2019 MR DEPARTMENT STORE FASHION AMBASSADOR
THE REAL DEAL
It’s not just his personal style but more his candor, enthusiasm and generous spirit that make Durand Guion so well-loved in the menswear community. By Karen Alberg Grossman a career in fashion merchandising. Studying How many of us are lucky enough to have a business in college, Guion realized soon job we still love after 30 years? Macy’s VP/ enough this was not his passion so he took fashion director Durand Guion feels truly some time off. Although an ill-advised move blessed to engage in his passion every day. according to his parents, Guion now maintains He has no idea how many vendors he shops that taking that break to realign his priorities on a regular basis (it’s surely hundreds) but was one of his best decisions ever. “I needed somehow, he manages to visit even small that moment to gain clarity and focus,” he exemerging brands, not just for their sales poplains. “I ultimately went back to school for an tential at Macy’s but also to assist them with AA degree in fashion merchandising and then suggestions. For this, he claims no bragging rights. “It’s part of the ministry,” he explains. “And why not take a few minutes to give someone guidance? You never know Story: Experiential boutiques in 36 doors, product changes every 2-3 months Backstage: Off-price fashion in 173 doors, opening when or where you might find 50 more this year Online vendor direct: 700 vendors participate, will be 1,000 end of year The Market at Macy’s: A juried mini-lease that next great thing.” set-up where emerging brands can showcase exciting goods Virtual and Augmented Reality: In 80+ doors, including AR-enhanced Born and raised in San mirrors in beauty departments and apps to show Macy’s furniture in your own home Francisco where he lived until
RECENT BOLD MOVES AT MACY'S
Macy’s moved him to NYC ten years ago, Guion describes a happy childhood. “I’m from a small family: my mom (a teacher), dad (a chef) and one brother (a tech recruiter). My dad cooked dinners Mondays through Thursdays (which explains my great appreciation for food); my mom took over on weekends. From a fashion perspective, my biggest influence was my paternal grandmother. She was a single African-American woman from the South who moved to San Francisco in the late 1940s. A fabulous dresser with an amazing sense of style, she’d spend money on clothes that was unheard of for a woman in her situation. So I thank my grandma, Gracie Mae, for my love for fashion!” He may have inherited the gene, but it was talent combined with luck that propelled
a BA in speech and communication. I needed that break to understand I’d been following a path that wasn’t me.” His career track at Macy’s was also a bit fortuitous. Having worked retail all through high school and college, Guion considered applying to Macy’s a logical move. But not realizing that he needed to go through a formal college recruitment process and apply well in advance, Guion just showed up at the store and asked to join the executive training program. They told him those spots were filled long ago so he now had to prove himself as a selling supervisor. Letting go of his frustration, he took the job, put his heart into it and proved himself to be a star seller, supervisor and soon manager.
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6/24/19 9:55 AM