makes sense.

For us, logoed product and all-over graphics are working thanks to streetwear and designer brands’ influence. I am quite surprised by how well graphic tees continue to sell.”

In fact, consumers throughout the country, not just on the East and West coasts, are embracing this new trend. “For example, we carry Rag & Bone, but our customer wears it with a Champion sweatshirt. There’s a lot of mixing of brands going on,” says Todd Epperly at Halls in Kansas City. “On one hand, Gucci has done extremely well for us, bringing in a great customer. We just can’t keep the line in the store. It appeals to everyone from a junior high kid to an athlete to a guy in his 60s. On the other hand, we also carry Chubbies, and some of our guys will mix a Chubbies knit with Frame jeans. We really just call it modern dressing!” l MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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{ CONTEMPORARY RETAIL }

VIVA BODEGA

The Boston-based contemporary store is expanding its reach.

BY JOHN RUSSEL JONES

A

fter 12 years in business, it’s no surprise that Boston-based contemporary store Bodega is ready to move to the next level. It has already created a burgeoning e-commerce business (which actually outpaces sales in brickand-mortar); now, Bodega is adding some new Japanese lines for fall (including Kapital, Takahiromiyashita The Soloist, and Kuboraum) and is currently focusing a great deal of energy on its Los Angeles location, which debuted earlier this year.

“Boston and Los Angeles are as different as the Lakers and the Celtics, but they share a lot of common ground as world-class international cities,” notes co-founder Oliver Mak. “Los Angeles is less price-sensitive, has more stylists, and a celebrity clientele, while Boston has more of a student population. Still, the Los Angeles location is a larger retail space in a larger fashion market and we expect to be able to build the amount of clientele that Boston currently enjoys.”

Of course, like any good seasoned retailer, they are still learning how to operate better. “We’ve learned so much through the LA expansion about leadership, organizing teams, duplicating processes and brand philosophy,” says Mak. “The biggest thing we’ve learned is that we are still a young team that needs to constantly improve our communication, processes and attention to customer relationships.”

On both coasts, Bodega’s owners have put a lot of thought into which brands should sit alongside their popular private-label goods; Cav Empt, Nike, Adidas and Comme des Garçons Play

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have been among their top sellers. (While the store is primarily menswear-oriented, it does carry women’s product. As for the product mix, it is 60/30/10 footwear/apparel/accessories across the board.) “Eye-catching, avant-garde, heavily-branded apparel is still hitting hard as long as it is driven by a cult of personality,” says Mak. While great brands are a key component to the company’s success — and the Boston store has hosted a number of high-profile pop-ups under its “Series” concept — having great merchandise is only one part of the Bodega equation. “In Los Angeles, we’re very focused on event programming, since the space is perfectly designed for it,” says Mak. “We’ve already hosted the Midnight Studios x Converse launch, a zine launch for Blu the Great, and a load of other tastemaker functions. In Boston, we’re continuing to get involved in community events, including the Boston Art Book Fair, which brings art galleries and publishers, independent artists and institutions like Harvard together for three days to celebrate print.”

The store also produces Bodega Pirate Radio, a way to connect musically with the public via streaming platform SoundCloud. “Pirate Radio is a way for us to broadcast and document music from our events and releases from our community,” says Mak. “Eventually we’d like to have a community studio like NTS (an online radio station based in London) or The Lot Radio in Brooklyn. A lot of our projects give creatives a place to share their art, and that’s important.” l MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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{ DENIM REPORT }

GOOD JEANS

From innovative washes to new fabrics and colors, denim will look and feel different next spring.

BY BRIAN SCOTT LIPTON AND STEPHEN GARNER

F

ashion trends come and fashion trends go, but denim is forever — a staple of every man’s wardrobe, year in and year out. But that doesn’t mean the world’s denim makers rest on their laurels; each season, they put out new product, often with technical improvements or major style variations.

Here is what some of the world’s leading denim companies have in store for spring ’19:

HUDSON JEANS One of the most popular denim brands on the market, Hudson Jeans has become a consumer favorite due to its emphasis on fit, authenticity, innovation and consistent quality, all of which are major factors when deciding which brand to choose. For spring ’19 Hudson will continue its commitment to those attributes. “We are using innovative wash treatments to achieve authentic worn-in looks. In particular, our outerwear pieces have been treated to look like they’ve been lived in. We also have denim washes that have been specifically destructed and repaired by hand that gives the fabric a naturally worn-in look,” says men’s head designer Steffan Attardo. The company is also adding a significant change to its upcoming collection, says Attardo. “You will see more mixing of active wear into our core denim styles; it is no longer about having separate lines for active wear and denim core. That’s what today’s consumer wants.” – BSL

LEVI’S

Outland Denim’s Smith Patchwork Jacket

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Perhaps the most famous denim maker in America, San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co. could just rely on its century-old reputation and continue to be a best-selling brand. Instead, the company is constantly looking for ways to refine and expand their product offerings. For 2019, Levi’s is advancing its customization capabilities and redefining the future of how jeans are personalized using cutting-edge, laser-powered technology. For example, Project F.L.X. (future-led execution) uses laser-powered technology to digitize the design and development of denim finishing.

“We continue to push ourselves to innovate and develop for the future while staying true to our brand DNA and product aesthetic,” says Karyn Hillman, chief product officer at Levi’s. – SG MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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{ DENIM REPORT } LUCKY BRAND A favorite of customers around the world, Lucky Brand is rolling out a number of changes to its men’s collection next season. “Here at Lucky, we’re always innovating stretch fabrications, which is why we’ve developed a premium vertical stretch fabric that combines both form and function: Classic American styling and stretch innovation,” says Jonathan Kirby, vice president of design, Men’s Fashion and Denim. “Instead of simply stretching across the seat, our premium vertical stretch denim only stretches over the knee, allowing the wearer to move while retaining the design’s structure and shape. Another exciting performance innovation we will focus on next season is our signature thermoregulating CoolMax All Season technology. It keeps you cool when you are hot and warms you up when it’s cold out. Both innovations will arrive alongside the launch of Stay Blue and Stay Sharp, our new denim lines that guarantee crisp, dark colors, even after over 30 washes.”– BSL

RALEIGH DENIM WORKSHOP

landscape, drawing inspiration from the hardy outback and the hostile red dirt plains. New offerings include the loose thigh, tapered cut Eddie jean, available in clean cut Valley blue or slightly distressed Worn colorways. New washes in the classic-cut, six pocket Smith jacket also make their debut, including Trashed, True Blue, and Patchwork. “This collection’s strength is matched by its integrity: the world’s hardiest raw materials, organic denim and a design-to-delivery approach to crafting premium apparel that withstands new challenges,” says James Bartle, the company’s founder and CEO. – BSL

VILEBREQUIN The French lifestyle brand best known for its colorful swimwear and sportswear is entering the denim market this spring through a licensing deal with Italian company Giada SpA, a leading producer of 100 percent made in Italy luxury denim.

The new collection will consist of a wide range of denim pants and jackets and will be distributed through premier department and specialty stores in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, Japan and Korea. “For some time now, we have contemplated adding denim as we expand our brand into additional lifestyle product categories,” added Roland Herlory, CEO of Vilebrequin. “Rooted in our DNA, the denim collection will accentuate chic and cool characteristics of the 1970’s. This partnership is a perfect fit to further enhance our brand’s global distribution.” – SG

Since being founded in 2007 in North Carolina by husband-and-wife Victor and Sarah Lyvitvenko, Raleigh Denim Workshop has seen its position in the denim world rise steadily year after year thanks to its daring use of colors and fabrics that make its jeans stand out from many run-of-the-mill brands. Unsurprisingly, the company’s spring ’19 collection LUCHIANO VISCONTI will continue to the Italian apparel maker Luchiano Visconti is makraise the bar. “The ing its first foray into denim this spring. The new styles I’m most company will produce one model, a five-pocket excited about are using some new Japanese fab- Raleigh Denim Workshop jean, made of Italian fabric and cut for the rics inspired by the Kabukimono Samauri from the contemporary man. It will come in four colors early 1600s,” says Victor. “They were known as the deviant ones (black, gray, navy and blue,) and will be available in sizes 30 to 44, and violated a lot of the fashion norms. The fabrics are a loose with inseams of 30, 32 and 34. Best of all, it will retail for less than weave with a beautiful drape with a Sankuzushi pattern. We love under $150. “There seems to be a real gap in denim at this price it so much that we’re using it in pants, jackets and shorts.” –BSL point,” says company president Jeff Simon. – BSL

TRIARCHY

LIVERPOOL

Known for its commitment to sustainability, Triarchy makes new strides every season. “For spring ’19, we are focused on expanding our core offerings, but we will be adding new silhouettes,” says Adam Taubenfligel, designer and creative director. “In addition, washes are staying strong into 90’s blues and pure whites, as well as minimal distressing.” – BSL

One of the fastest growing denim brands in America, California-based Liverpool Jeans is continuing its growth pattern thanks to its emphasis on fit, color and value, says Ron Perilman, the California-based company’s co-founder and president. “We are doing very well with jeans using CoolMax. It’s not your typical stretch, it’s kind of gummy is the best way I can describe it. Not only does it, as the name indicates, keep men cool, but it feels more like a sweatpant material than a jean. It’s really great for men whose weight can fluctuate,” he says. “Most of all, we continue to get an unbelievable response to our color assortment. For soring ’19, expect to see a lot of light to medium greys, twilight blue, light olives, deep earth and sandstorm, along with some of more traditional, darker colors.” – BSL l

OUTLAND Known as much for their amazing social consciousness as their denim, Australian-based Outland works with rescue agencies in Thailand, Cambodia and Burma to make life better for victims of human trafficking. But let’s not forget about their apparel; their spring ‘19 collection nods to denim’s heritage in the Australian

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{ DENIM REPORT }

A GREENER JEAN After decades of being one of fashion’s harshest abusers on the planet, the denim world is suddenly embracing sustainability as a perfect fit.

BY CHRISTOPHER BLOMQUIST

P

Swonne is one of the many denim companies that is devoted to sustainability.

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erhaps there’s no better proof that the denim sector has increasingly been adding a second color – “green” – to its massive and far-reaching sea of blue than the lookbook of Swonne, a brand new contemporary men’s denim-based fashion line that officially launched at New York Fashion Week: Men’s last month. In the opening notes, founder and designer Katie Golinczak ticks the usual boxes and shares the general aesthetic of her newborn label, her inspiration for the first collection (Mods and Rockers) and discusses her choices of fabrics, colors, silhouettes and style names. It’s pretty much an A-plus example of PR 101 that provides buyers and editors with all the information they usually would need to know.

But, since this is 2018, Golinczak’s description does not end there. There is a final paragraph, titled “Ecology and Sustainability” in which she reveals that she sources her fabrics from the famous Japanese mill Kurabo, “the first company to make denim in Japan that is quantifiably committed to a sustainable denim production process.”

These days, that is a major selling point, and Golinczak knows it. “I think sustainability is very important,” she explained over the din of her launch party. “A lot of brands are doing it and we have to buy it and save the planet.” This is precisely why her clothing will feature special hangtags produced in cooperation with Kurabo heralding the cleaner fabric production and why she’ll be training sales staff on the matter and featuring it prominently on Swonne’s website.

Denim creation has been blasted as environmentally destructive industry and it’s easy to see why. Denim is made from cotton, an extremely thirsty crop that can consume up to 20,000 liters of water per kilogram according to the environmental watchdog organization WWF, and then it is traditionally dyed, treated and washed using thousands of more liters of water as well as chemicals. (And that is not even mentioning harmful old-fashioned finishing techniques that are rapidly falling out of favor such as sandblasting and stonewashing.)

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{ DENIM REPORT }

But as advances are made seemingly daily and every link in the truth and keep their minds open to spot the real efforts.”

Even mass-market companies such as Wrangler are getting in the denim supply chain becomes more cognizant of the need to get aboard the sustainability and transparency train, this move- on the sustainability game in other ways. In addition to finishing ment is transforming rapidly from a business trend to a must-do. more than 50 percent of its jeans in facilities that use recycled As Andrew Olah, the founder of Kingpins Transformers, a bian- wastewater, the VF Corp–owned brand is working hand-in-hand nual conference held in Europe and New York that focuses on with cotton farmers to make their soil more fertile and thus rethe challenges and solutions facing the denim industry, recently duce the need for added water and chemicals.

“Wrangler’s role has been to advocate for the use of three key noted: “Today, most brands aren’t held accountable for their prodpractices: conservation tillage, cover crops uct components. But that’s going to change. and complex rotation,” says Roian Atwood, Companies that think transparency is just a “Companies that the brand’s director of sustainability. “We buzzword with no bite are likely to be eaten have partnered with five growers in five difalive when it does.” think transparency ferent states and, just earlier this month, we Still, both the denim mills themselves is just a buzzword announced the release of 125 cotton growing and the jeanswear brands they supply are software licenses that will help even more boasting about the increase in significant with no bite are growers track, measure, and report out on sustainable steps. Water and chemical relikely to be eaten their progress using these key land stewardduction, which are among the top concerns in the industry, have been addressed by a alive when it does.” ship practices.”

“It’s also important to us that our consummultitude of companies. For example, Swiss ANDREW OLAH, ers don’t have to choose between having afchemical company Archroma, which has KINGPINS TRANSFORMERS fordable, durable clothing and sustainability,” launched its Denisol range of pre-reduced liquid indigo as well as Advanced Denim, a dyeing technology that he adds. “Oftentimes sustainability efforts actually save money, saves up to 92 percent of water, 87 percent in cotton waste and 30 but when greener practices do negatively affect prices, we work concurrently to develop the partnerships or processes for sustainpercent in energy.

Likewise, Global Denim, a denim manufacturer and sup- ability and to make sure that they’ll eventually be scalable to a plier with its own state-of-the art facility (with an onsite water level where consumers don’t have to pay more.”

Scott Morrison, founder and owner of the jeanswear brand recycling facility) in Puebla, Mexico that produces fabric for such well-known clients as Levi’s, Joe’s Jeans and True Religion among 3x1, which wholesales and sells directly from its store in SoHo in others, recently launched Ecolojean, a dyeing process with zero Manhattan, has recently incorporated some greener fabrics from water discharge, and Ecoloop, a new fabric group made from Lenzing in his mix. Still, he believes the denim sector still has a way to go in its quest for sustainability. “It’s certainly happening post-consumer waste and denim scraps.

“Both stand with the same price,” notes Global Denim’s cre- on a global scale, and companies like Lenzing, Candiani, Tonello ative director Annat Finkler, who also warns that so-called trans- and Jeanologia are pioneering new products and systems to help parency must truly be transparent. “We don’t increase pricing for our industry make up a lot of lost ground and time,” he says. “That sustainability as we believe it is something that has to be done for said, the size of the denim world’s industrial complex is massive, the world in order to save and preserve it, not something to use as and it’s going to take some time to get things in order. It’s importa branding technique and take advantage of. It’s very important to ant that brands, suppliers, and ultimately, consumers, embrace notice that many brands do, and it’s the most modern marketing the future. There’s no question we’re all heading that direction. and advertising hook, so we must encourage people to search for And that’s a good thing.” l Global Denim, which produces fabrics for Levi’s and True Religion, has a state-of-the-art faciltiy in Mexico, complete with its own water recycling facility.

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{ DENIM REPORT }

MAVI MOVES FORWARD Ersin Akarlilar and Arkun Durmaz respond to the challenges of going public.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

L

ong one of the most popular names in denim, Mavi is not only continuing to be a major player in this market, but it recently became a publicly-owned company.

MR recently spoke to chairman Ersin Akarlilar and Arkun Durmaz, president of Mavi North America, about the brand’s vision, the challenges of being a public company, and how denim retailers can jump-start sales.

What do you see as your key advantages over competing denim manufacturers?

Ersin: We’re known for our fit, quality and performance; but our secret weapons are distribution, service and speed to market. We work with a handful of mills and can turn very quickly.. The way we set up our operations, logistics and supply chain facilitates instant replenishment, a challenge when you’re dealing with 25 to 30 sizes in core product. We spend considerable time with our mill partners, developing new and improved fabrics, focusing on not just on the look and feel of the fabric but on how the fabric performs and wears. This is important to us (especially since we also produce jeans for many of the luxury clothing brands that have added a denim component) and could take several seasons to perfect; from that point on, the design and production processes move relatively quickly. .

Why is this so important?

Ersin: We view EDI as a promise to our stores, both wholesale and retail. Fast turn, being never out of stock—we do that better than others.

How many stores do you have?

Ersin: We have more than 400 of our own stores internationally; we just opened a gorgeous 10,000 square foot store near the airport in Istanbul.

How is business at present? Where’s the excitement?

Arkun: I would say the real growth at the moment is in

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Fast Facts Went public: June 2018 Company Volume: about $500 million (20% international, 80% Turkey) Units sold annually: 8.9 million Stores: 426 Employees: 3,600 Strengths: Sourcing, branding, EDI Average retail for Mavi: $100 Average retail for 34 Heritage: under $200 Average growth rate: 15% annually

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{ DENIM REPORT } non-denim bottoms: wool blends, corduroy, linen stretch, great twills mixed with Modal or Tencel, soft, light, beautiful innovative fabrics and seasonal colors that have become a big part of our presentation in recent seasons. If we’re talking pure denim, the excitement is the major advances in technology. Since 2008 when ‘jeggings’ came on the scene for women, denim fabrics have changed tremendously: they now feature incredible stretch and memory, often with the look and feel of authentic denim. As for models, it’s still the slim (but not tight) five pocket…

So you’re not showing the oversized bottoms we see on the runways?

Arkun: Unfortunately, the men’s market does not move all that quickly. We can change maybe a quarter of an inch a year, so it will be awhile before we’re showing those huge slouchy styles.

but always consistently and profitably. Also, we don’t feel pressure because our growth rate has always averaged about 25 percent a year (15 percent if you consider the 10 percent inflation rate of Turkish currency). We’ve been hitting this growth rate for more than a decade so I don’t see why it won’t continue.

How strong is your online business?

Ersin: It’s still a very small percentage of our total sales: maybe 3 percent of global sales and mid- to high single digits in the U.S. We’re investing in online and we want it to grow, but we’re very careful since we work in multiple channels and we want to make sure the playing ground is level and the competition is fair. It will be a step-by-step process; we’re diligent about that.

Controlled growth is key.

How problematic is it that so many major stores are closing doors?

Let’s talk a bit about your sexy brand image: how do you market it?

Ersin: Our business is international, but our marketing is both global and local.

For international ads and billboards, we use world-class models and world-class photographers, whether it’s for Turkey or Russia or the U.S. (The guy we’re currently using is a supermodel; I’d say he is the Brad Pitt of Turkey.) But we back this up with local ads that more closely reflect the culture and lifestyle of each country.

Could you talk about your 34 Heritage business, and to what extent does this overlap with Mavi?

“The men’s market does not move all that quickly, so it will be awhile before we’re showing those slouchy runway styles.”

Ersin: I think it’s ultimately a good thing, especially in the U.S. which is still so overstored. If you look at the amount of retail square footage per person, the most recent figures I saw had the U.S. at 20-30 percent more than Canada, Australia at 20-30 percent less than Canada, while Europe is at half the U.S. and Turkey at not even a quarter of the U.S. So clearly, there are still too many stores in America.

What do you see as your greatest challenge as a company?

Ersin: Finding talent! The retail landscape is changing and our company evolves with it.

We’ve gone from a production company to a wholesale company to wholesale and retail.

We’ve gone from a family business to a publicly traded company. I’ve been with this same company for more than 25 years, but my job changes every three to four years. And most people don’t change easily. So I worry about how to keep the internal culture together with 3,600 employees. We’re a tightly knit group but it’s still 3, 600 people. So the challenge is both how to grow talent from within and also attract talent from outside.

I believe being a public company works to our advantage here.

ARKUN DURMAZ, PRESIDENT OF MAVI NORTH AMERICA

Ersin: We don’t see the brands as competing, since they’re different enough. We felt early on that men’s specialty stores were underserviced in terms of denim; our goal was to introduce a high-service, quality collection using beautiful fabrics to retail under $200 with margins in the high 50s/low 60s and instant replenishment. It’s been very successful for us, accounting for about 25-30 percent of our total sales in North America.

Do you have plans to roll out the 34 brand internationally?

Ersin: Not yet but soon, maybe as early as next year. We see considerable potential, especially in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Holland where it’s harder for men to find their sizing.

As a newly public company, to what extent are you feeling pressure to grow? To add more wholesale clients, more of your own stores, expand online?

Ersin: Of course, there’s always that pressure to grow when you’re a public company but it’s not a problem for us. Our attitude is that we love growth but not just for growth’s sake. We want to build a business that’s both profitable and consistent, not just for us but for our partners too. At times we’ll grow fast, sometimes slower,

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Final question: what can retailers be doing to jumpstart sales?

Ersin: They should encourage multiple sales. We all know how men shop for pants: once they find their preferred fit, they’re likely to buy that model in other colors and fabrics. It’s an easy add-on sale.

Arkun: Make sure customers have a great experience in-store versus what they get on their laptop. Our retailers are moving in that direction, offering food, drinks, friendship, great sellers, and other things that online can’t offer. Sales talent is in short supply but once you meet a great seller, you want to work with him again.

Specialty stores know this: it’s still their best weapon. l MR-Mag.com | AUGUST 2018 MR

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Even on a gloomy summer’s day by the ocean, today’s man can stand out from the crowds with a plethora of colorful options in sportswear, denim, and resortwear. From throwback 90s silhouettes, patterns, and materials, to innovative new technical fabrics, the future of menswear is bright.

MAKING

WAVES

BY STEPHEN GARNER PHOTOGRAPHY MENELIK PURYEAR GROOMING BEN TERRY Spread VERSACE

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On Left: MR TURK Right: DSQUARED2

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Jacket, Shorts, Belt DIESEL Shoes NOAH WAXMAN

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On Left: Shirt ONIA Bottom VILEBREQUIN On Right: Shirt SATURDAYS NYC Shorts 2(X)IST

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On Left: Shorts: PARKE & RONEN On Right: Shirt DAVID HART Shorts KATAMA

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TODD SNYDER

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Sweater, Jacket, Jeans JOHN ELLIOTT Bag MSGM x EASTPAK Shoes, Sunglasses VERSACE

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On Left: Shirt ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA Shorts ORLEBAR BROWN On Right: Sweater MICHAEL KORS Shorts ONIA

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{ THE LAST WORD }

Don’t Blame

AMAZON

Amazon’s growth inspires change throughout the industry, a blessing in disguise.

BY FRED ROSENFELD

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HEN MY NON-INDUSTRY FRIENDS TALK TO ME ABOUT RETAIL, they

always ask “So who can compete with Amazon?”

I don’t think it’s all that simple. Certainly Amazon is a huge disrupter and in fact the largest retailer of apparel in the country. Still, I think to conventional stores, Amazon is both the canary in the coal mine and a convenient excuse: at the same time Amazon made its big moves, department stores exhibited just terrible execution, virtually handing over the business.

Department store merchandise was poor. In many cases, the merchants themselves disappeared. Their defense against a changing industry was to play it safe and avoid risk, which translated to the consumer as just plain boring. Without any excitement, consumers opted for convenience.

Amazon’s growth highlighted long-simmering problems in our industry. We have far too many stores. We have far too many shopping centers.

As same store sales declined, stores responded by doubling down on the very basics that Amazon pushed. Bottom line: business has been bad because retailers have been bad. Pretty simple.

So now, with some of these problems being addressed, business is improving for some, but

not all. To oversimplify: the more successful stores have become better merchants and the consumer is responding. I’ve always thought that if a company goes away and nobody cares, then the company should not have existed. We’ve lost numerous major stores and we’re on deathwatch for others yet the consumer hasn’t blinked.

Those stores whose strategy was to capitalize on the failure of others are finding that idea not working. With so many alternative ways for consumers to spend money, a missing apparel store does not automatically mean more business for other apparel stores. Those who address this changing dynamic with more promotions are failing. Yet we laud attempts to gain more from our clearance, rather than ways to limit the clearance.

I believe Macy’s is now a poster child for smart moves by an imperiled store. Closing profitable but not long-term strategic locations.

Doubling down on the omni-channel concept.

Expanding buy-online, pickup in-store. Buying small start-ups and testing those concepts in the stores. Expanding exclusive merchandise. Cutting bureaucracy. Hiring digital marketing executives.

Others too are thinking strategically. Kohl’s is actually partnering with Amazon in a limited way and testing totally different products in their outsized formats. Wal-Mart is on a buying spree of smaller companies to test new concepts. (Who would have imagined that Wal-Mart would buy a company that sells $120 khakis?) Both Abercrombie and American Eagle are back to growing with almost 30 percent of their business transacted online while Marmaxx, Ross and Burlington are doing well with virtually no internet presence.

Maybe Amazon’s canary should not be viewed as a death knell but instead an opportunity to change the way we do business and let fresh air into our world. Thank you Amazon! l Fred Rosenfeld is an industry consultant and can be reached at frosenfeld@comcast.net.

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Fall/ Winter 2018 Collection

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