MR Magazine July 2025

REIMAGINED

Dallas Men’s Show THE

The Only Life + Style Market

Experience the Reimagined Dallas Men’s Show this July, featuring a new venue for temporary exhibitors, three days of inspiring events, and legendary Texas hospitality. Enjoy complimentary amenities, including convenient parking, discounted hotel rates, campus and hotel shuttles, delicious lunches, on-site hospitalities, curated networking, dynamic discussions, and entry to the signature Dallas Men’s Show party.

PREVIEW DAY: JULY 25, 2025 | NOON – 6PM JULY 26 - 28, 2025

Permanent Showrooms: World Trade Center

Temporary Exhibits: Market Hall

Scan to Pre-Register

CONGRATULATIONS TO KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN & ALL THE MR AWARDS HONOREES

Collars and Co Mattarazi Uomo

Luchiano Visconti

Novara Fashion

CONGRATULATIONS TO JIM VON MAUR, JIAN DELEON, KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN, THE MITCHELL FAMILY AND THE OTHER DESERVING HONOREES

THE MENSWEAR INDUSTRY’S MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

MANAGING EDITOR JOHN RUSSEL JONES

EDITOR BRETT EDWARD STOUT

WEB & CONTENT

ART DIRECTOR MIKE STEVEN FRANCOIS

GROUP PUBLISHER LIZETTE CHIN

PUBLISHER CHARLES GARONE

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

LAURIE GUPTILL / FERN MESHULAM / KATHY WENZLER

MARKETING & PRODUCTION SPECIALIST

CATHERINE ROSARIO

OFFICE MANAGER

MARIA MARTUCCI

ACCOUNTING

KASIE CARLETON / URZULA JANECZKO / BRUCE LIBERMAN

ADVISORY BOARD

NORDSTROM TINA ANIVERSARIO

STITCHED SAM GLASER

NO CHASER/GUERREISMS KARL-EDWIN GUERRE

BLACK DOG 8 SHOWROOM KATIE LIU & MICHAEL KREIMAN

HALLS ALAN LEINEN

BLACKS RETAIL STEVE PRUITT

WAINSCOT MEDIA

CHAIRMAN CARROLL V. DOWDEN

PRESIDENT & CEO MARK DOWDEN

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS LIZETTE CHIN / RITA GUARNA

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER/VICE PRESIDENT STEVEN RESNICK

VICE PRESIDENTS

NIGEL EDELSHAIN / THOMAS FLANNERY

NOELLE HEFFERNAN / MARIA REGAN

CORPORATE OFFICE

The Wisdom of MENSWEAR

What a pleasure it is in our 18th year of MR Awards to recognize some of our industry’s brightest stars. Especially at a time when business and politics seem far from normal, how comforting to exchange ideas on what it means to be a merchant, designer, manufacturer, rep or dealmaker in 2025. Surely, we can all learn valuable lessons-- about business, about life—from each of our 2025 honorees.

To Alan Ellinger, our Lifetime Achievement award winner and industry deal maker, it’s not the size of the deal that matters but rather its emotional impact on the people involved. He singles out one memorable transaction: “What made it so meaningful to me is the number of jobs we saved, with no employees realizing how close they’d come to losing their jobs right before Christmas.”

At Mitchells, this year’s Specialty Store of the Year, co-CEOs Bob and Russ Mitchell speak to the challenge of integrating well-established, family-owned stores, each with its own unique culture, into their growing organization. Read why Russ and Bob decided not to impose the Mitchells store name or compensation plan on newly acquired stores. “We didn’t want to imply that we have all the answers,” says Russ, “so we decided

that having two different pay systems is not tragic… And why should loyal employees who’ve worked hard to build Wilkes Bashford or Marios or Stanley Korshak suddenly find themselves at a store called Mitchells?” Placing employees before ego, what a concept!

Jim Von Maur, President and CEO of Von Maur’s 40+ stores and our Department Store of the Year, attributes his company’s recent growth to buyers and sellers who are given the authority to make their own decisions. What’s more, Jim’s strong belief in renovating older stores has led to beautiful, open selling floors with a broad mix of in-demand product. As Ron Balinsky of Ballin explains Von Maur’s success, “Their expansion has been gradual and controlled, with a maintained focus on each individual market.” A wise strategy well executed.

Our Heritage Award goes to Ken Ohashi, CEO of Brooks Brothers, who oversees a $9 billion dollar business, with 140 stores across the U.S. including a beautiful new 10,000 square foot NYC flagship. Creating clothes that respect the Brooks Brothers’ heritage but with a decidedly modern flair is a challenge that Ken and Creative Director Michael Bastian are fearlessly embracing with much success. “Surprise and Delight”—a worthy goal indeed.

Antonio Paone at Kiton, our Luxury Brand of the Year, has continued many of the traditions established by his uncle, Kiton founder Ciro Paone. The meticulous hand craftsmanship that goes into their product, their acclaimed Neapolitan shoulder, their esteemed school for future tailors, their close relationships with top U.S. retailers (thank you Massimo Bizzocchi!) has kept the Kiton marque front and center in the luxury menswear world.

Fashion Futurist Jian Deleon, intrepid men’s fashion director at Nordstrom, is adding just the right amount of edginess and cool to Nordstrom’s menswear mix, encouraging shoppers to leave their comfort zones, if only a bit. A journalist and storyteller, Jian’s goal is to create a “discovery platform” at Nordstrom, broadening assortments and finding collaborations that result in something entirely new.

Our 2025 Brand Builder award goes to the Triluxe team, Rian, Dennis and Al, a group of seasoned fashion execs whose talents cover the spectrum. Read how the original trio (plus Tom Tarricone) has evolved over the years and how, by protecting their brands and controlling their distribution, has managed to prosper in a changing market.

As for me, although I hardly consider myself a “Legend,” I feel honored to be recognized for my life work: analyzing menswear business and showcasing the dreams of the talented merchants and manufacturers who make it happen. To be recognized for doing a job I love in front of people I’ve come to love over the past 35 years truly warms my heart. Thanks to my core team—Lizette, John, and Charles—for making me look smarter than I am. And thanks to so many merchants and manufacturers who have become true friends over the years.

Finally, a well-deserved posthumous People’s Choice award goes to the family of Raffi Shaya. Although Raffi left this world two years ago, his energy, creativity, optimism and charm remain ever present. Fortunately, the business lives on through his wife and daughters, who proudly continue his legacy. May we all take inspiration from Raffi’s positive outlook on life, encouraging us to live fully and joyfully, in good times and bad. L’chaim!

Congratulates All of the 2025 Honorees

MERCHANT OF THE YEAR - SPECIALTY STORE AWARD

BOB MITCHELL, RUSS MITCHELL, CO-CEOS, AND FAMILY | MITCHELLS STORES

MERCHANT OF THE YEAR - DEPARTMENT STORE AWARD

JIM VON MAUR | CEO | VON MAUR

FASHION FUTURIST AWARD

JIAN DELEON, MEN’S FASHION DIRECTOR | NORDSTROM

HERITAGE AWARD

KEN OHASHI, CEO | BROOKS BROTHERS

LUXURY BRAND OF THE YEAR AWARD

ANTONIO PAONE, US PRESIDENT | KITON

BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR AWARD

RIAN GARDINER, AL ISRAEL, DENNIS SARTORI, CO-FOUNDERS | TRILUXE

IN MEMORIAM: PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

RAFFI SHAYA, CEO | RAFFI

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ALLAN ELLINGER, SENIOR MANAGING PARTNER | MMG ADVISORS

PLUS:

THE LEGEND AWARD

A VERY SPEICAL HONOR, PRESENTED TO MR MAGAZINE’S BELOVED INDUSTRY ICON: KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN | CO-FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | MR MAGAZINE

AWARDS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LEGENDARY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN AS WELL AS TO ALL OF THIS EVENING’S DISTINGUISHED HONOREES!

▀ A strong work ethic and solid core values have helped propel Mitchell Stores to retail fame. But don’t assume it’s been easy!

Presenting the Mitchells: L to R, Andrew, Scott, Lyle, Bob, Dana, Russ,Chris, and Tyler.

2025 SPECIALTY STORE OF THE YEAR

MITCHELL STORES

A WELL-OILED MACHINE

By Karen Alberg Grossman

“We’ve

been lucky,” says Bob Mitchell, co-CEO of Mitchells’ nine luxury apparel and jewelry stores. “We’ve had a great run since COVID-19: 30 months of unbelievable growth!”

Those who know the Mitchell family would surely wager that luck has had little to do with it. Instead, an amazing work ethic, talented associates, world-class brands, a focus on core values, and the judicious use of technology have helped propel Mitchell Stores to now national acclaim. By most accounts, the family has already reached its ambitious goal of running the best luxury specialty stores on the planet. But clearly, they’re not done yet!

That said, it seems rather unlucky that Mitchell’s most recent acquisition of the Stanley Korshak emporium in Dallas, a transaction long in the works, coincided with our government’s announcement of steep tariffs, causing erratic stock market activity and fears of recession. “The world isn’t falling apart just yet,” Bob assures me. “We’ve had strong increases since COVID-19 and we’re still growing. Korshak was our second biggest investment in the last 20 years (the largest was Greenwich in 2000). We’ve felt for a long time that this legendary Dallas store could be part of our future.” Adds co-CEO Russ Mitchell, “For similar reasons, we recently built a new Palo Alto store. With psychographics similar to Connecticut, Palo Alto seemed a great opportunity for growth. That said, we’re not looking to be a 50-store operation. It’s about adding the right stores at the right time, without getting overextended.

“The way we look at it,” Russ continues, “we’ve seen lots of crises in our lifetime: 9/11, the internet threatening in-store sales, financial slowdowns, recessions, COVID closings, casualization—all were expected to kill the business, yet none did. So spending your time worrying makes little sense. What does make sense is not taking on a lot of debt, so you have the flexibility to ignore all the noise out there. We’ve gotten pretty good at this business, so even if we’re feeling a little less confident now than we did a year ago, we still believe in the fundamentals. We believe that relationships drive the business, and that the core habits of American shoppers are enduring. We’re banking on customers still wanting to shop in local stores with people they know and trust. Yes, there will always be

hiccups, but we have tremendous confidence in the future.”

Bob and Russ list several good reasons for their confidence. 1.Many of today’s world class brands are now Mitchell’s biggest brands; 2.Coming out of COVID, consumers showed a definite affinity for shopping local and in-store; and 3.While most luxury department stores these days have high employee turnover, Mitchells has sales associates with tenure. Says Russ, “We have sellers who’ve taken care of two and three generations in the same family. It’s a huge advantage. Some have been with us for 20, 30, and 40 years. Four have worked here for more than 50; Steve in our Long Island store just celebrated 55.”

“Although we have 500 employees in our nine stores, we’re actually a very lean operation,” Bob points out. “We’d rather have fewer sales associates doing more business than more sellers doing less. The same principle applies to brands: we’d rather have fewer vendors to whom we can be more important. We want to be a loyal partner to our brands, and we expect the same from them.”

For this reason, Bob admits some frustration when powerful brands with their own stores don’t recognize the role of multi-brand shops. “As more luxury brands shift business to their own outlets, they’re not getting a clear picture of how their product performs against other great brands. In a multi-brand store, they can measure their product’s strength against the best in the world.

“We’re not against single brand stores: we’d rather compete with them than with off-price luxury outlets. But I wish more brands would recognize the value of what we bring to the table. We nurture their brand, we’re guardians of their brand, we have great associates representing their brand. All that, and we sell 70 percent of their product at regular price!”

Asked what else they need from the market, Russ responds without hesitation. “We’re always looking for new product, new ideas, new reasons for customers to buy. Don’t ask me to describe it; we’re not designers. Our job is to search the world for the best product innovators. We have many; we’d love to have more!”

As I sit and chat with 12 family members from three generations of Mitchells, it occurs to me how unique this family is. There’s no PR person monitoring our interview to ensure everyone sticks to a pre-ordained script. No requests to review the feature before it gets published. No pretense. Much humility. In fact, Russ and Bob are surprisingly honest about the struggles they experience as a family business. Says Bob, “Russ and I have been running the business since 2000, but I doubt we’d be here without our family business advisors. We spend a lot of time with them, with a goal to keep our ownership group united. When it comes to decision-making, we don’t rely on votes. With every new idea, we either build consensus, or we don’t move forward. It takes a lot of hard work and a good deal of professional help to manage a family business. Thank goodness the joys and successes far outweigh the challenges.”

It also takes compromise, as the Mitchells learned first-hand when sellers from their recently acquired stores were upset about a possible switch to the Mitchell compensation plan. In the end, they decided to let their new stores keep the plans they were used to. As Russ explains it, “We didn’t want to start out implying that we have all the answers in Connecticut, so we decided that having two different pay systems is not the end of the world. Yes, there’s some management complexity, but once we inherit a longstanding culture, going in and changing it just because we think we have a better system is a bad idea.

“We also think it’s a bad idea to change all the store names to Mitchells. Although it’s harder for us to manage and market five different names, customers overwhelmingly want to shop in their home store. And why should loyal employees who’ve worked hard to build a successful Wilkes Bashford or Marios or Stanley Korshak have to suddenly work in a store called Mitchells? Asking them to accept both a new store name and a new compensation plan is not a very welcoming message.”

“I’m convinced that both types of compensation plans can work,” Bob maintains, adding that the company has grown considerably by inheriting various store cultures.

Russ addresses a common misperception about Mitchells: “Because we’ve embraced technology, people think we focus mostly on the data. This is far from truth. We focus on the things that matter: shared values, customer service, inventory management, carrying the right brands, building beautiful stores, creating special experiences, devising an e-com strategy. E-com represents just seven percent of our total volume, but we do make decisions based on data, on what customer behavior is telling us. History has not been kind to businesses that ignore the numbers.”

Russ estimates that analyzing data occupies about half his working hours. “I’m in every meeting going over every detail, on a level that probably makes no sense. But I still believe that we’ll win or lose at the detail level, that to run a successful business, you need to be part of the execution. That said, our back-office systems are exceptional, allowing us to make better decisions. We use technology to enhance relationships, to drive business into the stores, and to amass the right inventory in the stores. A few years ago, we hired a data scientist. We now have two data experts whose whole job is looking at the data in an unemotional way. We also have six full-time people who write code all day. All the technology in our stores is our own. Sellers love using the ‘Mitch-app’ to manage inventory on their phones. This allows our top sellers to take care of more clients, one of our key objectives.”

“Our sellers now have the best selection of luxury anywhere in the U.S.,” Bob explains. “Instead of seven pieces of a sport coat, we’re now buying 30-80 units. Because our top sellers run their business by appointment, they can leverage inventory from nine stores to pull together the best possible assortment by size, model, or pricepoint. We’re not interested in chasing pure e-commerce; instead, we use technology to maximize in-person selling.”

Bob takes issue with the notion that Mitchells is adding stores to give jobs to family members. “The reason we add stores is because we believe a growing business is healthy for everyone: our associates, our vendor partners, our clients. Each time we add a store, our clients have access to more merchandise. As prices go up, small stores struggle to have a broad enough selection. We’ve had to become very nimble to sell inventory that’s not in the store. But having a deeper selection for high-end customers has been a critical part of our success.”

I ask these two Gen 3 CEOs what they’ve learned from Gen 2. Says Bob,“Our dad Jack Mitchell has always modeled People First, and the drive to keep growing, be it opening more stores, adding more women’s fashion, or writing more books. Bill has transferred to us his two strong beliefs: 1)That anything we require of our employees, we also do ourselves; and 2)Always think customers first.”

Russ adds a lesson learned from Linda Mitchell. “I inherited from our

Bill, Linda, and Jack Mitchell

mom a healthy love for analytics—at a very deep level of detail. I’m sure I spend far too much of my time analyzing. As it turns out, Bob’s son Lyle, who joined the business two years ago, is as thoroughly analytical as we are. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.

“MOST OF OUR EVENTS INVOLVE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.”

— Andrew Mitchell, Marketing Maven

“For sure, marketing has shifted to digital over the years,” says Andrew Mitchell, who heads up a 12-person marketing team for all Mitchell Stores. “We still produce our seasonal books in print (and we still get enormous feedback from these fashion tomes) but these days, we need to be touching consumers at multiple points. It used to be that a few gold-standard books reached everyone, but there’s no silver bullet anymore. We need to be having regular conversations with our customers in print and digital, via our sellers and via special events. We need to blend and manage all these communication vehicles.”

Andrew explains that Mitchells has a segment of customers who are constantly shopping, and always online. “Then there are those who shop mostly for occasions or if they’ve lost or gained weight. We need to make

“WE DON’T WANT TO PLAY IT TOO SAFE, BUT WE DON’T WANT TO BET THE FARM EITHER…”

— Tyler Mitchell

Tyler Mitchell, son of Bill and Sue, is now running the menswear business at Richards in Greenwich. Definitely his father’s son, Tyler is very much Mr. Hospitality, whether serving dinner guests at his award-winning converted farmhouse in Greenwich or simply showing clients around the store.

He describes the toughest part of his job as the family dynamics. “We’re dealing with very sensitive issues like who’s responsible for what, who’s getting paid for what, who’s idea gets used, who’s in charge,.... We’re all very different but we face the same challenges and fortunately, we seem to be working through them.”

With tariff talk creating much uncertainty around the world, Tyler shares a quote he recently read somewhere: “Things that never happen seem to be happening a lot these days. But we remain positive. We plan to stay the course without getting too aggressive or too defensive. We don’t want to play it too safe, but we don’t want to bet the farm either.”

What has he learned from working with Jack and Bill? “I’ve learned from both my uncle and my dad to lead by example—the whole player/

BOB MITCHELL “”

E-com is just seven percent of our volume; we use technology to keep the business personal.

sure that when these occasional customers are ready, Mitchells is top of mind and easy to access. We structure things so that our sellers and our inventory are readily available when and where customers want to shop.”

In addition to meeting customers in their new markets, Andrew’s favorite part of the job is planning special events, be they small intimate dinners with a celebrity chef or 600-700 people at a Pink Aid fashion show with proceeds going to fighting breast cancer. (Mitchells is proud to have helped found this wonderful charity that provides support, critical resources and emergency financial assistance to underserved breast cancer patients and their families.)

Andrew describes a recent event celebrating the opening of their new Palo Alto store. “It was incredible, with magicians, a poetry reader, and many surprises. People were talking about it on social media for weeks after. Since I no longer have the budget to bring in Aretha Franklin, I had to get creative.”

In fact, most of Mitchells’ events involve giving back to the community, as first modeled by Mitchells’ founders Ed and Norma, followed by Jack and Linda, Bill and Sue. “We’re now into our fourth generation and Giving Back continues to define us,” says Andrew, with well-deserved pride.

coach thing. I’ve learned to be on the selling floor as often as possible, in the trenches with the team. I’ve learned it’s not do-as-I-say but do-as-I-do. Show up, be on time, look the part. I truly believe that identifying our core values and then committing to live those values through the business is what makes it all work. It’s basic stuff, but powerful.

“And from my dad,” confides Tyler, “I’ve learned to get through challenging times with resiliency, perspective and grace. The young me was consumed by life’s craziness, but these days, things don’t derail me like they used to.”

“YES, WE SELL CLOTHES BUT OUR CALLING CARD IS FRIENDSHIP AND SERVICE.”

— Chris Mitchell

As a young man, Chris Mitchell swore he’d never join the family business. “I was a soccer player in college and then played professionally for a while. After that, I spent six years with NBC Sports but ultimately realized that these guys were on the road for most of their lives. I didn’t want that for my family. I grew up with my dad coming to every one of my soccer games and to practically all our activities—it was a real plus in our lives.”

Chris Mitchell’s current role at the company is two-fold: he’s store manager at Mitchells in Huntington and Cultural Officer at Stanley Korshak. Although this means being out of the store two weeks a month, he’s enjoying it! “It’s getting our new people to share our values, to understand over-the-top customer service and all the rest of it. I grew up around these values and I’ve learned that it takes a village. No one person can do it alone. I’ve also learned that our greatest strength as a family business is our diversity. Whether it’s the selling floor, the tailor shop, the marketing team, different types of people working together toward a common goal is truly powerful.”

Asked if he thinks his children will enter the business, Chris says it wouldn’t surprise him if they both did, eventually. At present, his son is starting a business school program at University of Tampa and his daughter, an NYU graduate in dance, has dreams to become a professional dancer.

Chris shares a lesson he’s learned about retailing: “Just because a guy is wealthy doesn’t mean he’ll spend big bucks on expensive clothing. It’s our job to show him that there’s value in buying the best; if he doesn’t see the benefits of wearing a $10,000 Kiton sport coat, he won’t buy one. But if he tries it once and gets compliments, we might have a customer for life.”

“IF I CAN PUT MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON SOMEONE’S PLATE, THE REWARDS WILL FOLLOW.”

— Scott Mitchell

From Greenwich Ct. to a Seattle/ Portland/San Francisco, Scott Mitchell has enjoyed every step of his journey. “For me, the best part is the people: our associates, customers, tailors, shipping, receiving… We’re in the people business and I love people so it’s a perfect match! I now spend two weeks a month in our beautiful new Palo Alto store, which has been exciting.”

Asked about lessons learned from his parents, Scott has three good ones: 1.Don’t take yourself too seriously, 2.Be grateful (nobody owes you anything), and 3.Love unconditionally. “While unconditional love sounds great, it’s hard in a family business where we often disagree, and our opinions don’t always seem to matter. But we all work hard to get along because if we don’t, the 500 people who work for us are in trouble.”

Scott refuses to end the interview without singing the praises of Russ and Bob. “They are both truly awesome! No one I know manages as many diverse teams with open doors, integrity, honesty, and so much hard work. And no one I know is getting the results they’re getting. I’m blessed to have these two fantastic bosses, and I guarantee my brothers feel the same way.”

“IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH HIGHLY MOTIVATED PEOPLE!”

— Dana Mitchell

We’re not locked in an ivory tower: we have 500 employees, yet Bob is on the selling floor every Saturday… Russ Mitchell “”

With a mission to maximize the productivity of every person on the West and Northwest teams, Scott has his work cut out for him. “If I can put more responsibility on someone’s plate, the rewards will follow; I’m sure of it.”

With 25 years of experience in retailing, starting out at Abercrombie, Eddie Bauer, and Ann Taylor, Scott applied for his west/northwest position with little trepidation. “I’m proud of having built the women’s business in Greenwich to its current level. My dream is to make a similar mark on the West Coast by helping the teams be their best. That’s what makes me happiest and if I can do that, the business will come.”

Another goal for Scott is adding more people across three pillars— customers, vendors, and sellers. “During my time at Richards, we didn’t hire a lot of people, maybe one or two associates a year. I’d like to build more relationships; I believe relationships are the essence of what drives business.”

Bob’s daughter Dana is one of only two G-4 family members in the business. Her interest in retail was piqued when she worked summers and holidays at the Westport store, but her real passion was education. So she took a job teaching third graders at Teach for America, in East New York and then in the Bronx. After four years in education, she decided to gain some fashion experience at Zegna and Bogner. “I miss working with kids,” she confides. “But the problem with education is that the more you advance in your career, the less time you’re given with the kids.” Fortunately, Dana has found a second calling on the selling floor of Mitchells, where she finds herself six days a week. “There’s something so special about seeing my grandma every day,” she shares. “Linda Mitchell is in the Westport store often, literally packing boxes. I feel so lucky to see her frequently, to feel her energy and commitment, and to imagine that I might follow in her footsteps as a merchant. That’s one of the best parts of my job!”

Dana also loves being part of the women’s team that’s now the top performing business at the company. “And our very small jewelry team has built the number one growth category in the store. It’s amazing what can happen with highly motivated people!”

“WHAT PAYS DIVIDENDS IS THINKING ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AT ALL TIMES.”

— Lyle Mitchell

He studied economics and played lacrosse at Wesleyan, then took a job in New York City. “I got pretty good at PowerPoint and Excel but didn’t love the healthcare sector,” says Bob’s son Lyle. He then took a job at Tapestry on the corporate finance team, and then studied management consulting at Columbia Business School. “I was hoping to learn to think

CONGRATULATIONS! THE FORUM GROUP

TO OUR FORUM FRIENDS, THE MITCHELL’S FAMILY, YOU ARE THE TRUE PILLAR OF SPECIALTY RETAIL... AND TO KAREN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR INDUSTRY!

strategically, but what I really wanted was to learn how to move a business forward. I needed real-world application for all this learning.”

Two years later, Lyle’s role at Mitchells is multi-faceted: projecting business at Korshak, looking into new M&A options, analyzing profitability by store, and devising special projects to increase efficiency and decrease costs. He works five days a week in the finance department of the Westport store and spends Saturdays on the selling floor (a tough job for a guy who’s admittedly somewhat shy).

In his trademark analytical manner, Lyle analyzes the pros and cons of working with family. “For better or worse, there’s a never-off button,” he observes. “On the plus side, as family in a family business, you have an intrinsic connection to the brand whereas at a large company, you might not have that.”

Asked what he’s learned from his two years at Mitchells, Lyle cites two important lessons. “We sometimes have to make decisions that don’t pay off immediately but that are important for long-term success. And we don’t want to be overly focused on the immediate bottom line: what really pays dividends is always thinking about the customer.”

Lyle admits that he sometimes goes too deep on solving problems, losing perspective on what he was hoping to resolve. “That’s what Russ is so great at: knowing how to allocate his time. Not all problems have to be 100 percent resolved; if it’s 80 percent resolved and leaves you moving in the right direction with less time invested, that’s a win.”

WORKING IT ALL AT ONCE!

Catching up with Menswear GMM Dan Farrington

How’s men’s business these days?

The men’s business continues to grow, although more moderately as of late. Tailored Clothing and Sportswear are leading recent growth and, year to date, all divisions are ahead. We’ve had a few misses with new brands, which is disappointing since we’re so selective in launching. I’m optimistic for Fall and Holiday as we have new things coming in and we’re set up to drive sales in key categories. In most stores, Sport Coats, Soft Jackets, and Overshirts are key volume businesses; we’ll have our best-ever mix of these. Fancier suits and dress shirts are rebounding and growing. I believe we have opportunity with better accessories for the holidays. Since we’ll run up against 2024’s best holiday ever, we’ll need to have it all working at once.

Now that your business is national, have you noticed differences in fashion preferences by region?

We see nuance among all the stores. We learned that early on with Greenwich and Westport, two Connecticut towns less than 20 miles apart. So many things factor into that – the market itself, the habits of sellers, climate, legacy, and especially top customers. We’re learning now what a big new wave of Palo Alto business will look like, and how we build on the great legacy in Dallas with Stanley Korshak.

What do you need from your vendors that you’re not getting?

With so many menswear vendors now focused on DTC and concession models, many have lost the competitive edge in their assortments. We try hard to keep

GEN 2 WISDOM

I was delighted to spend a little time catching up with Gen 2’s Jack, Linda, and Bill Mitchell, three of my all-time favorite people. I asked each what they now consider their greatest accomplishment. Jack responds without hesitation, “My greatest accomplishment is keeping the family together and keeping the business growing so that future generations will want to join. Another important contribution: In 1984, Bill and I realized that we needed outside help to deal with family dynamics, so we hired a family business consultant, one of our best-ever moves.”

Linda jumps in with two noteworthy achievements: “We’ve all learned how to back each other up when we need support. And from our children, I’ve learned to focus on people’s strengths rather than getting hung up on their weaknesses.”

Bill talks about how a dark period in his life turned into Recovery, the best gift of all. His main message: “Surround yourself with good people. I was tutored by my dad that it’s all about how we treat each other. And now, it warms my heart watching my sons and nephews treat people with utmost respect. I speak for myself and my wife Sue: a kind and caring family is surely our greatest accomplishment.”

developing product that fills important volume spaces. In some cases, we’ve had to source from alternative brands when a major vendor loses perspective on their sweet spot for multi-brand stores like us.

What do you see as the ramifications of tariff confusion?

With the situation still unfolding, we’re not yet fully in the consequential phase of the tariffs. I doubt we’ll see major shortages, but we’ll remain nimble to be able to handle whatever comes next.

As a 30-year Mitchells exec, what are you most excited about these days?

I know our men’s buyers have us assorted better than ever; going up against last year’s best-ever levels means exciting opportunity. We have several new brands coming in and have high hopes as usual. We’ll have an old friend back in Paul&Shark, a definite growth opportunity since it’s clean of big logos, and very sophisticated. The luxury brands have all jumped dramatically in price (pre-tariffs), opening up a huge lane for others. Canali continues to lead in that zone, but other mid-tier brands like Baldassari, Pescarolo, Fedeli, Fray, and Paul&Shark are poised to drive volume in our mid-tier.

What are you most worried about?

I choose not to worry too much. We are lean and strong and have weathered so many ups and downs over the years. I do think that the many vendors seeking DTC or concession model only will have the biggest impact on U.S. retail that I’ve ever seen. However, this opens up the opportunity for change and change in this business is a good thing.

Is there enough newness in the market today? No, never, but we also buy for strong sell-through. Retailers like us have to take the risks when we see

newness or else never complain when vendors stay safe. I think the burden is on us to bring in the New, and sometimes that means walking away from things that defined our past.

The best part of your job?

We buy for stores that have incredible selling cultures. They make our buying team look good and that, combined with discipline and a relentless focus on facts and data, has always been the key to our success. A great part of the buying job at Mitchells is the opportunity to experience so many different markets, getting to know the people we buy for and buy from. Working with our partners in great cities like Milan is certainly an experience.

The most difficult part?

It’s a big market with so many brands, making it impossible to look at everything, much less find the dollars to buy all we’d like to. Like many upscale retailers, we have several top brands to fuel, eating up dollars to test and explore.

“Higher prices at luxury brands opens a huge lane for mid-tier…”

▀ What makes Jian extraordinary... is his ability to be everywhere at once. —Tina Aniversario

2025 FASHION FUTURIST AWARD

JIAN DELEON

NORDSTROM

By John Russel Jones

As the Men’s Editorial and Fashion Director at Nordstrom, Jian DeLeon has firmly established himself as a leading figure in menswear culture. Esquire magazine compared him to other single-name figures, such as Madonna or Plato. Last year, his wedding—marrying Janice Szeto, a brand and product marketing manager at Uniqlo —was featured in Elle magazine. He’s regularly quoted in The New York Times, Highsnobiety, GQ, and even MR Magazine. Born in the Philippines and raised in Virginia, DeLeon was an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in electronic journalism at George Mason University. His first exposure to men’s fashion and retail was at an Urban Outfitters in Georgetown. As he says, “That’s where the fashion bug bit me.”

How did you get started in the industry?

Jian DeLeon: I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career. I’ve always taken the approach that I don’t know what I want to do, but I know what I can do. I started with journalism and telling stories, and that’s a lot of what I do now. I’ve always been fueled by a sense of curiosity. That’s what makes me a journalist. But that’s also what makes me a fashion director. Fashion doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There’s a mindset and reasons people wear fashion. I would say my career is based on a constant interrogation of “why we wear what we want to wear.” What motivates every person to get dressed?

As a kid, my dad was a big inspiration. I would steal his Polo Ralph Lauren pocket tees and his jackets. We grew up going to church, so getting dressed and putting on our best outfits was a ritual. Clothing mattered. Everybody wears clothes, and it was undoubtedly one of the most important decisions that I made every day, right? Some people might like to have a uniform and a wardrobe they don’t have to think about. I don’t, like George Costanza [the character from Seinfeld] said, “…happen to dress based on mood.” There are underlying factors; everybody’s influenced by something, right? Everyone has their reasons for getting dressed.

Tell us about your creative process.

JD: I started my career freelancing for Valet, then was hired by Noah Johnson [current editor-in-chief of Highsnobiety] to be the style editor at Complex during a formative time in the industry. In 2011, menswear blogs were becoming a thing. Brands like Gant Rugger were dressing

everyone from Kid Cudi to this local band in D.C. called U.S. Royalty. I realized that the menswear world had a genuine sense of community, and a younger generation was entering the business. When I interviewed for the job, there was a sort of garage sale event being hosted by WiedanKennedy creative director Phil Chang and chef Eddie Huang. I met James Harris there, who was working for PR agency BPMW, and Lawrence Schlossman: they would go on to establish the blog Throwing Fits. That was my introduction to the industry, and I was like I guess this is a microcosm of what my life will be like, with everyone hanging out and pretty chill.

In terms of my career and my creative process, I’ve always been inspired by the people who are around me. People ask who my style icons are: I’ve always been inspired by my friends and the way they dress. I appreciate street style, and that inspires me, but in terms of what validates the quote-unquote menswear conversation, I look at what my friends are wearing. What are they into? What gets them excited?

Who are your mentors?

JD: Working for David Fisher at Highsnobiety was great, and with Bradley Carbone, who was the lifestyle editor at Complex. I’ve been fortunate in that I’m the kid who was following people like Josh Peskowitz and Nick Wooster on Instagram, and now I get to talk to them regularly.

I’m also inspired by the newer generation of people, such as Denny Balmaceda, Mark Boutilier, and Miles Reza, who have taken menswear blogging and made it their own. I love the Throwing Fits guys, Jeremy Kirkland of Blamo (who is also a dear friend), and Sol Thompson and Michael Smith of Pair of Kings. It’s a younger generation of guys who are putting menswear into their own context.

Then, across the pond, it’s people like Bosse Myhr at Selfridges [Director Menswear, Womenswear, and Childrenswear], and seeing what Poggy the Man [Motofumi Kogi, former United Arrows creative director] has built in Japan. Again, I’ve been fortunate to have met these people who once inspired me through a streetwear photo, and now I get to talk to them regularly.

Of course, I have to mention Virgil Abloh. We recently had a meeting with our Fashion Scholarship Fund awardees, and many of them are Virgil Abloh scholars. Virgil was the first person I texted when I got this job. I said, ‘I’m here now, we should do something.’ It came to fruition after he passed, which was a bittersweet moment, but we were able to tie in

his exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum with the Nordstrom Scholarship Fund [Nordstrom served as the major sponsor of the 2022 exhibition Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, and was the lead sponsor of the opening event.] We had photographer Atiba Jefferson shoot the campaign at the Museum with two female skaters from The Skate Kitchen skating inside the museum. It was like we’re breaking the rules, but they were letting us…that’s part of the carte blanche that comes with Virgil’s legacy. It was one of the most touching “closed circles” of my time here.

Tell us about your role as a fashion director at Nordstrom. How did that evolve from being a writer?

JD: What really edifies me is that every time I’m on a call with Tina Aniversario [Nordstrom VP/DMM Mens], she describes me as “not your typical fashion director,” and that’s how I approach the job. It’s a combination of connecting the dots and connecting our customers to relevant product. Nordstrom can be the barometer of American menswear. It has such a broad filter that it can apply to help a guy solve his wardrobe problems. How do we best serve him with the best brands and make him feel current? The term I use frequently for our customers is

‘style-conscious and fashion-agnostic.’ The way I look at fashion is that I love it for myself, but I’m not the end customer. If you’re going to be a ski instructor, you have to be able to handle the black diamonds, but you also have to have empathy for the people who want to stick to the bunny slopes and be able to guide them all the way down the mountain. Some people want to stay at that level, while others want to go hardcore. That’s essentially about finding balance in our overall offering.

I work cross-functionally with our super-talented team. I have the opportunity to work with people like Rickie De Sole (VP Fashion Director), Sam Lobban (EVP/GMM Apparel & Designer), Tina Aniversario, our team of buyers, and our young customer team. Where I think I’ve been able to have impact is in bringing new vendors and shaping our assortment and by bringing in projects like the Carhartt WIP Coffee bar, and we have something coming up with Issey Miyake. Now, customers can grow within our offer. There was a gap when I first started shopping at Nordstrom. There’d be nothing between the Suit Supply partnership and “capital F” fashion, so for me it was essential to bring in brands like Merz B. Schwannen, Corridor, and Carhartt Work in Progress. We have these things that people start wearing when they are

Above: Jian and Janice celebrating their vows, Throwing Fits’ James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman, and Carhartt WIP Coffee at Nordstrom. Right: New Concepts@Nordstrom Concept 018: Virgil Abloh Securities campaign at the Brooklyn Museum.

“AI can help enhance a vision, but it can’t create one.”

young, and then they move on. We restarted our partnership with Polo Ralph Lauren, and now you can buy Double RL, here, too. I feel like I can go to any of our stores now, and whether it’s NN07 or Elwood, there’s stuff I want to buy. Employees tell me they are finding things they want to buy now. Part of it involves bringing digital experiences into a physical space. My barber grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and he said ‘I know it might not seem like much to you, but when I grew up, Nordstrom was the place where I would discover deep brands like Diesel, like when The Rail was in full effect. So, for me, it’s how do I bring that feeling back? How do we create a discovery platform? There’s a barometer of validation: if you want to look good right now, this assortment will get you there.

Retail may be in for some tough times given everything going on with tariffs. How do you see that playing out?

JD: My career has been characterized by interesting times. Was I born just in time for the collapse of media? I came back to Complex from GQ just in time for the pivot to video. That’s also when Complex Media launched First We Feast [now a freestanding online food and culture magazine and YouTube channel]. I attribute these challenges to making my contemporaries and me very adaptable and resilient. I wanted to be a menswear journalist in a recession. “That’s crazy, the economy is down.” However, I noticed that many people were buying Red Wing Boots. People were buying selvage denim. Frank Muytjens and Todd Snyder were doing great things at J. Crew. That’s exciting! I was fortunate to have a job during the recession, and I was able to buy things. My first job in D.C. was at PR Newswire, and I bought myself a pair of the Alden 403 “Indy” boots in black Chromexcel leather with my first tax return!

What do you think about collaborations? Are they played out? Or are they just a given now?

JD: Funny you should ask. I have a book coming out with Highsnobiety about collaborations. It covers the trajectory of how they started organically and became a marketing term. I write about how they began with Nike and the HTM project—which stood for Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker —which was a meeting of the minds for the best in innovation and creativity in a shoe. But even Tiffany and Rolex used to work together: in my other book, The New Luxury, I asked all of our participants what their first luxury purchase was, and Hiroshi Fujiwara, the ultimate collaborator, said he went to Tiffany after watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and bought leather-bound Tiffany notebooks. He saw that they were making pens with Montblanc and watches with Rolex. He asked why they wouldn’t just make them, and was told that Montblanc makes the best pens, and Rolex, the best watches, so if you can’t beat them, work with them and put your own signature on the product. It’s interesting that the genesis of these collaborations in sneakers and streetwear started in the luxury world. The Dior x Jordan deal, as monumental as it was, to me, was always going to happen. The future of partnerships is rooted in creating something that didn’t exist before.

How are you feeling about AI?

JD: Part of the job is giving in to my innate curiosity, which fuels this desire to explore new technologies and new platforms. I’m super into AI.

I use ChatGPT and Adobe Generative AI for generating backgrounds and editing images. I don’t think AI will replace, I think it will enhance. I highly recommend getting familiar with it. It’s like any tool: some people are going to use it in a way that’s better than others. AI can never understand nuance, so as creative people, we jeuje it. Retailers should use AI for social media posts. It can help create a signature. It’s great for light photo retouching. Again, AI can help enhance a vision, but it can’t create one.

Tell us about your personal style.

JD: It depends. I’ve been really into a suit lately. We’ve had a long partnership with Thom Browne, so I started buying a lot of it (once I was able to get my discount). It’s dangerous because I’m now the kid who works in the candy store! It’s about that intentional curiosity and wanting to wear fun things. It’s experimental. It’s about a sense of discovery. I just like to have fun with my clothes. As the fashion director, part of my job is not being afraid to step outside my comfort zone and try new things. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve developed a good sense of what I want to wear and how new things fit into my wardrobe. I’m still a guy at the end of the day, so I end up buying very similar things in different makes and different colors: another double-breasted blazer, or another pair of crepe-soled shoes.

The transition from working in media to retail has been eye-opening in many ways. As someone who is naturally curious, learning the business side has been the most exciting part of this job. It’s inspired a new skill set for me. People like Tina inspire me. I’ve seen how people have built lives at Nordstrom. Look at the MR Awards: families— and not just the Nordstrom family—and salespeople have been doing retail sometimes for multiple generations…that, to me, is the most inspiring part, when you think about the longevity, careerwise and industry-wise. Retail has stood the test of time. People have been successful at it, and it’s truly inspiring. 2026 marks the 125th anniversary of Nordstrom, so I’m fortunate that I’m able to work with Pete Nordstrom, Olivia Kim, and Rickie de Sole on that project. I’m most excited about the things that haven’t even come out yet, but I do realize the importance of being able to look back and see the great things we’ve done in the past. But the most exciting thing is always whatever I’m working on next.

Tina Aniversario, Nordstrom VP/DMM Mens, on the multi-dimensional Jian DeLeon

“What makes Jian extraordinary isn’t just his unmatched understanding of fashion, sports, culture, and the ever-evolving zeitgeist—it’s his ability to be everywhere at once, with a pulse on everything and everyone. We joke that he must have a doppelganger, but the truth is his mind works in multiples. Jian moves effortlessly between art and commerce, always knowing when to elevate and when to ground. He’s been an invaluable partner to me and my team, helping shape high-level strategies around customer profiles and aesthetic frameworks that have aligned our buying, marketing, fashion office, and private brand efforts. This recognition isn’t just about foresight—it’s about real, lasting impact.”

▀ Revenue and sell-through are everything.

AWARD

KEN OHASHI 2025 HERITAGE

BRINGING BACK BROOKS BROTHERS

By John Russel Jones

At a time when many heritage brands are struggling to remain relevant, Ken Ohashi has quietly guided Brooks Brothers into a new era of growth. He brings both financial acumen and creative curiosity to the table, refined through years of experience at Arthur Andersen, Aeropostale, and Authentic Brands Group. Since taking the reins of the storied menswear label in 2020, he has helped the company navigate bankruptcy, reestablish its identity, and achieve consistent year-over-year gains. With a profound respect for the brand’s past and a clear vision for its future, Ohashi’s leadership combines tradition, strategy, and a surprisingly personal touch.

The son of Japanese immigrants, Ohashi’s father worked in the volatile New York restaurant business during the 1980s and ’90s. “There were good days and bad days, good years and bad years,” says Ohashi, “so my sister and I—both first-generation college students—realized that we needed white collar jobs. I went into accounting and finance because I liked math a lot. After graduating from Hofstra in 1997, I went straight to Arthur Andersen, where I focused on retail, fashion, advertising, and dot-com businesses. I had an interest in the creative side, but when you’re doing accounting, or an audit, or due diligence work, you quickly realize that revenue and sell-through are everything.”

When the Enron scandal broke in 2002, leading to the downfall of the Big Five accounting firm, a recruiter hired Ohashi for Aeropostale’s finance department. The brand, originally conceived by Macy’s, went public on May 17th of that year, raising $225 million on its first day of trading. CEO Julian Geiger, a former Macy’s executive, eventually tasked Ohashi with managing the brand’s international business, opening a “couple of hundred” stores worldwide. Global growth accelerated under his leadership, particularly in Latin America.

The domestic component of Aeropostale (not within his domain) didn’t perform as well, however. The chain declared bankruptcy in 2016

and was quickly acquired by Jamie Salter’s relatively young licensing company, Authentic Brands Group.

“Jamie asked if I’d like to come work for them. At first, I said no—I didn’t really understand licensing—but then I figured I’d have to transition the licensees anyway, so I might as well give it a try. The company then went on an acquisition streak. I ran international at Authentic for four years. Then COVID happened, and as a result of the economic pressure that was put on so many brands, we bought Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, and Forever 21. When Brooks Brothers came across the table in 2020, I told Jamie I wanted in.

Ken with his first hire, designer Michael Bastian.

HERITAGE PLANNED

Under Ohashi’s leadership, the heritage brand has flourished. Ohashi says, “We’ve comped every single year since I’ve taken over the company, and our December business was up 20 percent.” Now a $9 billion business, Brooks Brothers counts 500 freestanding stores, shop-in-shops, and outlets spread across 45 countries. A 10,000 square foot global flagship opened in May at 195 Broadway in the heart of New York City’s Financial District [probably a 10-minute cab ride away from the company’s original location].

“My first hire was Michael Bastian. He’s an incredible partner, and I knew he would help me both casualize and elevate the brand. Beyond that, I knew he’d also know how to create lifestyle. He’s not trying to revolutionize Brooks Brothers; he’s just creating things we’d both want to wear. (I’m now a voracious consumer of the brand.) It’s about respecting the brand’s heritage while owning it in a modern way. Michael goes back to the history of the brand to recreate its future.

“Michael and I talk a lot about getting the brand vibe right. Once that’s done, everything falls into place, but concrete examples about how we want the customer to feel don’t exist in the fashion space, so we talk about hospitality a lot. The interplay between the old and the new comes into effect.”

“We don’t really look at the competition. The two brands we talk about a lot are Tiffany and Four Seasons. Like Tiffany, there’s something special about buying a Brooks Brothers item. It’s an intergenerational play; whether it’s a cashmere sweater by Todd & Duncan or something custom-made, it can be passed down. We never sacrifice quality or craftsmanship. I want the in-store experience to be comparable to a stay at a Four Seasons.”

For his part, Bastian reports, “Ken and I stayed very close throughout the entire design process, from color and concept boards to reviewing every design, to the final buy edit, and all the way through the pipeline to the final selling recap of the season. We have a great working relationship-we were acquaintances before working together, but now I consider him one of my closest friends. Our offices are located next to each other, so we are really close and communicate throughout the day.

“The key to Ken’s success as a leader comes from his work ethic and genuine care and concern for everyone on the team—and by the team, I mean everyone who works for Brooks Brothers. When we both first started in the summer of 2020, the company had just been sold, employees were anxious, the world was at the height of the pandemic, stores and offices were closed, people were nervous about coming into shared spaces, commuting—nobody was buying suits—a difficult place to begin a turnaround. In the midst of this, Ken famously bought a frozen margarita machine for the office, and for the first couple of years, we celebrated every little win with the whole team. It took more than just his amazing business instincts to turn around this beloved but previously struggling institution – it took heart, transparency, hard work, and basic human empathy.”

WOMEN’S WEAR

Last spring, Brooks Brothers feted 125 years of its iconic button-down collar shirt. The campaign featured “game-changers” like comedian Hasan Minhaj, and New York City principal ballet dancer Chun Wai Chan, but also The Official Preppy Handbook’s Lisa Birnbach. Actress and activist Selma Blair fronted the campaign.

“We chose a woman because we believe that the women’s business is our next big opportunity,” says Ohashi. “I think there’s an incredible white space in that polished casual, wear-to-work female space. I think there are some players, but nobody is doing it in the middle in an accessible

Hasan Minhaj, top, and Selma Blair, bottom, for Brooks Brothers’ campaign celebrating 125 years of its iconic buttondown shirt.

way. It exists at both the very high end and the low end, as well as in contemporary spaces, but not so much in classic space.”

When asked if women’s is a DTC play, Ohashi explains, “For us, it has to take off on the web first. I just did an analysis, and our women’s business has been very strong and is beating our plans significantly. It’s about owning it, making sure that we style it, that it’s elegant, classic, and cohesive, honing in on who she is.”

A DAY IN THE LIFE

When asked about his typical day, he only half-jokingly replies, “I feel like I’m in a tariff meeting every other day now.

“My typical day starts with my morning drive to work [he lives in Brooklyn]. That’s when I talk to Lou Amendola [Brooks Brothers’ Chief Merchandising Officer]. Every Monday, we hold business meetings for Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, as well as Catalyst leadership meetings once a week. We have a few other meetings throughout the week to dig into the details. Is there anything we need to address? Are the promos working? There’s a brand alignment meeting: what is the customer seeing and feeling? What are the goals for the stores?”

Amendola comments on the calls, saying, “It’s a ritual from when we began working together and continues five years later. It always starts with Ken asking, ‘What kept you up last night?’ Then we discuss the prior day or week: what worked, what didn’t, where do we think the business is trending, and where do we think we need to pivot for the future. It’s all real-time decision making.”

Ohashi continues his days with two meetings that he finds particularly valuable. “A monthly KPI meeting where every single person, from the call center to the distribution center to loyalty to credit card—everyone presents one page on what’s happened in the prior month. We spend a minute on ‘Pass/Fail,’ but then identify how you’re staying the course and where you need help. It provides people with the opportunity to discuss their work with the CEO, as well as the larger group. We also conduct a comprehensive store review, where we assess every sales associate to ensure that everyone is performing effectively. Are our payroll ratios right during peak times? How do we get selling up? Those tools help us track the business’s pulse while creating a sense of accountability.”

“Ken is a passionate leader who cares for the brand and the people that work to drive the business,” states Catalyst Brands CEO Marc Rosen. “He wants to win but knows that doing so requires a strong culture, a

motivated team and a high level of trust and transparency. He’s a builder of brands, and our vision for Catalyst is to ignite the power of our brands. In order to do this, Ken puts the customer first in every decision; are we creating value, a best-in-class experience, are we remaining authentic to the brand’s mission… Ken’s success with Brooks Brothers is because he thinks about these types of things every day.

Clockwise from top: Authentic Brands Group’s Jarrod Weber with Ohashi; Catalyst Brands’ Marc Rosen with Bastian; Brooks Brothers brand ambassador, New York Knick, and All Star Point Guard Jalen Brunson with Ohashi.

“It’s probably many of the things that the customer doesn’t see that will help us to continue to grow this brand: Centers of Excellence and shared services for technology, talent, marketing, thought leadership, synergies that come from uniting these incredible brands. And, those synergies will help fund the continued investments we will make to drive brand growth.”

Ohashi also values health and wellness, so he’s quite disciplined with his exercise routine and diet [his assistant checked to ensure his extralarge water bottle was topped up before we started the interview], to say nothing of his commitment to family.

“When I was running international, I used to have this notion that family time was about quality, not quantity, but I disagree with that now. Even if I only get 15 minutes with the kids in the morning before I get into the car, it’s worth it. [He and his husband, Adam Freed, have two sons, 13-year-old twins, who are studying for a September bar mitzvah] We try to eat dinner together most nights, even if we start late. It’s about frequency. I also make sure that when I get home, I put my device on the charger. I tell people they can’t really talk to me between 7:30 and 9:30; I’m not gonna check email. And my kids model that behavior.

“I’m usually in bed between 10:30 and 11:00, up at 6:30 to get in a morning workout. Weekends I get up at the same time to work out, but then the kids own me: on Saturday and Sunday I’m with them all day.”

Mistakes made along the way?

“I think I took some risks with my career, but without knowing it. I haven’t interviewed for a job since Aeropostale in 2000. I don’t want to say I’m proud of that, but I can roll with change, recalibrate, and make it work for me. I’ve been with this organization now for 23 years, but in very different roles. I’ve made some mistakes—I make mistakes every day—and when I first walked into Brooks Brothers, I don’t think I understood the organization well enough. When you deal with distressed assets, it’s easy to think you can just cut your way to certain things.”

What about advice for retailers?

“Making things feel special is top of mind. Creating a memorable experience that makes customers feel valued is always important. For example, the custom side of the business is really growing for us, so doubling down on that and personalization will continue to be important. We look at our loyalty program: how do we make our top 5 percent of spenders feel different? Sure, we give them free monogramming year-round, but what else can we do? We’re always thinking about how we can surprise and delight, and I think people need that. In a moment where there is a lot of compression, making sure that you have unique items is important. Right now every customer is really important.”

“Part of my role at ABG, where we were buying distressed assets, was asking ‘what happened along the way?’ Someone once said to me, ‘You’re not doing as great as you think you are, and you’re not doing as bad as you think you are,’ so I always ask what is it that we’re not seeing? I think staying curious is really important in this business. Also, you can’t hold onto something too tightly. You have to be open to change. How can I use the tools in my toolbox to unlock something bigger? You have to use your assets to move forward. I’m not saying not to manage risk! But I think some people are overly cautious. ‘If I only had $10 million to invest in that brand, what would I do?’ Well, first, I really need to go after that money.”

FUTURE HISTORY

In 1818, Henry Sands Brooks opened his namesake store on the corner of Catherine and Cherry Streets in Manhattan. By 1850, his four sons took over the company and renamed it Brooks Brothers. The company is 207 years old this year, placing it among the nation’s oldest companies, including New York City’s Consolidated Edison, which is 202 years old, and IBM, at 114. It can now aim to outdo Hudson’s Bay Company, which lasted for 355 years before its demise, and the fragrance and soap company Caswell-Massey, still thriving at 273 years. Levi Strauss & Co., at 172, and Nashville-based retailer Levy’s, at 170, are Brooks Brothers’ younger fashion cousins. In 2020, the brand filed for bankruptcy, laid mainly at the feet of its slow response to the market’s shift toward casual apparel and e-commerce. Brooks Brothers was then purchased by a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group in September of that year, and Ohashi named President and Chief Executive Officer.

How does he keep this bicentenarian heritage brand fresh? Why collaborations, of course.

“We do a lot linked to charities and brand collaborations. We’ve done them with Sperry, Vilebrequin, and Comme des Garçons. We have some coming up with Peanuts—which feels classic, nostalgic, and playful—Prince in July, and another coming up with Engineered Garments in the formal space. They’ve never done that, and it’s been very fun for Michael and Daiki [Suzuki, Engineered Garments’ founder and designer].”

CHICAGO COLLECTIVE

MEN’S EDITION

SAT/SUN/MON/TUE AUGUST 2-5, 2025 THE MART | FLOORS 4 & 7

The Chicago Collective is the premier menswear show in North America. Now on 2 floors at THE MART, Chicago Collective hosts the top brands and retailers from around the world. Shop the best brands, attend the iconic opening night party, enjoy exciting events and amenities.

chicagocollectivemens.com

WOMEN’S EDITION

SUN/MON/TUE AUGUST 24-26, 2025 THE MART | 7TH FLOOR

The Women’s Edition features everything you love about Chicago Collective. Enjoy a great selection of brands, an easy to shop floor, a fun opening night party, special pop-up events and our popular buyer hotel reimbursement program.

chicagocollectivewomens.com

CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL NOMINEES AND AWARD WINNERS

▀ AFTER ALL, LUXURY IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

2025 LUXURY BRAND OF THE YEAR

ANTONIO PAONE

THE QUALITY OF FAMILY

By John Russel Jones

We caught up with Kiton U.S. President Antonio

Paone on a late spring evening as he was commuting from Milan (the location of the brand’s headquarters and showroom) to Naples (home of the brand, and the location of its primary factory) during the height of the selling season. Between a car ride and the train, it’s about a five-hour commute. He confesses that it’s not just for work: He’s also taking his son and some of his friends to a soccer match the next day (when Naples won the Italian cup). Such is life for the nephew of Ciro Paone. After being trained as an accountant, he sold jewelry before joining the family business in 1994.

“Growing up in Naples, Kiton was always in my blood,” says Antonio. “At my cousin’s wedding, my uncle Ciro asked me to join the family business, and that was 33 years ago!”

Ciro Paone founded Kiton in 1968, establishing a business that focused on producing the highest quality garments, with the slogan Il meglio del meglio più uno (the best of the best plus one). Ciro passed away in 2021, so the company is now under the direction of his family, CEO Antonio de Matteis, and President Maria Giovanna Paone (Ciro’s daughter). Kiton now has more than 60 free-standing stores internationally and about five times as many wholesale accounts. The company has twelve stores in the United States, including three in New York, with plans to open a fourth, Palazzo Kiton, later this year.

“We are about 60 percent retail and 40 percent wholesale,” says Antonio. “We have stores around the world: New York, Milan, London, Paris, Tokyo, and more. It’s essential for us because it gives us direct contact with our consumers. When someone walks into a Kiton store, we don’t just sell them a suit; we build a relationship. And for a brand like ours, that connection is everything.”

Besides the main factory in the Arzano community of Naples, the company (legally Ciro Paone S.p.A.) operates four other manufacturing facilities in Italy, making sportswear in Caserta, outerwear in Parma, knitwear in Fidenza, and, in Biella, the Carlo Barbera fabric mill. A new generation of the Paone family, twins Walter and Mariano de Matteis, launched KNT: Kiton New Textures, a more experimental, contemporary sportswear collection. KNT now dresses the First Team and technical staff of the London soccer club Tottenham Hotspur.

Antonio learned the ropes from his uncle, enhancing his understanding of fabrics and building relationships with clients while accompanying him

on international trips. Reflecting on that time, he recalls, “The first years were terrible, I couldn’t keep up with his work tempo, his movements.” However, over time, he carved out his role in the business. “Ciro taught me discipline and vision. How to think big, but also how to stay humble. He believed in quality above everything. From my father, I learned how to take care of people; clients, employees… let’s say everyone! After all, luxury is about relationships.”

In 2004, Antonio was appointed President of Kiton Corporation, strengthening the brand’s presence in the North American market. He

Ciro Paone

also serves as CEO of Sartorio Napoli, another brand within the Kiton Group, which offers a distinct level of luxury: suits range from just under $3,000 to nearly $4,000. Kiton’s hand-cut and finished garments, in contrast, are made from exceptional wools and silks, establishing the signature of the brand. Five-figure off-the-rack jackets are the standard.

To preserve the tradition and the art—the savoir-faire of Italian tailoring—to Kiton’s exacting standards, this summer will see the inauguration of the 10th course of its Scuola di Alta Sartoria, its tailoring school. Kiton celebrates the 25th anniversary of the school this year. Located adjacent to the factory in Naples, “Every year we train young people to become tailors. Some stay with us while others open their own shops. Let’s say it’s our way to protect tradition. Who comes? Primarily, the sons and daughters of our current employees, as well as some from other towns. You can become a tailor in two to three years and gain extensive experience.”

The company’s master tailors teach the three-year program to young people ages 16 to 21. Two years of the course are dedicated to the completion of the jacket, and in the third year, students specialize in the specifics of Kiton’s production methods.

“Everything is handmade in Naples,” Antonio explains. “A suit can take up to 25 hours of work and is a combination of handmade techniques and top-quality fabrics. Even the materials on the inside, the canvas, are of the very best quality. We produce the suit with many hand stitches on

Many of our best relationships started with just one suit, and now those clients feel like part of the Kiton family. “”

La Famiglia e Tutto: the Paone-Matteis extended family.

the jacket’s interior that you don’t even see. But they make the garment special because all of these stitches become a part of your body.”

And what of that renowned Neapolitan shoulder?

“We don’t do a Neapolitan shoulder,” Antonio insists. Our shoulder is an international shoulder. It’s for all the world. You can wear our garment in Naples or Paris or London or New York and you are always well-dressed.”

When asked about tariffs (in late May), Antonio says it’s still too early to say. “Our prices are costly because of how much work goes into each piece. But we are not a mass brand. We have loyal clients who appreciate the value we bring. I always say, we are not expensive, we are costly. There is a big difference, because ‘costly’ means there is value in what you buy. ‘Expensive’ means you pay, and there is no value.”

Antonio sees an opportunity for growth in the brand’s women’s collection, which started in 1995, and will be the focus of Palazzo Kiton.

“We are also looking at how to bring young people into the brand without losing our identity and keeping focus on quality. The current customer is in their mid-50s. We are seeing a younger customer, around

35 years old, starting to buy Kiton because they are looking for quality. American men are very open and loyal. Once they trust you, they stick with you. Italian men care about style. American men tend to prioritize fit and function. But they both want to look good. It’s our job to make that happen. American clients are also curious. They ask questions. They want to understand how something is made, why the fabric feels a certain way, and why it should fit differently. For this reason, I conduct extensive training in all my stores throughout the United States. Once they see the craft and the craftsmanship, they really appreciate it. Many of our best relationships started with just one suit, and now those clients feel like part of the Kiton family.”

Clearly, family means a lot to Antonio, especially as he tends to the next generation. “I used to have many hobbies. I used to play soccer, tennis, and golf, and participate in many other sports. My main hobby is now my son. He’s 13, so I spend more time with him. He’s keeping me young! Every time I return to Naples, I stay with my son, and we always go out together with all his friends, who like me very much. I’m one of them! I’m 53 and feel like I’m 15.”

▀ Al, Rian, and Dennis continue to reinvent luxury menswear.

2025 BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR

TRILUXE

TACKLING A CHANGING MARKET

By Karen Alberg Grossman

How/when/where has your Triluxe journey taken you?

Rian: It all started serendipitously in 1999. I was at the Magic Show in Vegas, working with Canadian accounts in the J. Lindeberg booth. That’s when Al Israel walked in with Johan Lindeberg — and that’s how Al and I officially met. Al was looking to start a new distribution company and invited me to join him and Dennis. That marked the start of our journey, and in 2000, we launched our first brand, J. Lindeberg.

I sold my Alfa Romeo Spider, moved from Vancouver to Toronto, and we got to work. In 2001, we acquired the J. Lindeberg USA company, and I moved to New York to restructure and rebuild it. Through dedication, relationship building, and strategic investments, we scaled the JL wholesale fashion and golf business, launched e-commerce, and opened additional retail stores, ultimately reaching $18M in North America. In

and stocking bolts of fabric rather than hanging inventory. Actually, retail is where I developed my passion for fashion and honed my sales and MTM skills. After graduating from York University, I chose to walk away from law school to pursue a career in apparel which began with my first full-time job as a store manager, then buyer, for H.T. Ross, a five-store chain. In between these two positions, I was hired away from H.T. Ross by Harry Rosen to be the General Manager of their new Bloor Street flagship, which I proudly opened in November 1974 to great fanfare.

My first wholesale position was as VP Sales for Lipson Shirts in the mid-’70s, followed by General Manager for YSL Canada. In 1981 I opened an agency with a business partner, Siga Designs International, representing such brands as Giorgio Armani Le Collezione, Mani by Armani, Baumler and Robert Comstock.

“Brands come and go, but our retail customers stay with us for the long haul.”

RIAN GARDINER

2006, we sold the U.S. business back to the parent company. Alongside the J. Lindeberg business, we began building a portfolio of premium Italian brands, with Thomas Tarricone coming on board to lead that division. He’s not an original partner but he’s been an essential part of the Triluxe story for 20+ years.

I think it helps that retail is in my blood. My father and uncle owned menswear stores in Vancouver called Gentleman II. They were pioneers— heading to Pitti Uomo as early as the 1970s to bring back fresh, exciting product. I started early, at age 12: restocking shelves, fetching alterations, buffing the suits and sport jackets. I then made it onto the sales floor, where I first learned about product, presentation, and the value of customer relationships. I fell in love with the business. I've been incredibly lucky to have had inspiring mentors at every stage—and still do. Al: Much like Rian, I got bitten by the retail bug at a very young age. When I was 16 and in high school, I worked part time for Canadian retailer A.Winestock; they had three stores in Toronto. This was in the mid-1960s when men’s specialty retail was more about made-to-measure

Then in 1984 Mr. Guido Petruzzi, CEO of GFT USA, made an offer I couldn’t refuse. I resigned from Siga and became CEO of GFT Mode Canada. I hired Dennis to be my CFO in 1986 and by 1990, we’d built a $52 million business in Canada that included all GFT’s men’s and women’s designer brands. In 1991, I moved to New York as CEO of the Men’s Division of GFT USA with a mandate to restructure and revitalize the business (including such notable brands as Valentino Uomo, Ungaro, Andrew Fezza and Louis Feraud), which I successfully accomplished by 1995.

In 1996 I came back to Toronto, hired by Dylex (the largest retail group in Canada) to be the CEO of Tip Top Tailors with a mandate to restore it to profitability, which I accomplished within three years. At that time, Tip Top was a $350 million men’s specialty business, with 136 stores coast to coast.

I met Rian in 1999 and we launched Triluxe in 2000.

Dennis: I manage the Finance & Logistics of the Triluxe business. Everything from accounting, inventory control, order entry, invoicing,

collections, budgeting, forecasting and re-forecasting. We don’t operate by the seat of our pants; it’s a well-oiled machine. An important part of what I do is to develop close relationships with our retail partners, suppliers, credit providers, and banks. I worked for GFT, a Milan-based company, from 1986 to 2000, so my training was very corporate—reporting to

Al: Another reason it works is that we cherish our relationships with both our retailers and our suppliers. We work closely to understand them, their products, positioning and goals. I believe building mutual trust in our relationships has been the foundation of our growth and success.

Do you have a mission statement?

Rian: We are brand builders at heart. Our mission is to introduce premium and luxury brands to the North American market with care, passion, and a long-term, partnership-driven vision. The most important part of our business is our customers and the strong relationships we build with them. Brands may come and go, but we're grateful our customers are with us for the long haul.

What’s your criteria for selecting the brands you represent?

Rian: We’re extremely selective. We gravitate toward product-first, often family-owned brands that are eager to collaborate and grow in a meaningful, long-term way. We treat these brands as if they were our own.

Given the diversity of the U.S. market—culturally, climatically, and commercially—we’re intentional about what we take on. Our focus has sharpened over time and today, we’re particularly drawn to brands made in Italy, brands with intrinsic value, unique IP, and a commitment to quality. We believe in quality and alignment over quantity—always.

What do you do for your brands that they couldn’t do on their own?

Rian: It all starts with understanding — we dive deep into a brand’s DNA, company structure, product strengths, and capabilities. Then we craft goal-aligned strategies to position the brand competitively in the market.

From there, we go to market, connecting with the best retailers across North America. Our approach is holistic and built for long-term success—focusing on sustainability, authenticity, and longevity.

How will tariffs and resultant price increases impact business? How will you deal with this?

Rian: All of us at Triluxe (except Dennis, but he’s outvoted) are committed to honoring current pricing through 2025. While tariffs will certainly impact our margins and may disrupt deliveries this year, we’re preparing to adjust pricing for Spring 2026 and beyond.

The positive? We’ve been incredibly consistent and thoughtful with

“The best time to offer something new is when things are in a state of disarray.”

AL ISRAEL

boards, doing quarterly budgets, etc. Hence, we run Triluxe with the same corporate mentality. Although I don’t sew, I believe I was destined for this industry, given that my last name is Sartori, which translates to “Tailor” in Italian.

Tom: I’ve been working with Al since the 1980s when we ran Armani, growing it from $1.8 million to $100 million. I think the secret sauce at Triluxe is that each member of the management team offers a high level of specialization. That, and the fact that we actually like each other.

our pricing over the last three seasons, so the consumer-facing impact should be minimal.

Your crystal ball on men’s business for specialty retailers? For department stores?

Rian: Specialty retailers have a real advantage—loyal clientele, highly curated assortments, and next level service. We believe they are well equipped to weather market shifts and will continue to thrive. As for

Tom and Rian

“I’ve learned to be much more vigilant about who we do business with.”

DENNIS SARTORI

department stores, the landscape is evolving. The Saks/Neiman Marcus acquisition is one for the books; it will be interesting to see where it goes.

That said, we’re seeing a definitive return to in-person shopping, especially in menswear. People are seeking experience, connection, and personalization—and that’s something brick-and-mortar retail continues to deliver best.

What’s the next big thing in men’s fashion?

Al: I’m seeing a new generation wanting to make more of a statement with their fashion and brand choices, especially young men who are now back in an office environment. I’m talking loose easier fitting silhouettes, wider lapels, and more aggressive colors and patterns. Quiet luxury has ruled for several years; going forward the next generation will want to make a bolder statement, providing a needed lift and demand for fashionable tailored clothing.

Tom: After many seasons of neutral shades, color will be more important going forward. But it’s color on a base of sophisticated neutrals.

How well do you all get along? Any disagreements?

Rian: We understand and respect each other so we don’t do much arguing. In all of our 25 years, I can’t think of any notable disagreements. (Truth be told: I had a different answer for this question, but my partners wouldn’t let me use it.)

It really is unusual how well our roles balance. Al has experience like no other. Dennis goes beyond budgeting and logistics, making every dollar work harder for us. Tom does a job that no one else can do: working with designers on fabric, color, pattern. He’s the bridge for Italian brands in U.S. stores.

Other interests/hobbies/passions aside from work?

Rian: These days, leisure hours are few and far between, but I try to fit in some cycling and workouts to stay fit and healthy. I also love to travel, cook and seek outdoor adventures. On weekends, I’m usually traveling to do trunk shows and made-to-measure events. It’s personal, hands-on, and takes me right back to the beginning—working face-to-face with customers.

Al: I love to travel, spend time with my 10 grandchildren, play golf, work out, and keep myself fit and energized.

Dennis: My life is mostly family and work, but I try to fit in hockey, fishing, golf, and cycling. I very much enjoy annual trips to Mallorca, Italy, and Florida with my wife. I also love spending time at our cottage on Georgian Bay north of Toronto.

Tom: My son Luca keeps me busy: he’s a sophomore at Fairfield University and a Division-1 rower; my wife and I go to all his competitions. I have a passion for cooking, for all things Italian, and I love to ski.

Dennis: Hobbies are important, but I think I speak for all of us here that we really enjoy our work, our interactions with customers and staff, and the associated camaraderie.

Lessons learned over the years?

Rian: If I could go back, I’d do more of these four things: Believe in myself more. Take more risks. Care less about what others think. And thank my wife more often. Maxine’s support, patience and understanding have been my anchor throughout this journey. For that, I am truly grateful. Al: I’ve learned to follow my gut when making tough decisions.

Dennis: I’ve learned over many years how to best interact with suppliers, customers, and employees. And I’ve learned to be much more vigilant about who we do business with.

Al: We’ve all learned to approach our portfolio with a retail mentality: we choose brands that are complementary and non-conflicting, collections with natural adjacencies in our showroom, as in a retail environment. Whereas other companies might grab a brand because it comes with an established following, we won’t take on anything that might hurt or cannibalize an existing brand. We’ve learned to take a strategic course in terms of distribution. If not, a brand that took 10 years to build could unravel in 10 months.

Al and Dennis, streamlining their fashion portfolio.

ALLAN ELLINGER CONGRATULATIONS

ON A CAREER FILLED WITH IMPACTFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MEANINGFUL PHILANTHROPIC ENDEAVORS.

ROBERT GRAHAM

JOE’S

▀ I don’t think we realized how well he’d prepared us to run this business. — Kareen Shaya

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: IN MEMORIUM

RAFFI SHAYA

CELEBRATE LIFE EVERYDAY

By John Russel Jones

Raphael Shaya, the CEO and Head Designer of Raffi and patriarch of the Shaya family, passed away on June 14, 2023, at the age of 80. Born in Iraq, when he was 8 years old his family moved to Israel, where, like many in the menswear industry, he began his career by selling neckties. For more than 50 years, he and his wife, Arlette, built a successful business and a loving family. Full disclosure: I worked for Raffi as his Communications Director from 2000 to 2004. To prepare for this story, I took the Long Island Rail Road to Port Washington, New York, to Raffi’s headquarters and warehouse, where I caught up with his wife, Arlette, and his daughters, Limor, Shirley, and Kareen, all of whom are running this thriving business. The meeting was part interview and part family reunion, and I can tell you that they finished each other’s sentences, answered the questions, and operated almost as one mind. It was a gratifying opportunity to hear Raffi’s story and to see how the family is continuing to build his legacy.

“As a boy, he’d always been artistic and entrepreneurial,” says Arlette. “During his summer vacations, he delivered neckties and liked the business. After he finished his military service, he opened his own company, inviting the guy he used to work for to be his business partner. He purchased fabric in Europe and imported it to Israel, where he manufactured the ties and sold them to stores throughout the country.”

“We met when I was working as a travel agent. We got married, and I started working with him soon after. He decided that ties were not enough, so he ventured into the sweater business, expanding to include shirts, pants, and suits, all sourced from Europe and England. He also imported the Hom swimwear and underwear brand from France. We were a prominent wholesaler, and one of our customers mentioned that he had a son in the United States, suggesting that we introduce the Hom line to the U.S. market. So, we moved here and started that business.”

In what those who knew him would call a classic Raffi story: “He went to the Macy’s buyer, who said ‘No,’ so Raffi said, “If I was your boss, I would fire you for not trying new things.’ So the buyer tried it and, of course, it sold very well.”

Eventually, Raffi launched his own swimwear and T-shirt collection, also with the help of business partners, and opened 90 department stores in the early 1980s. The problem was that Raffi was doing all the work, while the partners were doing very little. So, he and Arlette decided to launch their own collection.

“We were sitting with friends and thinking about where we wanted to travel—we used to always travel—so he took the globe and gave it a spin, and I said, ‘Oh. Fiji! That seems like a nice name!’ and that’s how it started, again with T-shirts and swimwear. He did the prints and design. We operated out of the garage in our home, and the girls used to pick the orders and pack for us.

“We’d sit and watch cartoons on Saturday mornings, counting and packing orders,” adds Kareen. “UPS would come by. Some customers would even stop by the house, or we used to meet them on the Long Island Expressway,” added Arlette.

“By the 1990s, Raffi decided we needed something for the winter, since we were only selling T-shirts and swimwear for the summer, so we decided to add sweaters. Raffi went to Italy and found a few companies, chose some styles, and modified designs to fit the American market. We got the collection and started selling department and specialty stores, and did private label. And then Limor graduated from college and wanted to come into the business. We leased part of a warehouse by then. So Limor took over those duties.”

Eldest daughter Limor was a photography major in college, while Shirley, a graphic design major, finished college shortly after and also joined the company. Kareen, a business major, was the last on board.

Did the girls always want to work in the business?

Limor said, “I knew right before I graduated. When I was still in

Raffi showing off some of his earliest designs.

Partners in life and business.

“If I were your boss, I’d fire you for not trying new things!”

— Raffi to Macy’s buyer

college, I was approached by a professor to continue my studies, but I kept thinking about how hard my mom and dad worked and said, “I don’t want someone else to have that business! I want to have it!”

“I think we grew up with it, so it just felt natural to come into it,” adds Kareen. “I was a business major, focused on finance, so when I graduated, our production manager was pregnant and was going on maternity leave in June, so I jumped right into production and took some night classes at F.I.T. to understand tech packs and measurements. However, in the summers, I would always work here and watch my sisters. When I was 16 and Limor was working in the other warehouse, I’d go with her in the mornings to fold sweaters and help out. We all went to Italy and China with Raffi to learn about production and working with mills and suppliers.”

When I asked them to define their individual roles, all the sisters answered: “When somebody is away, the other picks up. Limor works more closely with Arlette in accounting and shipping, getting the orders out and checking credit, making sure invoices go out. I’ve always been more of the warehouse person. She’s finance, HR, legal, ‘the money.’ If one of us is away, all of us can pick up. We all wear multiple hats. But it’s not like any one of us isn’t involved in design and creation. We ask everyone for an opinion.”

“I don’t think anyone ever worked here and only had one job,” Shirley

summarizes. “One of the things that our Dad always wanted was that everybody be involved. Like a family. Even the receptionist at the showroom could come into a meeting, listen in, and offer an opinion. Crosstraining makes you want to come into work. You’re part of the family. You’re in the kitchen. You’re not just coming into work, sitting at your desk, and doing that one job you got hired for. When we’re designing now, we always show ideas to everyone in the office. Which color do you like better? Which design do you like better?”

Did Raffi have any mentors or people who helped shape the business?

Arlette began, “Raffi always listened to the customer and asked them, ‘What do you want me to do? Do you see something different that I should have in my collection?’ And people would come to him for advice, too! He would also ask consumers what they thought when he was in the stores. Do you like what I’m doing? And if a customer would say, Why didn’t you do this in a polo? You want it in a polo? We’ll make it in a polo! He wants it, he needs it. ‘Send the email to the factory.’ When retailers from the South would say something is too heavy, he’d go and find a yarn that would be good for Florida. He’d visit the big stores like Mitchells and Boyds and ask what they needed.”

“Our women’s collection started because Raffi was in Connecticut, and Linda Mitchell pulled him aside and said ‘I want you to do cashmere for women!’ So he said, ‘Show me what you need.’ No matter

RAFFI FOREVER a way of life.

A heartfelt congratulations to Karen on this well-deserved Legend Award. Raffi trulyvaluedyour assionandfriendshi . And congratulations to all honorees.

The Raffi Faaily

“Look your best to feel your best.” - Raffi

how small the store was, he was always asking, always trying to do what they wanted. Everyone matters. It doesn’t matter how small the store is. Everyone matters.”

Raffi has always been known for its in-stock program. “It’s an interesting balancing act,” says Kareen. “We only know that because we’ve always done it. Now we have years of experience studying sales and how things move. I don’t think we know any other way to do business. We’re also fortunate in that we get to prepare things in advance and then cut closer to the season. It’s a skill set that we’ve worked on as a brand and as a company.

“Everybody was like family to Raffi. His retail partners, his employees, his friends—the community, the country club—everybody is family. When I talk to them, they tell me that they learned so much from Raffi. ‘He taught me so much about the business. He taught me so much about life.’ He had an impact on vendors and buyers, our suppliers of raw materials, and the factories. We have those relationships in place that allow them to support and produce for us. They keep fabric on hand so we can do in-stock replenishment in core colors. We can utilize that foundation as a support system and maintain healthy in-stock programs. And I have to tell you, if it wasn’t for Raffi, building those relationships over 35 years…you can’t do that with people today. That’s not something people are willing to take on.

When I asked how the Raffi team is handling tariffs, I could practically hear Raffi’s wisdom coming from his daughters’ mouths.

“I don’t think we should be worrying so much about tariffs. I think we need to live life in the moment. Live life every day as it is. We can worry from here to eternity about what’s going to happen, but a better idea is to let it play out and see where we land. To design every day, follow up with our customers, and focus forward. To celebrate life as it unfolds and let our loved ones know how much they are loved.”

Above, Raffi, Arlette and, L to R, Kareen, Shirley, and Limor, in “the kitchen;” the company’s Port Washington headquarters. Below, the Raffi sign on the West 55th Street showroom’s building was a menswear industry landmark for years.

This is how you change the

Congratulations to all of the Honorees of the annual MR AWARDS.

Game-changing underwear with the BallPark Pouch® .

▀ Respecting our customers means not playing price games.

Ahistory

2025 DEPARTMENT STORE OF THE YEAR

VON MAUR

A CUT ABOVE

By Karen Alberg Grossman

major and English minor in college, Jim Von Maur, now president and CEO of the 153-year-old department store that bears his name, was not particularly interested in fashion or family business. “I wanted to study something that provided a broader view of the world; I thought history and literature would do that. But about the time I was graduating, our company was starting to expand. We were opening a store in Chicago, and I could sense new energy. I wanted to be part of the excitement and so, after working at a few competing stores, I joined our Von Maur team.”

For Jim, fourth generation of his family to manage the business, the most exciting part is “finding the right talent, putting people in the proper lanes and watching them grow. To see our associates flourish, to watch their careers develop, is tremendously satisfying, as is opening successful stores.” Jim now counts 40+ Von Maur stores with recent openings outside their Midwest/Southern comfort zone, in upstate New York and Pittsburgh. That said, he admits to a few cases of misjudging markets. “Opening a new store is a huge financial investment, with operating agreements that can be 10 or 20 years long. Fortunately, our mistakes have been few and far between.”

A looming challenge, Jim confides, is being based in Iowa. “We don’t always get the press or national recognition we deserve,” he maintains. “For example, for three years in a row now we’ve been voted America’s favorite department store by Newsweek magazine, yet many NYC vendors still don’t know who we are.”

How would he describe who they are? “We’re an upscale fashion department store focused on providing an exceptional customer experience. The minute you walk into one of our stores, your blood pressure drops. Instead

of loud music, sale signs and cluttered aisles, you’ll find soft piano music and beautiful displays in a relaxed, residential-like setting. No tacky logos bombarding you with messages… Even our restaurants get rave reviews!”

I ask Jim if he’s bothered by frequent comparisons to Nordstrom. He admits that he’s actually flattered, that he considers Nordstrom a great store. “We have similar belief systems and a similar focus on taking care of our customers,” he explains. “One difference between us is that Von Maur does not do extensive advertising. The way we attract customers is by showing frequent newness. We have trucks coming into our stores several times a week; there’s always exciting new product arriving! Even our markdowns turn constantly, with Wednesday the big day for fresh new discounts in the stores. We believe that fashion apparel is like produce: old goods get stale and need constant replenishment.”

Another cornerstone of Von Maur’s corporate culture: “We are just as committed to our associates as we are to our customers. They’re the ones who keep our customers happy, so we make sure they have all the tools they need to make quick decisions. Our buyers own their buys, and our managers can make decisions without layers of approval.”

Associates at Von Maur are not on commission but they do get incentives and above market salaries. “Our experience with commissions is that they’re not customer friendly,” Jim explains.

Given that Von Maur is in the midst of spending big bucks on expansion and renovation (to the tune of $120 million), I ask Jim if it’s been worth the investment. “That’s a good question,” he replies. “We don’t want to get to the point where our stores are beyond repair, but sometimes, it’s hard to justify the return. The way I look at it, it’s part of our image: customers don’t want to see peeling paint or chipped fixtures. While we might not see a return on investment right away, renovating as needed

Shirts and ties are de rigueur in Von Maur’s men’s department

Congratulations to Von Maur on your continued success, and thank you for your valued partnership with Liverpool Los Angeles.

prevents sales from further declining over time. Of course, we all love opening shiny new stores, but it’s important to take care of the old ones.”

He adds that finding new locations has been a challenge lately. “There are fewer quality malls and fewer upscale shopping centers out there,” he observes. “We’d like to grow more quickly, but we’re struggling to find prime locations. Our goal is to open as many new stores as we can, so within the next five years, we should have at least 45. And in 10 years, who knows? We’re excited to be one of very few department stores still growing.”

Asked what lessons he’s learned from his years in the business, Jim talks about the importance of assortment planning. “We need to determine and provide exactly what the customers want rather than presenting them with what we can get a good deal on… I’ve learned the importance of respecting our customers, of not tricking them or insulting their intelligence by playing price games or marking things up to mark them down. Too many stores play these games: we choose to show our customers the appreciation and respect they deserve.”

Among his mentors, Jim singles out his dad and his uncle. “They are fantastic businessmen who lead by example. They worked hard to build the business from a small family operation to a major player. In fact, we’re one of very few family businesses that has survived. Other mentors are my management team: my COO, HR Director, Chief Information Officer, VP Human Resources… I’ve got amazing people on board which makes my job that much easier.”

While Jim claims he’s not a fashion person, he believes in the power of nice clothing. “Our dress code in the stores is a suit and tie for men,

professional attire for women. I believe the way you dress affects how you feel and how you act. What’s more, wearing a suit and tie is easier than figuring out Business Casual. Proper dress reflects the pride and effort we put into everything we do. My dad made sure that we maintained high standards, and that we always remember what got us here.”

Asked to describe himself, Jim is thoughtful. “I see myself as a servant leader, here to support the team and encourage group decisions. I don’t want to imply that I’m the smartest one in the room, but I’m dedicated to putting in the work and the time to lead and support our associates. I believe that I’m fair, that I’m firm but compassionate. I often wish I were a better salesman so I could more aggressively promote the business when I need to. I have a hard time bragging about what a fantastic store we are: growing up in the Midwest, I was taught to be modest and reserved.”

Asked what he most worries about these days, Jim mentions price increases. “I’d like to be selling more affordable high-quality suits,” he confides. “We want our customers to get the quality they deserve at lower prices. Depending what happens with tariffs, this could be a challenge going forward. But we have great relationships with our key brands so I’m confident we’ll work through it together.”

Asked his greatest frustration, Jim replies that he still gets disturbed dealing with vendors who know nothing about his stores. “Some have no concept of how unique and special we are. They hear ‘department store in Iowa’ and they immediately write us off, envisioning old, dark 1970s structures instead of new, exciting, updated emporiums that run a fresh, clean fashion business while offering interest-free charge cards, free delivery, flexible return policies and other atypical benefits.”

Celebrating a successful store opening at the West Acres Mall in Fargo, N.D.

Jim quickly disavows the prospect of Von Maur going public. “We’ve never considered it a smart business move, and now, watching the Nordstrom experience has reaffirmed our decision. Public ownership is expensive and short-sighted, making you view your business quarter-to-quarter rather than long-term. It’s highly regulated and a distraction to running the stores. Instead, we have a system that values our people on the front lines; we stay close to what they’re going through and respond to their every need. We’re the opposite of ivory tower management, plus we’re financially solid with pristine stores and we pay our vendors on time. (Another lesson I learned from my dad: pay your vendors early, and they’ll take good care of you.)”

Finally, I ask Jim what he likes to do when he’s not working. Although he spends 40 percent of his time on the road (“we’re very diligent about getting into the stores”), he manages to squeeze in a bit of golf, some fussing around in the yard, and the ultimate joy of taking his dogs for walks.

Does he think any of his three children (ages 22, 20, and 16) will enter the business? He says he isn’t sure, that it’s totally up to them. “But truthfully,” he confides, “it would be a dream to have a next generation of family leadership at Von Maur…” (No pressure kids!)

MINDFUL MERCHANTS

MENSWEAR DMM JULIE WIENEKE AND GMM KRISTEN ANDERSON SHARE INSIGHTS

What first brought you to Von Maur?

Julie: For me, it was their long-standing commitment to a quality, elevated shopping experience and a strong and diverse assortment of premium brands. We’re a family-owned and run retailer, 150+ years strong; those values are felt across the company. We travel to our stores regularly, with the goal of evaluating our merchandise mix to better assort and deliver what our customers want when they want it.

Kristen: When I chose retail as my career, Von Maur stood out as a company that blends tradition with modernization—they have a strong customer-focused foundation, so they’re able to evolve as customer preferences and retail trends change. It's a balance that few retailers do as well as Von Maur.

I also appreciated the company's approach to buying: a strong focus on quality, brand integrity, and building long-term vendor relationships. It's rewarding to be part of a company that's not solely focused on the bottom line and pushing product but thoughtfully selects items that align with our customers' lifestyles, expectations, and overall company directives.

What do you love most about your job?

Julie: I love that every day presents a new and differing set of challenges, allowing me to constantly strive to be better, grow and impact the business in a positive way. We’ve attained a great balance between creativity and analytics. It’s gratifying to work with such a talented team to build valuable and lasting vendor partnerships, to ultimately deliver great product, and see the reaction in sales when customers respond to that product.

We love opening shiny new stores, but it’s important to take care of the old ones…

Kristen: As GMM, I’m able to lead and shape the overall merchandise strategy across multiple departments. I enjoy the high-level view, spotting trends across divisions. I also appreciate the company’s strong values, allowing me to focus not just on sales but on building long-term customer loyalty.

Talk to me about tariffs.

Julie: The tariff situation is tricky to navigate these days. There will be a point where the consumer will push back on increased prices so it will be important how we mitigate these rising costs, determining where to partner, absorb or make changes to still offer our customer compelling product while balancing inventory levels and margins at a reasonable pace. The situation is fluid, so there’s no black-and-white solution.

Kristen: Tariffs will likely create some pressure on margins, especially in certain categories where price sensitivity can vary by segment. We’re working with each of our vendors’ unique situations and finding the best path forward. Retails have gone up considerably the past few years: there is a growing concern that even a modest increase could affect customer behaviors. That said, the Von Maur customer tends to value quality and service so in certain categories, we should see more flexibility in what the customer is willing to pay. Our focus will be on maintaining value perception. That means we'll need to be strategic: adjusting size or depth of buys, leaning into tariff-free alternatives where possible, and clearly communicating the product value through associate training. Overall, we might see some softening in volume at certain price points, but with the right mix and vendor partnerships, we can minimize disruption and protect the customer experience.

Other Challenges?

Kristen: Beyond tariffs, one of the main challenges we're navigating is staying ahead of supply chain issues as they’ve become harder to predict. Ensuring timely

JIM VON MAUR “”

deliveries, managing inventory flow, and maintaining strong vendor relationships are all essential to minimizing disruption and protecting our full-price sell-throughs. Ultimately, we’re just trying to be as proactive as possible by staying connected with our vendors and customers so our team can adapt quickly.

How’s current menswear business?

Julie: It remains quite strong. While there have been shifts to more casual fashion over the past few years, we’ve maintained and continue to grow a very healthy and robust tailored and dress furnishings business. We continue to challenge the status quo, setting ourselves apart from more widespread industry trends.

Where do you see most opportunity for growth?

Kristen: The men’s customer is evolving and responding to new trends more quickly than ever. One of the biggest areas of opportunity is in lifestyle-driven sportswear—especially with hybrid pieces that combine comfort with sophistication. There’s room to expand assortments in brands that deliver on that.

Another key growth opportunity is in digital—not just in online sales, but with how we present product, reach and educate the customer, and replicate Von Maur’s elevated in-store service online.

“There will be a point when the customer will push back on price increases.”

JULIE WIENEKE Menswear DMM

vonmaur.com

WE’RE HONORED TO RECEIVE THE MERCHANT OF THE YEAR AWARD IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE CATEGORY FROM MR MAGAZINE. IT’S OUR PLEASURE TO OFFER OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS THE VERY BEST IN DEPARTMENT STORE SHOPPING, AND THIS RECOGNITION ONLY FURTHERS OUR COMMITMENT.

Jim von Maur President and CEO

ENK LOVES ELLINGER!

▀ For Allan Ellinger, it’s not the size of the deal; it’s the impact on the people involved.

2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ALLAN ELLINGER

BORN TO LEAD

By Karen Alberg Grossman

As Senior Managing Partner at MMG Advisors, the company he founded in 1989, Allan Ellinger helped hundreds of companies in financial trouble, saving thousands of jobs. His focus then shifted to mergers and acquisitions, an aptitude shaped by his ability to connect, facility to lead, and a lifetime love of fine clothing.

While at Hofstra University, Allan took a job as a furnishings salesman at Browning Fifth Avenue, a menswear chain owned by the Hilton family.

“As I was about to graduate, they offered me a job as a buyer. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. But I soon realized that I preferred the wholesale side, so I landed a job at Damon Creations and then Members Only, two great learning experiences.”

Soon after, Allan saw an ad in DNR announcing the arrival of Pierre

Cardin clothing and sportswear to America. The ad featured a long list of positions needing to be filled; he decided to apply. “My second interview was with the Chairman of the Board. As I was walking to the elevator after the interview, the CEO came over to tell me he’s offering me the position, but I had to decide that minute whether to accept. If I got on the elevator without making a decision, the offer would be withdrawn…”

Acting by instinct, Allan accepted the offer, now saying this was one of his best moves ever. Working under the guidance of John Kornblith, the entrepreneur who owned the exclusive license to make and distribute Pierre Cardin clothing and sportswear in America (and who also owned a dozen McDonald’s restaurants), Allan had found his mentor. “I was very young, yet he constantly challenged me, giving me rope that didn’t end. He let me open one of the first outlets in Secaucus. He sent me to Los Angeles to find a showroom in the Mart, instructing me to call when I found one and he’d fly down from San Francisco to check it out. So I found a showroom, and hired an architect who could bring the Cardin aesthetic to the showroom. When I called John to see when he was coming, he told me he no longer needed to be there since I’d already done all the work. What a thrill that was for me! The other amazing thing about John Kornblith was that he managed people without yelling. I was accustomed to high-decibel bosses, but this man never raised his voice, only his eyes. But you knew you were dead in the water by the way he looked at you.”

Alan Flusser was then hired to be the designer for Cardin sportswear, reporting to Ellinger. The two worked so well together that they ultimately left Intercontinental Apparel and partnered up to start their own business under Flusser’s name. This was followed by stints at Bidermann and BASCO. In 1989, Allan and two partners opened MMG as a turnaround and restructuring firm.

“Our role was to parachute into companies and fix them—from both a financial and operating perspective. Early in my career, I came to understand that everyone in our business (even Ralph) hits a brick wall at some point, often more than once. Our practice grew because we understood the business and we spoke the same language as the CEOs and business owners who were our clients. One of the tools we used to sustain the business and protect our clients’ personal guarantees was selling the company’s assets as a going concern to a complementary strategic acquirer who could finance the company’s future. Over the years, we did dozens of these types of transactions, earning us a reputation for getting deals done.

An early menswear style influencer.

“In 2012, following the great recession, we decided to get out of the restructuring business to focus exclusively on higher value M&A. So that’s what we do now: we’re an M&A firm representing both sellers and buyers of fashion-related consumer products, focused more on the brand/wholesale side than on retail. Although we describe our business as mergers and acquisitions, we do very few, if any, mergers. Companies are either buyers or sellers. The only merger we’ve done in our 35 years in business was for charity, when KIDS joined forces with Fashion Delivers to create Delivering Good.”

Allan points out that selling a business is an awesome responsibility.

“The client counts on us to find a culturally aligned buyer and then navigate through a lengthy process. Our job is to protect our clients’ interests and to convert that business into investable cash so current and future generations can benefit. It can be a very emotional process: even when there’s no next generation involved, most sellers are worried about what will happen to their employees after their company is sold.”

A noteworthy transaction many years ago was Spencer Hays’ purchase of Oritsky Clothing (previously acquired by Hart Schaffner Marx). “The company was going through a tough time financially: we’d been hired to help save the business. We wanted to work quickly, not with a Board of Directors that would take forever. So I called Spencer and suggested we jump in my car and drive to Reading, Pa. It was a snowy Tuesday and by Friday, Spencer had made a deal with the bank and owned the company. It helped that he was a master negotiator, convincing the bank to put together a package for the creditors. We worked 24 hours a day for three days to get the job done! What makes this transaction so meaningful to me is the number of jobs we saved, with no employees ever knowing how close they’d come to losing their jobs right before Christmas.”

“”

There are very few mergers these days: companies either buy or they sell.

The A-Team at MMG

Congratulations to our friend ALLAN

ELLINGER

and to all of the nominees for their contributions to the menswear industry.

“Allan’s success begins with his smile! You immediately understand that he is friendly, compassionate, and professional. He was my first friend in menswear. His ethics are unrivaled. He is one of the best gifts I received from my years in fashion.”

— Elyse Kroll, Founder & CEO, ENK International

Clearly, it’s this combination of a business mind and a compassionate heart that makes Allan Ellinger a Lifetime Achiever. Friends and colleagues say he’s always been a leader, an organizer, a decision-maker, with a unique ability to listen to, and to get along with, all kinds of people. “I like to take charge of things,” he admits. “I’ve loved leadership since I was a Boy Scout and Eagle Scout. When many of my high school friends were getting recruited into high school fraternities, I suggested we start our own fraternity. And so we did: all 32 of us! I realized at that point that I could unify and make things happen.”

Allan remembers the early days of the Designers Collective trade show. “At our first membership meeting in March 1980, I was the only guy in a suit and tie; the rest were designers dressed more creatively. A guy I’d never met, Alan Rosannes, pulled me aside and told me he wanted to nominate me for president because I looked like a leader. I didn’t know anyone in the room, yet I was voted president—for wearing a suit! My first decision was to hire Elyse Kroll.”

Allan also spent six years teaching business classes to students at Parsons School of Design. “It was my way of giving back, and I enjoyed it tremendously,” he recalls. On the board of several industry organizations, his quintessential giveback was creating Fashion Delivers, the charity he and his industry colleagues established in response to two devastating hurricanes, Rita and Katrina.

“Fashion Delivers was born 20 years ago in my bedroom,” Allan explains. “Just home from a dinner, my wife and I were watching a telethon raising money for the hurricane victims. We wanted to donate, but it was unclear where the money was going. That’s when I decided to pull together my fashion industry friends to send new clothing to local groups that had direct contact with disaster victims. I put together a list of 40-45 most-needed items and started calling everyone I knew in the business. Within a week, we all came together in a borrowed conference room--32 industry vendors, brands and bankers. I was asked to chair the group and I once again called Elyse Kroll, asking if her graphics department could help me create a name and logo. Five minutes later, I was explaining our mission to Charles Garone who immediately faxed me a perfect heart-shaped logo and our new name: Fashion Delivers. And each year we grew: from $6 million in new product that first year, we raised $35 million in response to the earthquake in Haiti, $250 million in product and cash during Covid. We now average $150-$175 million in new product donations each year.”

Asked if he thinks the proposed Trump tariffs will mean more businesses up for sale, Allan confides that he expected a deluge during Covid, but it didn’t happen. “We expected companies to rush in and buy at a discount, but it turned out there were few companies up for sale. Instead, businesses we thought would need to sell managed to cut their overhead and use their government funding to stay afloat.

“These days, many clients I speak with are bracing for a worst-case scenario due to tariff uncertainty. Retailers and brands will need to give up margin to stay competitive, so unless companies can cut their overhead to the bone, the operating economics can’t work. While this does not bode well for our industry’s future, we’ve survived many setbacks over the years, managing to bounce back even stronger. We’re a resilient industry.”

As for his own future, Allan says he wants to work as long as he’s relevant. He now lives part-time in Boca Raton, and truly enjoys the community, the Yacht and Raquet Club, the favorable weather, and spending quality time with his beautiful wife, three children, and seven grandchildren. Somehow, he manages to balance work, play, friends and family.

How will he know when he’s no longer relevant? Allan pauses to consider the question. “I guess when the phone stops ringing,” he replies, just as the phone starts ringing.

This captain of the menswear industry heeds the call.

A Legend Award for a Legendary Lady

Congratulations from all of us at

Photo: Rose Callahan @rcallahanphoto

▀ I believe my main talent is interviewing people and getting them to open up and share things they never intended to reveal.

2025 LEGEND AWARD

KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

UNSTOPPABLE

By Stu Nifoussi

It’s 4 am, and Karen hops out of bed to drink her first cup of coffee, just as she has been doing for as long as she can remember. She catches up on her writing, and after a couple more coffees, she officially starts her work day.

Like the Energizer Bunny, MR’s Editor-inChief just keeps going and going. I have been lucky enough to experience her boundless energy, empathy and optimism firsthand, for 40 years. We worked side by side for most of that time as the publisher and editor of MR, the magazine that embodies Karen’s vision of how to report on, cheerlead, and love the men’s business, all in one package.

When we first worked together in 1986, Karen was the editor of Accessories Magazine. At that time, she was the mom of three children, all under the age of 10. She was getting paid for three days a week, but often worked every day, including weekends, to produce the best and most compelling content for designers and buyers of women’s handbags, fashion jewelry, gloves, hats, scarves, and more. Sound familiar? It’s because that same obsessive work ethic endures to this day and drives her to produce magazines that connect professionally and emotionally with readers. It might also be a quality inherited from her dad, Mac Alberg.

Mac was a long-time executive at Macy’s who rose to the position of VP-GMM of Men’s at the store. When he retired from Macy’s at 71 years old, Mac joined Bounty Trading, where he worked for another 19 years. Even at nearly 90 years old, he was usually the first to arrive at his garment district office and spent his days tirelessly running around the city to make deals.

Karen worked on the sales floor at Macy’s and Bamberger’s during summers in high school and college. She then majored in French Education at Syracuse before spending two years living in Paris, which she considers her

“smartest decision ever.” She returned home to reconnect with a college boyfriend “since my parents were panicking that at the ripe old age of 23, I was not yet married!” Although that relationship fizzled, it led her to some wonderful NYC opportunities including the executive training program at Bloomingdale’s and a “plum job” at Retail Week magazine, a trade publication for retail execs, and then to Business Journals, where MR was born.

When asked about the formula that led to MR’s longevity and success for 35 years, she said, “I think it was more chemistry than formula. It was a labor of love. It was Stu’s strong business sense and my unbridled optimism. It was a combination of mutual respect and understanding: we both had fathers in the menswear business, so we both grew up with men’s clothing. It was the challenge of launching a new magazine in a

Karen and Stu: Work colleagues for 40 years and still great friends…

competitive market that thought they didn’t need us. We had a lot to prove! We both had strong opinions on numerous issues, arguing for what we believed in but always willing to compromise. Most importantly, we both have an innate ability to connect with all kinds of people on a genuine level, and we loved getting to know the interesting and colorful retailers and manufacturers in the menswear universe. It was hard work, but we loved every minute, strongly supported by Business Journals’ Mac Brighton and Britton Jones, who trusted and believed in us for 30 years, treating us as entrepreneurs and giving us a secure sense of ownership.”

But it was never just about business for Karen. Her most endearing quality is her empathy. She has been a wonderful friend to those going through tough times, but it’s much more than that. Her sharing and caring seem boundless. In New York, she’s the person who hardly misses a chance to give money, food, or whatever she can to unhoused and seemingly helpless individuals on the street, never expecting anything in return. Countless designers can tell you that her support has helped them get recognized and grow. Others regularly call her for advice and counsel. She donates her time to teach classes at both F.I.T. and Parsons whenever asked. She’s actively involved in Donate Life CT, an organization that does so much to promote organ donation. This note from David and Ellen Levy of Levy’s in Nashville says it all:

“Karen’s honor is perhaps the most well-deserved MR Award ever. She is the heart and soul of the menswear industry. Her exceptional dedication and passion bring enthusiasm and joy to all those who have

creativity, empathy, ambition, wit, and seemingly endless amounts of energy, Karen connects and inspires like no one else. She’s a fantastic conversationalist, a tenacious and genuinely curious reporter, a generous and insightful teacher, and an overall good egg human being who lights up every room she speed-walks into. She’s just so special, and I feel blessed to have learned from her, both at work and beyond.”

Karen is a great mom and grandmother as well. She strives to fit in as much time as possible with her sons, Mike and Dan, and her five grandchildren: Victoria, age 12, Max, age 11, JJ, age 9, Benjamen, age 8, and Emma, age 7, while also spending quality time with her husband Terry (who tries his best to accommodate her crazy schedule) and good friends. Here are some of her responses to other things we discussed:

How do you stay relevant in an industry that keeps getting comparatively younger?

“I don’t know that I am relevant. I’m very technology-challenged and can’t even set up a Zoom meeting! But what I lack in digital skills, I try to make up for in other ways. I believe my main talent is interviewing people and getting them to open up and share things they never intended to reveal. (Unfortunately, this has sometimes gotten me into trouble...). And I’m definitely not a fashion icon. I would most likely be in the Don’t column of a Fashion Do’s and Don’ts. My strength lies more in being a writer and a strong defender of the small creatives who don’t get the press they deserve.”

“Karen’s honor is perhaps the most well-deserved MR Award ever. She is the heart and soul of the menswear industry.”

—David & Ellen Levy

had the opportunity to work with her. Over the course of many years, it has become abundantly clear that she gives not just her time, but her complete devotion to improving and communicating fairly about the menswear industry in the most professional and unbiased manner. Karen’s relentless commitment to excellence, the energy she pours into every task, and the care she shows towards friendships and relationships are truly inspiring.”

And she gets it back from her industry friends, too. Beyond the obvious fact that her longstanding relationships with key retailers have provided her insight into the business, even if off-the-record, the true value of these connections is more personal. “When my daughter Erica was enrolled in numerous rehab programs in the South and was in need of anything, from a ride to a doctor’s office or for legal advice, I was able to contact Keith Kinkade or Billy Neville or Arthur Pulitzer or David Rubenstein or Myron Goldberg or David Perlis, all of whom were always there for me. I will never forget their kindness.”

And from her colleagues, too. Many individuals who have worked for or with Karen have maintained that valuable relationship long after they have left. Now an acclaimed author of children’s books, Adriana Brad served as MR’s managing editor for many years. Her marriage to former Macy’s executive Glen Schanen, whom she met through her job, was one of the perks of working for the magazine.

“How lucky I was to experience Karen as my first boss! Full of sparkle,

You also edited the magazines sent by the Forum Group stores to their best customers for many years. What did you gain from that experience?

“To think we did this project together for over two decades—amazing! For me, the best parts were getting to know and engage with the incredibly smart and personable entrepreneurs, visiting their beautiful stores across the country (while eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts and playing Liar’s Poker on the bus), and learning so much from them. I was always in awe of how they managed to mix work and play, making it seem as if they were having fun, even when they were doing some serious problem-solving. The love, respect, and genuine friendships within the group are very special.

“The other great thing for me was that Forum was a lifestyle magazine, so I had the opportunity to write about topics other than clothing. And so I did, covering food, wine, travel, art, and books, interviewing sports stars like Pete Sampras, Payne Stewart, and Shaquille O’Neal. What wonderful decades those were!”

What was your most contentious/toughest interview?

“I had the privilege of interviewing New York City mayor Ed Koch, when he was striving to bring manufacturing back to the Garment Center. That morning, on my way from Connecticut to City Hall, I read an article in The New York Times about the ridiculous amounts of money parents were spending on birthday parties for their kids. So stupidly, ignoring the questions I’d prepared, I asked the mayor how it feels to be the leader of

a city where parents spend hundreds of dollars on kids’ birthday parties while thousands of homeless people stand in long lines for food. He looked me right in the eye and responded without hesitation: ‘You don’t like it? Move to Russia!’ The interview went downhill from there but as I was leaving, I remembered to ask him to sign a printed program from my son’s recent school play in which he (Michael Grossman, then age 8) played the role of Ed Koch. Gone was all anger and animosity as Koch, smiling all the way, wrote a long, lovely note to Michael, congratulating him on his performance and wishing him a successful career, be it acting or politics. Lesson learned: Start all interviews on a positive note and save the controversy until you’re ready to leave.”

Most enjoyable interview:

“My many interviews with Ron Wurtzburger from Peerless were always a delight! He is so smart, so funny, with such colorful stories and wonderful insights into the men’s clothing business and the array of characters involved. Although some of his stories were unfit for publication, I had no trouble writing about Ron’s extreme generosity—be it donating to various causes, offering wise advice to those in need, or the many acts of kindness he made possible over the years.”

Most interesting celebrity interview:

“George Clinton from the 1970s band Parliament/Funkadelic. I was supposed to meet this highly recognizable rock star at a hotel near Bryant Park, but when I called the phone number I’d been given, no one answered. I then knocked on the hotel room door. Eventually, I heard footsteps, and the door opened. I was met by a clearly stoned and smiling guy with long, multi-colored dreads, wearing cool, grungy clothes. With a strong scent of marijuana overtaking the tiny room, I suggested we do the interview outdoors to avoid asphyxiation. We walked around the park arm-in-arm for a good two hours, subject to nonstop photographs, handshakes, and hugs from beautiful female fans. With so much attention from passersby, I felt like a celebrity myself. As for the interview recording, I was unable to make much sense of it, but at least we got a colorful MR cover shot.”

Any other charismatic characters in your career?

“I wish you’d asked me this question when my memory was still working! Some of my favorite interviews were with industry execs who, despite their powerful positions, were surprisingly down-to-earth. Bloomingdale’s CEO Marvin Traub, among the first to treat retail as theater with his storewide country promotions, was on his way to a Harvard/Yale football game but took the time for a breakfast interview at his beautiful Manhattan townhouse. Tommy Hilfiger graciously entertained my 9-year-old daughter

Erica and my niece Chasen in his showroom on the first-ever Take Your Daughter to Work Day, posing for photos and letting the girls design outfits on his CAD computers.

“I loved my interview with brilliant suit maker Martin Greenfield who had me in tears hearing about his Holocaust experience. Martin’s backstory, his genuine passion for clothing, and the loving way he danced with his wife Arlene at IACDE dinners truly touched my heart. And Stanley Marcus, of Neiman Marcus, in the city for a book signing at the Oxxford store, wanted to know if the pinstriped suit he was wearing (selected by his wife) was perhaps a bit too bold. This turned out to be the last interview he gave before his passing, and I cherish the memories of our time together. (His bold striped suit was perfect, by the way...)

“My first interview with Pete Nordstrom was also memorable: He shared tales of his early years in the ladies’ shoe department and the arguments between teenage girls who wanted to buy sexy heels and the moms who insisted on practical flats. ‘Everything I ever needed to know about women, I learned on that selling floor at Nordstrom,’ he told me.

“Then there was Clara Hancox from DNR, who at the end of her life invited favored guests (Phil Miller, Joseph Abboud, Cecile Platovsky) to private luncheons at her Village apartment. I learned so much from Clara, including how to be fearless as an interviewer, always asking the difficult questions. (It’s something I still struggle with; how I wish she were still around to inspire me...)

“There were also David Rappaport from the neckwear business, who tried to teach me to be organized; Gary Kellman from Lord&Taylor, who taught me to lighten up and laugh; George Zimmer from Men’s Wearhouse, whose friendly ‘You’re going to like the way you look,’ belied his hardline political views, and Joseph Abboud, whose genuine passion for the business continues to inspire me...”

What is your biggest regret?

“That I never sat down one-on-one with Ralph Lauren. I suppose I was always too intimidated to ask him for an interview; by the time I finally gathered the courage, he was already less involved. (Ralph, if you’re reading this, are you ready?)”

The Legend award is a big one. How does it make you feel?

“Although I’m very flattered to receive it, I don’t feel like a legend. I think the team decided on Legend Award when they really meant Longevity Award, since this is my 36th year on MR. I wish there was room in these pages for me to recognize all the legendary retailers and manufacturers who are making a difference, in our industry and in our world.”

Where do you see MR in three years?

“I don’t have to worry about that. Today’s very talented team at Wainscot Media, led by Senior VP and Group Publisher, Lizette Chin, Charles Garone as Publisher, and Managing Editor John Jones, is well equipped to drive the magazine into the future, under the wise leadership of Mark and Carroll Dowden.”

Where do you see yourself three years from today?

“I hope to be somewhere on a sunny beach with my wonderful husband Terry, my fabulous family and amazing friends, an unlimited supply of a nice rosé wine, and all the books I haven’t had time to read these past 36 years...”

Industry Accolades for Karen

Congratulations, Karen, on this award!! You have consistently been one of the most positive voices in the industry, giving honest assessments, and respected advice as you have recognized the big and the small, the well-known and the unknown, the makers and the retailers, for many years. Know how well deserved it is, and how appreciated you are, and that it comes from everyone who knows you.

Most sincerely,

— David L Fisher, former VP Bloomingdale’s

We wanted to wish you congratulations on the amazing achievement of Legend award for you this year!! So well deserved and we are so beyond honored to have Raffi’s life celebrated together with you in this special evening. You were and are an instrumental part of our Raffi family and business. Your wonderful support to our father over the years, documenting all his creativity, passion, expression, and love of life helps his story and legacy live on forever. You are that person for so many in this industry, and your work has touched and helped the lives for all of us, you truly are a legend!

We are thrilled that you will be celebrated and honored with this award. We are wishing you so much love and success! Congratulations and we cannot wait to celebrate with you!

With love,

— Arlette, Limor, Shirley, & Kareen, Raffi

Special Congratulations to Karen Alberg on receiving the First Ever Legend Award. Your unending energy, high spirits and love for this industry continue to amaze me.

— Vince Marrone, Paisley&Gray

Congratulations Karen! It is an honor indeed to have you in the menswear industry and to know you from this wonder-filled journey as a beautiful friend. You are most appreciated and loved by all of us for the extraordinary work you put in for all of us, non-stop. Thank you so much for all you do.

— Ruth Graves, S.T.E.P. USA

Karen, I am so excited to learn about your award, which is so well deserved. I’m proud of you and very grateful for our friendship over so many years.

— Joseph Abboud

I am so thrilled that MR is honoring you at the July Awards Dinner. I truly appreciate all you have done for Shaia’s and for the menswear community.

— JL Shaia, Shaia’s

Karen, you are a creative and a philosopher about many things. I, for one, love your talents in our field of fashion. I appreciate that your soul is always searching for truth and goodness in the human race. You have a special gift for humanity.

Sincerely,

— Fred Bessinger, Pockets

Well, you are officially a Big Macha now; it’s so well deserved!

— Robert Stock, Stock Collection

Karen, Just read about your forthcoming award. So well deserved! A great tribute for all you have done for this industry.

— Myron Goldberg

Hi Karen, it’s been a very long time, but it was important for me to reach out with my personal regards. It was so wonderful to hear of your very special recognition receiving the Legend Award. What a wonderful acknowledgement of the incredible impact you have made on so many in this industry.

You are truly the heart of MR, and an inspiration to so many.

Congratulations!

— Rick Luft

Proud of you and well deserved.

— Joe Barrato

Congratulations Karen on this incredibly well-deserved honor. You’ve been such a guiding force in the industry: it’s only fitting that you’re receiving the very first legend award. Your passion, voice and vision have shaped MR into what it is today; your unwavering support of specialty retailers like Drinkwater’s has never gone unnoticed.

Thank you for always championing the independent spirit and for shining a light on the stories that matter. Here’s to you and your remarkable journey and legacy.

— Gary and Teresa Drinkwater, Drinkwater’s

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FINE & DANDY

QUIET LUXURY IS DEAD. LONG LIVE QUIET LUXURY.

By John Russel Jones

There has been significant discussion in the media about the death of quiet luxury, a trend characterized by wearing classic, comfortable, well-made clothing that doesn’t shout 15-minute fame, fast fashion trends, or designer motifs. This trend was most closely associated with the wardrobe of the characters from the hit HBO series Succession, defined by neutral palettes, classic silhouettes, and sumptuous fabrics. As the show itself concluded in 2023, the fashion industry, ever hungry for change, started to shift its focus to louder, statement-making clothes that encouraged personal expression and “look-at-me” ensembles. Designer Willy Chavarria—known for his voluminous silhouettes, large floral embellishments, and Chicano aesthetic—has been quoted as saying, “Everyone is pretty much bored with fashion as it is. Luxury is looking for something to excite people.”

With that philosophy in mind, the timing of the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute (running through October 26th, 2025) couldn’t have been better. The show primarily focuses on Black style, but as the exhibition text states, “A dandy is defined as someone who ‘studies above everything else to dress elegantly and fashionably.’” One illustration at the very beginning of the exhibit demonstrates the roots of “macaroni,” the term

for a fashionable man that most of us grew up unknowingly celebrating in the song Yankee Doodle Dandy. Conspicuous consumption is a recurring theme. The exhibit features historical artifacts and clothing (including a Brooks Brothers jacket!), as well as the work of contemporary Black designers such as Virgil Abloh, Dapper Dan, and Wales Bonner, much of which is statement-making and over-the-top.

As a fashion critic, I’ve been a bit on edge, anticipating past fashion cycles when more ostentatious styles could easily slip into bad taste in the wrong hands. That’s why I was particularly pleased to see some of the first photos from Pitti this June. The Pitti Peacocks have struck the perfect balance between refined elegance and subtle self-expression. I can see these ensembles inspiring savvy retailers’ buys for the coming season and providing valuable direction for stylists and sales associates. The hues are colorful yet understated. Silhouettes validate the return of the suit, worn in ways that are both formal and expressively casual. Neckwear has returned, presented as an elegant option, not a dreaded imperative. The double-breasted jacket and a loosened silhouette make it all look easy, comfortable, and downright cool. We can all sigh a collective sigh of relief. In an uncertain economy, there will still be new, fresh clothes to sell that also have a bit of staying power, achieving a perfect balance of fashion and style. Whew!

MICHAEL

BUGATCHI CONGRATULATES THE HONOREES OF THE 18TH ANNUAL MR AWARDS, WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS CONTINUE TO SHAPE AND INSPIRE THE FUTURE OF MENSWEAR.