MR Magazine July 2022

JULY 2022 MR AWARDS SPECIAL EDITION • ISSUE NO.1 • VOL. 32

CELEBRATING RESILIENCE AND REINVENTION

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CONTENTS 10 Editor’s Letter Resilience and Reinvention, on Steroids!

THE MENSWEAR INDUSTRY’S MAGAZINE

14 Jamie Salter, ABG MR Awards 2022 Brand Builder of the Year

18 Louis DiGiacomo, Saks Fifth Avenue MR Awards 2022 Menswear Merchant of the Year Luxury Department Store

24 Shannon Stewart, Harry Rosen MR Awards 2022 Merchant of the Year Specialty Menswear Store

28 Jeff Halberstadt, Halberstadt’s/J.H. & Sons MR Awards 2022 People's Choice Retailer

32 Gary Williams, The Gary Williams Showroom MR Awards 2022 People's Choice Sales Professional

36 Sharifa Murdock, Kith MR Awards 2022 Philanthropic Leadership

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN DIGITAL & STYLE EDITOR JOHN RUSSEL JONES CREATIVE DIRECTORS NANCY CAMPBELL TREVETT MCCANDLISS

ADVERTISING GROUP PUBLISHER LIZETTE CHIN ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHARLES GARONE

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGERS LAURIE GUPTILL, FERN MESHULAM MARKETING & PRODUCTION SPECIALIST CATHERINE ROSARIO OFFICE MANAGER PENNY BOAG ACCOUNTING KASIE CARLETON, URSZULA JANECZKO

ADVISORY BOARD TINA ANIVERSARIO NORDSTROM JUSTIN BERKOWITZ BLOOMINGDALE’S SAM GLASER STITCHED

40 Fred Derring, Lee Leonard, Virginia Sandquist, DLS Apparel Group MR Awards 2022 Hall of Fame

44 JL Shaia, Shaia’s MR Awards 2022 Lifetime Achievement

KARL-EDWIN GUERRE NO CHASER/GUERRISMS KATIE LIU & MICHAEL KREIMAN BLACK DOG 8 SHOWROOM ALAN LEINEN HALLS STEVE PRUITT BLACKS RETAIL

WAINSCOT MEDIA CHAIRMAN CARROLL V. DOWDEN PRESIDENT & CEO MARK DOWDEN

56 Final Thoughts A look to the future

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER/VICE PRESIDENT STEVEN RESNICK SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS RITA GUARNA, CARL OLSEN VICE PRESIDENTS LIZETTE CHIN, NIGEL EDELSHAIN, THOMAS FLANNERY, COLEMAN MCCARTAN, MARIA REGAN, DIANE VOJCANN

CORPORATE OFFICE ONE MAYNARD DRIVE, PARK RIDGE, NJ 07656

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Illustrations by Bela Jude, @belajude77

MR MAGAZINE (ISSN 1049-6726) IS PUBLISHED BY WAINSCOT MEDIA, 1 MAYNARD DRIVE, PARK RIDGE, NJ 07656. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: TO CHANGE AN ADDRESS OR REQUEST A SUBSCRIPTION, WRITE TO: SUBSCRIPTIONS, MR MAGAZINE, 1 MAYNARD DRIVE, PARK RIDGE, NJ 07656; TELEPHONE: 201-573-5541. ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: CONTACT LIZETTE CHIN AT 201.571.2077 OR LIZETTE.CHIN@WAINSCOTMEDIA.COM. COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY WAINSCOT MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 32, ISSUE 1.

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Dear Shannon, From our beloved Solomeo, I send you my esteemed congratulations on this deserved recognition as an honorable and innovative merchant for mankind.

I wish you continued success in this life’s journey,

www.brunellocucinelli.com

Brunello Cucinelli

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE MR AWARDS HONOREES AS WE PUT THE NEW BACK INTO THE NY MEN’S MARKET WEEK

SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL MENSWEAR | SUN & MON | JULY 17 & 18 METROPOLITAN PAVILION | 125 WEST 18TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY HOURS: SUN, 9AM - 6PM AND MON, 9AM - 5PM | SOCIETYNYCSHOW.COM

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our warmest congratulations to the 2022 honorees

shannon stewart, harry rosen, merchant of the year: specialt y menswear store louis digiacomo, saks fifth avenue, menswear merchant of the year: luxury department store

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EDITORʼS LETTER

RESILIENCE & REINVENTION, ON STEROIDS!

AFTER A THREE-YEAR hiatus, all of us at MR are delighted to reinstate our MR Awards Dinner, this our 15th edition with a theme of Resilience & Reinvention. Our 2022 honorees truly epitomize these traits, as their profiles in this journal clearly indicate.

While many industry executives retrenched during the pandemic, Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group (a near-$22 billion business) made some major investments in menswear, buying up heritage brands including Reebok, Izod, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Hart Schaffner Marx, and others. Thank you, Jamie, for your confidence in menswear and the investments you’re making to elevate so many legacy brands.

Louis DiGiacomo, Saks Fifth Avenue’s highly respected VP/GMM, is spearheading a complete reinvention of Saks’ menswear business, with a new emphasis on designer ready-to-wear, luxury streetwear, accessories, footwear and made-to-measure. A central staircase

connecting the flagship’s two menswear floors has created a comprehensive menswear world, encouraging men to explore and show off their style.

At Harry Rosen, Chief Product Officer Shannon Stewart used the precarious pandemic years to test new concepts.

Although extensive government shutdowns in Canada could have decimated their business (14 full-price stores and 3 outlets, with a fourth soon to open), Shannon and team used this time to launch an extensive new custom clothing program, an off-price online division, and to build e-commerce, already 20 percent of total volume and growing fast.

While many independent menswear merchants were closing stores, Jeff Halberstadt was opening new ones, now totaling seven locations in four different states. His vision is to bring to secondary markets all the fashion excitement of major metropolitan cities, and to introduce a new generation to the joys of dressing well. “Affluent shoppers know what’s happening in fashion; if we don’t give it to them, they can easily buy it somewhere else.”

For Gary Williams, building a successful showroom business was no piece of cake, but with his exceptional taste level, strong relationships with retailers and brands, and pure perseverance, he made it happen. When COVID hit, he had the foresight to predict how business would change, closing his high-rent physical showroom to focus on virtual selling and trade shows.

For Sharifa Murdock, who started selling at Atrium as a teenager, then returned after college as store manager, then co-launched with mentor Sam Ben-Avraham two innovative trade shows (Project and Liberty), it’s now

about giving back. Working with Ronnie Fieg at Kith, their foundation’s mission is to fortify the culture that helped them build their business, a worthy goal indeed.

Anyone who knows Hall of Fame honorees Fred, Lee and Virginia of DLS Apparel, will confirm there are no harder workers anywhere. Pounding the pavement for the past 42 years to service their 100+ specialty store clients, these menswear aficionados do whatever it takes to get their retail clients whatever they need: from exclusive product to discounted prices to marketing materials to life-affirming trips to Pitti Uomo. Ask them about anything menswear, they have the answers.

Finally, our Lifetime Achievement winner, JL Shaia (his namesake store in Homewood, Alabama just celebrated a century in business) epitomizes what it takes to create a future while respecting the past. A master at relationship-building through his 65 years working at the store, JL has recently passed the torch to his son Ken, even though the two are complete opposites. Ken quotes John C. Maxwell: “A successful person finds the right place for himself; a successful leader finds the right place for others.

My dad models this philosophy for me every day. I’m trying to master it but I’m not there yet.”

Humility, drive, passion, curiosity, creativity, resilience, and the courage to reinvent, these are the traits we celebrate at this year’s MR Awards Dinner. Thanks to all our wonderful retailer and vendor friends for helping us reach MR’s 32nd year and 15th Awards Dinner. We could never have done it without you!

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M R 2022 B R A N D B U I L D E R O F T H E Y E A R

J A M I E S A LT E R AU T H E N T IC B RA NDS G ROU P

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

Perceptive, intuitive, and self-assured, Jamie Salter taught himself the licensing business, built a global empire, and keeps expanding. By Karen Alberg Grossman

VEN IF YOU don’t know Jamie Salter, you surely know many of his iconic ABG brands. These include Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, Greg Norman, Eddie Bauer, Nautica, Izod, Lucky Brand, Nine West, Jones New York, Van Heusen, Arrow, Brooks Brothers, Barneys New York, Hickey Freeman, Hart Schaffner Marx, and many more highly recognizable names.

At a very youthful 59 (wearing a Muhammad Ali ‘Roots of Fight’ jacket and white Classic Leather Reeboks), ABG founder, chairman and CEO Jamie Salter looks more like a cool street kid than a hot shot exec. But make no mistake: this is a savvy and very shrewd entrepreneur who, in just over a decade, built a brand business that generates nearly $22 billion in annual sales. Known to dream big, risk big, and donate big to many worthy causes, Salter graciously shares with MR some success secrets.

“I’ve been buying and building branded companies since I was 17,” Salter begins. “I started out working with a large Canadian sporting goods company. I’d sell them stuff and they’d tell me that while my stuff was nice, they wanted more brands, better brands, bigger brands… So I went out and started buying brands, soon realizing it was a pretty good business: you buy a brand for x, you license it, and you collect royalties. With little formal training in finance, I’d make a deal that turned $30 million into $85 million, and thought that was pretty cool...”

Salter soon started doing business with Hilco, a major liquidator.

“I asked the CEO, ‘What do you guys do with the brands you

buy out of bankruptcy?’ He looked at me strangely and replied, ‘We don’t do anything with the brands: we sell off the inventory and it’s over…’ I asked him if he ever thought of adding value to the intellectual property. ‘It’s not worth anything,’ he told me, because back then, the banks valued inventory, receivables, and hard assets but never the brand name. That’s when I thought I might be on to something…”

Salter soon bought into the business; his first acquisition was the Halston brand. “We paid Jim Ammeen $22 million and we licensed it out. Then we bought Sharper Image, another homerun; then Polaroid, Bombay, Linens & Things, Caribbean Joe, Ellen Tracy… All of a sudden, we had lots of royalties coming in…

“The problem was that we had numerous investors for every deal: I had to go to 24 different Board meetings and was driving myself crazy. So I went to Hilco’s founder and CEO and suggested we roll all the companies into one, with one CFO, one CMO, and a team of brand managers to create a more efficient business model.

I even offered to buy him out; a week later, I was fired.

“It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.

I founded ABG in 2010 with my son Corey who was just graduating from Western University. We vowed that every brand we’d ever buy would be ‘authentic’ and global. In partnership with LGP (Leonard Green and Partners) who provided a $250 million line of credit, we started the company. We couldn’t ask for better private equity partners. From LGP, Black Rock, General Atlantic, and GIC to CVC and HPS, each has helped us get where we are today. I’m grateful to Jon Sokoloff, John Seiffer, and Usama Cortas for believing in our vision since the beginning.

And to this day, 12 years and 36 transactions later, they remain our longtime partners, and close confidants.”

Asked how ABG has succeeded with this licensing model when others have struggled, Salter affirms that it’s all about choosing the right partners. “You must select a best-in-class partner and

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set the tier of distribution parallel or higher than where it was when you bought it. (You can always come down, it’s much harder to go up…). I’ve also learned that limited distribution means more sales, as unlikely as that sounds. With fewer competitors in the market, retailers will back the higher-margin brand where they can make the most money.”

Although he could surely teach business school after so many years of hands-on dealmaking, Salter dropped out of college after three years. “I was having more fun working at my part-time jobs than going to classes. That said, I believe strongly in getting a good education, in learning the fundamentals in subjects like economics and law. School also teaches you organizational skills, which in my opinion is half the battle. Kids today think they’re too smart to write things down; why should they learn math or spelling when there are calculators and auto-correct? But I strongly believe in learning the basics.”

Clearly, Salter has learned from some wise mentors. “Although he’s no longer around, Jerry Sprackman, a wonderful man who was a big shot in Canadian real estate, taught me many fundamentals. He’d say, ‘Whatever you can finish today, you won’t have to do tomorrow.

So don’t leave your office until you complete your to-do list. What you can’t finish today, put on top of your list for tomorrow. And make sure to write everything down in a daily planner.”

Michael Rubin from Fanatics is another powerful mentor. “I have enormous respect for Michael. He always reminds me, ‘Jamie, they’re just zeroes: don’t be afraid of the zeroes.’ Because when you’re doing big deals, it’s common to get freaked out by such big numbers. But Michael helped me understand that the big deals are essentially the same as the small ones. In fact, big deals often take less work because the operations around them are more sophisticated and go more smoothly.” alter cites David Simon, his current real estate partner, as another compelling mentor.

“Tough as nails, David is the most respected guy in real estate today. He’s taught me that a deal is always a deal, a contract is a contract, so when you make it, you keep it. He also taught me the value of location: that in a mall, you want to be in the center. And the importance of diversified portfolios: don’t license out too much of a brand to one company: the more you license a la carte, the more stable and valuable the brand becomes.”

Asked which of his many brands is his favorite, Salter admits to loving Marilyn. “I loved her before, and I love her even more now.”

A testament to her eternal relevance is the recent sale of Warhol’s iconic Marilyn painting for $195 million, which Salter regrets he didn’t bid on. We then discuss how well Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn’s famous “Happy Birthday Mr. President” gown to the Met Museum Gala, and how delighted Kim should be to have scored the

WE DECIDED THAT IF THE PANDEMIC WAS GOING TO END THE WORLD, WE’D BE OUT OF BUSINESS ANYWAY, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL GO ALL IN.

JAMIE SALTER

cover of the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

But while Andy, Marilyn, and Kim are trendy topics of conversation, Salter prefers to talk about his family. “To have all four of my boys (ages 25-33) in the business with me now is very special. I’ve always been a family man: despite my long hours, I made sure to spend weekends and vacations with my wife and kids. Of course, after 35 years, my wife Sheryl remains the center of my world, making it possible for me to do what I do every day. Although she doesn’t like the hours I put in, she accepts our roles and is clearly the heart and soul of the Salter family. I must say that my boys, while they don’t work as hard as I do, have figured out how to work smarter.

And I’ve come to understand that a work-life balance is a good thing! The other good thing is that each of my sons has a different area of expertise—leadership, marketing, event planning, business development—so there’s minimal competition among them.”

Asked if it’s true that his mom (Eitta) sometimes shows up in the office, Jamie rolls his eyes and smiles. “Yes, she shows up. And she walks around the office sharing stories about how, when I was a baby, our family doctor (based on the way I played with blocks) diagnosed me with a learning disability and told her that while I have all 10 fingers and toes, I was unlikely to become a rocket scientist. She loves telling that story; everyone’s heard it multiple times! But I believe there’s an important message there: if you find your passion and work hard at it, you can be successful. Don’t ever let anyone dissuade you from chasing your dreams.”

Practicing what he preaches, Salter keeps pursuing his dream of becoming the biggest and best licensing company in the world.

(ABG is now second only to Disney.) “It takes a combination of product, strategy, branding, marketing, and distribution. But it

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David Beckham, Jamie Salter, and Patrick Mahomes.

starts with product: if you don’t have that right, it doesn’t matter what you do with the rest. Years back, we made mistakes so now we’re incredibly careful when choosing partners. Early on, Nick Woodhouse, a former retailer, friend, and now partner in ABG, would say to me, ‘I wouldn’t buy that product from that manufacturer,’ and, I’d ask ‘So why are we licensing it to them?’

Or he’d say, ‘I wouldn’t buy from that store’ and I’d wonder, ‘So why are we selling to them?’ After a few mistakes, we learned how to choose the right partners. Today, we’ve got more than 1200 of them and a global default rate of less than 1 percent. Another lesson I learned from Nick is to go with the best partner, not the highest dollar. The best partner might not offer the biggest guarantee but will, over time, end up bringing more value and ultimately making more money. Nick also taught me not to be greedy: if you think you can sell 100 units, go after 95. You don’t have to get every nickel off the table. Starving the market often creates higher demand.”

Asked how he assesses which brands to buy, Salter rattles off a list of prerequisites: it needs to be big (minimum $1 billion in retail sales) and global; it needs to be on sale for a good reason, and it needs “a strong heartbeat.” Case in point, he explains, is ABG’s recent $2.4 billion purchase of Reebok from Adidas. “Adidas learned a lot from owning Reebok: they bought it, studied it and copied it for years: if Reebok was in basketball, Adidas jumped into basketball; if Reebok was in hockey, same thing. Reebok was great for Adidas which is why they’re a mega-business today. I grew up with Reebok and knew we could pull everything out of the archives and just let Reebok be Reebok. We bought it in August ’21 and took control at the end of February; we’ve already seen a 20 percent lift, with 40 percent gains projected for the first 18 months…”

Going forward, Salter says ABG is focused on entertainment and lifestyle brands; they’re also looking into kids and animation.

“While we won’t likely do another $2.4 billion deal in the immediate future, we’re always ready to pounce on good opportunities. Even a $10 billion deal wouldn’t scare me if we could get the numbers to work…”

As for his crystal ball on men’s business, Salter is optimistic. “Had you asked me in 2020, we were plenty nervous. The whole world was working from home and dressing casual; even Jarrod Weber (ABG’s fashion-savvy Group President Lifestyle, Chief Brand Officer) would come to work wearing drawstring pants and we thought the tailored clothing business was over. But we had a hunch that people would eventually go back to the office and back to live events and when that happened, they’d want to look their best.

I had lots of talks with Alex Dillard, a great retail partner, who assured me that he’d seen this before and that tailored would come back strong. I asked if he was sure: I mean we were about to buy Brooks Brothers… And he pointed out that it was and still is one of the best men’s brands out there and we were buying it for a fraction of what we would have paid the year before. He advised me to develop the sportswear, maybe balancing it 50/50 with tailored. (If you look at Dillards’ numbers, they’re absolutely crushing it in tailored clothing!)”

So despite much pandemic uncertainty, Salter took some big risks. “We decided that if Covid was going to end the world, we’d be out of business anyway, so we might as well go all in.

So we bought several big brands over the past 12 months: Reebok, Lucky, Izod, Van Heusen, Arrow, Geoffrey Beene, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, David Beckham… These were calculated risks that turned out well. Brooks Brothers is up 60 percent year over year and Lucky is up 53 percent. We’re definitely getting some big wins. But we’re feeling a little pressure with younger shoppers; Aeropostale and Forever 21, for example, are facing some challenges. But minor ones!”

Ever the optimist, Salter’s energy and intuition will surely serve him well as ABG prepares to file an IPO in the next year or two.

Confirms Jarrod Weber, “Working for Jamie, a brilliant deal-maker who can outthink anyone, you know you’re going to win.”

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M R 2022 L U X U R Y D E PA R T M E N T S T O R E MENSWEAR MERCHANT OF THE YEAR

LOUIS DiGIACOMO SA KS F IF TH AV E NU E

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

A merchant’s merchant: growing the business and inspiring the team. By Karen Alberg Grossman

OUIS DiGIACOMO, SVP/GMM OF MEN’S at Saks Fifth Avenue, admits he fell in love with retailing from the first college information session he attended at SUNY Albany, where he studied marketing and accounting. “I hadn’t considered retailing, but I did love shopping, having spent virtually every weekend of my childhood at the mall with my mom, three sisters and a handful of friends. After that first info session my senior year, I landed an internship over Christmas break in the gift department of the Fifth Avenue store. From the first moment on the selling floor, I fell totally in love with it: assisting customers, merchandising assortments, just feeling the energy. Not only was it exciting and constantly changing, but it combined my two passions, finance and fashion. I knew right away that this was for me!”

Over the years, his initial passion only intensified. “The leadership and culture at Saks inspire me to excel, both personally and professionally. Our CEO Marc Metrick and I have been working together for almost 25 years; we started within a year of each other and the way he’s led the recent transition is truly admirable. (Editor’s note: Metrick was responsible for Saks spinning off its digital business last year, a move that allows Saks to “win additional shoppers and cater to them differently.”)

“Marc leads by example in everything he does,” adds Louis.

“Anything he suggests to us, he does himself. His passion and

enthusiasm are infectious: when he talks in meetings about our strategy, I actually leave with goosebumps. He always makes us feel that Saks is number one and encourages excitement about our future.

“Chief Merchandising Officer Tracy Margolies has been another powerful mentor. She’s always challenging me to aim higher, to take more risks. She’s taught me that sometimes you go with your gut, rather than strictly by analytics. What’s more, she’s a big proponent of work/life balance, always checking in and offering support. I’ve learned so much from her.

“And, of course, I’ve learned from Tom Ott, a colleague and great friends for 25 years. Since the beginning, Tom has always told me to ‘be a partner in our business, be yourself and have fun.’

These three simple principles have guided me through my career.”

Humble and unpretentious, personable and approachable, Louis finds nothing unusual about sticking with a company for 27 years, through several administrations and numerous ups and downs. “It’s my personality: I’m very dedicated,” he explains. “I’ve always felt grateful for the opportunities Saks gave me early on when I had no retail experience, and for the consistent core of Saks’ execs who continue to inspire me. Even during the toughest times, I never considered leaving because I felt a responsibility to stay. I’ve always looked at Saks as my company; I could never give up on it.”

This dedication and work ethic most likely comes from his dad.

“My dad (who still has no idea what I do) owned a fish store on the Upper East Side. As a kid, I used to work there during school holidays. My dad would sleep at the store during the week since

CORRECTION: Please note that the print version of this story misidentified Mr. DiGiacomo as Menswear VP/GMM, and Ms. Margolies’ title has been similarly amended.

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he had to wake up at the crack of dawn to place orders at the Fulton Fish Market and then do all the cleaning, gutting, and fileting early in the morning. I surely inherited his work ethic and learned from his frequent reminders that nothing in life would be handed to me; I’d always have to earn it.”

And earn it he has, gaining tremendous respect from menswear colleagues, both retailers and brands. Reflecting the thoughts of many, Jim Shay from Isaia praises Louis’ decisiveness and consistency. “Louis understands how to maximize partnerships in ways that ensure Saks’ business goals are achieved while honoring the vendor’s brand identity. He is decisive and has a consistent level-headed approach that inspires confidence. He builds loyalty both inside his organization and within the vendor community.”

Louis proudly talks about his current menswear business, which has been very strong. “I believe it’s grown since Covid because of the strategic investments we made before the pandemic. Essentially, we repositioned men’s with a greater focus on fashion, on categories we believed offered growth opportunity including designer readyto-wear, footwear and accessories.”

In addition to all the classic sartorial (mostly Italian) brands on the sixth floor, Saks devotes the entire seventh floor to more advanced designer collections and luxury streetwear. “It’s not an easy business,” he says of luxury streetwear. “This customer changes quickly: his preferred brands, his influences, his shopping behavior.

As a retailer, you need to read the pulse of what’s happening so you can act before the customer does. At luxury pricepoints, mistakes can be costly.”

Apparently, Louis has all fingers on the pulse. He describes the luxury streetwear customer as younger in both age and mindset. “He follows fashion trends, runway shows and social media; he shops both in-store and online; he knows what he wants. He’s influenced by many factors, especially sports and music. What athletes wear on game day, on draft day in Vegas, as they step onto a podium; what musicians wear for concerts and award shows, these messages are as important as runway shows and help us decide which trends to emphasize.”

He also explains how Saks’ classic customers and luxury streetwear customers are moving closer together. “Our classic/traditional sixth floor has evolved considerably these past few years. From a pre-pandemic highly penetrated power suit/shirt/tie offering, we’ve infused that business with more soft tailoring and elevated sportswear, a mix of sportscoats, fine-gauge knitwear, and outerwear that could comfortably take a guy from the office out to dinner and events.

We’ve devoted considerable effort to communicating this new look, not just with catalogs and digital messages but also with high-impact presentations on selling floors and well-versed style advisors. We realize this new look is very different from the old Business Casual, when guys all wore khakis and polos. This sophisticated new mix of

I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING SUPERCHARGED AND MOTIVATED, HOPING TO PASS THAT ENERGY TO MY TEAM…

LOUIS DiGIACOMO

easy tailoring and elevated sportswear is truly an art form, which needs to be communicated visually.”

Louis, in fact, loves wearing this modern mix. “I always wear sportcoats; I don’t feel complete without one. But my current sportcoats are much less structured than what I wore three years ago. And I’m mixing them with dress trousers, clean denim or elevated cargo pants, a sportshirt or knit polo or cashmere tee. I’m also loving nice, clean, soft leather loafers: after so many years of sneakers, it’s time to embrace all the new dress shoes and boots.”

Louis confides that what’s surprised him most is how dramatically the luxury collections have rebounded from peak-pandemic.

“This classic luxury customer was the first to stop shopping early in the pandemic and the last to return. But he’s now refreshing his wardrobe completely differently, with comfortable but extremely sophisticated softly tailored and elevated sportswear pieces. He’s also buying lots of made-to-measure, not just suits but also trousers and sportswear. Formalwear is also selling well, thanks to the well-publicized return of weddings and events.”

He also shares that at the same time the sixth floor was trending more casual, the seventh floor (renovation to be completed by fall) was trending dressier. “There’s a definite shift from joggers, hoodies and tees to dressier models, fabrics, colors and patterns.

This customer is fashion-driven and likely to seek out whatever’s new, including the more gender-fluid fashion seen on runways. He’s going out more—vacations, dinners, events—and his wardrobe is changing accordingly. By connecting our sixth and seventh floors via a central staircase and relocating a fabulous 8000 sq ft footwear department to the sixth floor, we’re seeing more customers shop both floors. This connectivity and cross-shopping is super

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exciting to watch.”

Louis admits, however, that this newly intense focus on designer can keep him up at night. “I worry about how to keep evolving this business,” he says. Other sources of sleepless nights: how to keep his menswear team as highly motivated and excited as he is. “I love Saks, I love what I do, and no matter what else is going on, I wake up every morning supercharged and motivated. I hope I’m passing this on to my team…”

And speaking of his team, although Louis says he is extremely “honored, delighted and amazed” to receive this year’s Retailer of the Year award, he’s not comfortable taking credit for recent successes in Saks’ menswear. “It’s my team that deserves the credit: I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without them and I’m extremely proud of their many achievements. Although it’s wonderful to be honored, the award does not define me.”

What does define him, emphatically, is his large and close-knit family.

“I was born and raised in Staten Island, where I still live. We’re super connected with both my family (my dad still lives down the street from me) and my wife’s family.”

He describes a typical day. “No day is what I’d call typical except for waking up at 4:15 a.m.; doing my little exercise routine and leaving the house at 5:00. The office is quiet at that hour so I get a lot done (and our European vendors love it because we talk at 6:00, midday for them.) Later in the morning, things get crazy, and I end up running in many directions. But because I start early, I’m generally home in time to have dinner with my family and participate in my kids’ activities. I jokingly call myself a Dance Dad because I’ve been to all my 13-year-old daughter Chloe’s dance competitions; I also love sharing my son Dylan’s activities but he’s now in college studying electrical engineering. My personal hobbies include cooking (I’m famous for my meat sauce: I’m happy to share my mom’s recipe but without exact quantities, you might need a few tries to get it right), gardening, and rooting for the NY Jets, NY Mets, and NY Knicks.

Fabulous footwear in Saks’ recently renovated flagship.

My wife Melissa and I enjoy travel and lately: visiting wineries and going to wine tastings. Melissa is the one who keeps me grounded, putting life in perspective when I’m overly focused on business…”

Which, of course, is often inevitable. At this writing, Louis is travelling in Milan and Paris, scouting out menswear trends for Spring ’23, and sourcing for the very successful Saks Fifth Avenue private label men’s collection. Says friend and former boss Tom Ott: “Louis is a merchant’s merchant — always in the market looking for the best product, spending weeks at a time in the finest showrooms and factories. He was instrumental in building Saks private label collection, designer sneaker dominance, and growing Saks’ men’s into a designer headquarters. But of all of Louis’s strong points, most notable is his intense devotion to the growth of his team, to his family, and to the industry he loves.”

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE CONGRATULATES

LOUIS DIGIACOMO MR Awards Menswear Merchant of the Year: Luxury Department Store And congratulations to all of this year’s honorees

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M R 2022 M E R C H A N T O F T H E Y E A R M E N ’ S S P E C I A LT Y S T O R E

S H A N N O N ST E WA R T H A R RY ROSE N

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

Merchant on a mission, Shannon Stewart takes on multi-platform challenges. By Karen Alberg Grossman

Y ALL ACCOUNTS, Shannon Stewart has come into her own as Rosen’s new Chief Product Officer. “She’s one of the best merchants out there,” says Eleventy’s Geoff Schneiderman.

“She’s taken all she’s learned over the years from previous GMM Jeff Farbstein and combined it with her own savvy instincts. She’s gained the confidence to make some big moves, leading the team through the lockdowns by maintaining her composure and sticking with the strategy. In her low-key unassuming way, she’s making a big difference.”

Shannon was studying fashion at Ryerson University in Toronto when she realized she needed some practical experience.

She began cold calling for unpaid internships. “Harry Rosen was one of my few call-backs,” she admits with a laugh. “They had someone on maternity leave and needed a replacement to do filing and swatching. I met with Larry Rosen who offered me a one-month position; he even offered to pay me minimum wage!

I took the job and fell in love with it: I’d done a lot of sewing in high school but had never seen such beautiful fabrics as those in menswear.” Her one-month position stretched through the summer and, when classes resumed, led to a part-time sales job at the Bloor Street store.

She confesses that she was extremely nervous at first. “I was young and female and knew nothing about menswear. Fortunately, the other sellers taught me some fundamentals: how to tie a bowtie, fold a pocket square, etc. The more I learned, the more I interacted with customers, the more I loved the job so when an opportunity arose on the buying team, I asked Larry if he’d take me on in a junior role.” He did, and she worked her way up step by step, mostly under the tutelage of Rosen’s dynamic GMM Jeff Farbstein.

“Jeff taught me the value of building relationships in the market; I witnessed time and time again how important that was. Whether or not it’s someone we currently do business with, that person could at some point prove useful. Jeff also taught me when to take calculated risks, when to make big bets, and when to ‘get off the train.’ I learned that when a trend starts to flatline, it’s just a matter of time before it fizzles. So do you stick with it and gradually phase it out or jump off and take your losses?

Figuring this out is both art and science, which is why I love my job. At least now, with an outlet option, we can jump off with minimal damage.”

Shannon cites Larry Rosen as her other important mentor.

“Aside for being forever grateful that he took a chance and hired me, I’ve learned from Larry to never stop learning. Larry devours books, documentaries, news. He’s a history buff; he’s always reading. He’s a wealth of knowledge on so many topics; I’m completely in awe of how much he knows.”

Asked how she survived the pandemic, both personally and professionally, Shannon responds without hesitation. “We survived by not taking our foot off the gas,” she proclaims. “We gave our customers multiple options and continued to service them however/whenever/wherever they wanted: in their homes, their offices, online. If they wanted to stand outside the store while we carried stuff back and forth to them, we did that too. Whatever it took, we just kept going…”

Not that it was easy. Shannon confides that of the 14 main line Harry Rosen stores, all 14 were closed at one point. Within Ontario, government-mandated shutdowns lasted more than 200 days! “It was a roller coaster,” she recalls. “As soon as we thought we’d be okay, we had to close again. But we kept on going, managing our inventory according to what we thought our customers would need, which obviously was lots of comfortable sportswear. So we got our hands on as many track pants and comfy tops as possible and that’s what sold. Of course, our sales were challenged but we had to keep servicing the needs of our clients.”

And using the pandemic as an opportunity to launch new

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Color is driving sales these days at Harry Rosen, perhaps a longing for happier times.

concepts, Harry Rosen launched a drop-ship program on grooming products: shaving, hair, fragrance. “We’d previously just scratched the surface of this huge industry, mostly with fragrance. We added a whole slew of brands and products that we didn’t necessarily carry in-store. Our other exciting launch during this time was a collaboration with the president of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, and designer Patrick Assaraf.

This was a capsule collection of athleisure items, with proceeds going to Black Youth Helpline (helping young people access services) and Water First (to support education in indigenous communities). This was not only a relevant capsule during a time of need but also a way to give back and maybe even attract a new audience.”

As for how she survived the pandemic personally, Shannon confides that she did just fine. “Slowing down proved to be a blessing. We were working virtually, we weren’t traveling, so I was able to spend more time with my 14-year-old daughter Ruby Jean (named for my grandmother), and my wonderful new husband. I brushed up on my cooking skills, learning that I not only enjoyed it but had a real passion for it.

(My mother worked when I was young, so my sister and I were charged with preparing

dinners…) Of course, I’m glad the pandemic has finally become more manageable, but I must admit the break brought me considerable joy.”

On the state of current business, Shannon says it’s rebounded nicely. “Of course, supply chain issues are still challenging: I used to complain that our industry was too slow, and now it’s slower than ever. We no longer have the luxury of reacting to trends; we’re forced to do more forecasting which, fortunately, is something I’m comfortable with. Like everyone else, our biggest problem lately is accessing enough suits, especially

for weddings and events. Luckily, we were in a decent inventory position to start with (we even attracted new customers because we had sizes) but we could have sold more.”

Among Rosen’s best sellers these days: colorful sportcoats, perhaps connoting happier times. “We’re seeing guys dressing up for events, sometimes in a suit and tie, sometimes in a sportcoat. But beyond events, guys seem generally excited about getting back into proper clothes—for dinners out, business travel, even vacations. They’re buying the whole outfit: a beautiful linen shirt to pair with swim trunks and pool slides. They’re starting to feel good about putting themselves together; they’re learning to wardrobe their lifestyles.”

Asked what she’s most excited about for fall, Shannon mentions a phenomenal shoe selection (beautiful dress shoes, sneakers, boot ‘wardrobes’), luxury sweaters that serve as jackets and sportscoats, and layering in general, mixing sportswear with tailored and outerwear pieces. Noting that many stores these days carry the same big brands, brands that are taking fewer fashion risks, Shannon talks up Harold, Rosen’s new private label brand. “With so much shopping online and competition among stores, this was our chance to offer exclusive fashion. We’d been noting a growing appetite for custom: not just for sizing but for personalization.

We’ve offered private label in the past but nothing as extensive or meaningful as Harold. We launched it with custom clothing: suits (opening retail under $1000, averaging $1200-$1400), jackets, trousers, outerwear.

Then for fall, we’ll bring in ready-to-wear:

WHEN IN DOUBT, IT’S BETTER TO BE OVERDRESSED THAN UNDERDRESSED.

SHANNON STEWART

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beautiful cashmere sweaters, made-in-Italy footwear and tailored clothing. It’s not necessarily opening price, but it’s top-quality luxury goods offering tremendous value.

(Editor’s note: Shannon is wearing a stylish custom suit; the personalized lining features photos of Ward, her very adorable French bulldog… “) Having invested aggressively in e-commerce, Shannon shares that online sales now contribute 20 percent to total store volume; the target is 35 percent. “We do offer some resources online that we don’t carry in-store, since we don’t always have enough inventory to supply both platforms.

Bottom line: we strongly believe in a digital platform. Yes, it takes a big investment but we’re seeing it pay off. Online is our fastest growing store.”

Shannon also oversees Rosen’s off-price component, both the three outlet stores (a fourth is opening this fall) and a new online venture called The Final Cut. The outlets, she explains, have two separate goals. “Outlet business is relatively untapped in Canada so we use this platform both to liquidate inventory from our full-price stores (fortunately, there’s not a lot of it these days) and to attract a customer who maybe can’t yet afford

full-price but is nonetheless an important customer. We have a separate buying team for the outlets and it’s a profitable business for us. The Final Cut business, which is off-price and online only, was launched just a few months ago and is already showing signs of success.” Interestingly, the inventory here is different from what’s in the outlet stores so off-price clients may well shop both platforms.

Shannon claims she doesn’t worry about full-price customers trading down. “It rarely happens. We have a tiny crossover in locations where a store is close to an outlet, but very minimal. And to be honest, at the end of the day, whether they shop full-price or outlet, current season or past, they’re still Harry Rosen clients and we work very hard to earn their loyalty.”

Shannon describes Rosen’s multi-platform mission: “We can’t be all things to all people, but our goal is to dress men correctly for today, and for the occasion. Dressing for today means dressing modern, not too forward or flashy but making room for self-expression. It’s what I love most about menswear: roots in tradition that allow continuity but can be tweaked for creativity.

I also believe that when in doubt, it’s better

to be overdressed than underdressed. What’s wrong with being the best-dressed person in the room?”

As for being a woman in menswear, Shannon believes it’s an asset in any business. “You have to have diversity at the decision-making table,” she maintains. “Collaboration leads to growth. Women generally bring a different level of empathy and for us, from a practical perspective, many of our clients are women.

Our sellers often stop to consider whether they’re selling the guy or his wife. Bottom line: every business should reflect the face of its customers; at Harry Rosen, 40 percent of our sellers are female.”

Known to be quiet and perhaps a bit shy, Shannon agrees with the assessment. “I like to observe before I comment.” Asked to describe herself further, she happily complies.

“At heart I’m a scientist, but I also trust my instinct. I love beautiful things and making order out of chaos: my road not taken would have been architecture or interior design.

I try to lead with kindness and integrity.

I don’t tout my successes because for me, success is simply being comfortable in my own skin, in my values, which are the same in business as in my personal life. What you see is what you get.”

Harry Rosen’s Bloor Street Toronto flagship store

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M R 2022 P E O P L E ’ S C H O I C E R E TA I L E R

J E F F H A L B E R S TA D T H A L BE RSTADT ’S/J. H. & SO NS

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

C onstantly seeking the latest and greatest in men’s fashion. By Karen Alberg Grossman

FTER MORE THAN 40 years honing his craft, Jeff Halberstadt continues to spend his career under the radar, doing what he loves best: bringing men’s fashion to the markets he serves. Now working with his son Jaime, Jeff keeps on pushing the envelope to make sure South Dakota and surrounding states don’t take a back seat to major metropolitan cities.

It’s helpful that Jeff ’s love of travel has allowed him to secure collections that set Halberstadt’s and J.H. & Sons apart. As he puts it, “Our clients are always sartorial standouts, no matter where their travels take them. Their peers are constantly in awe to learn that this impeccable clothing was purchased in South Dakota. We take great pride in providing this level of luxury goods in the Midwest.”

Halberstadt’s was founded in 1975 in St Cloud, Minnesota by Jeff ’s father Jim. “My dad had worked for a 20-store Midwest chain called St Clairs before he ventured out on his own. With six young kids to support, he took a much bigger risk than anything I’ve ever done.” Today there are seven locations under the Halberstadt and J.H. & Sons branding in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

Jeff had no intention of following his father into the family business. He was happily studying south of Paris at a college exchange program when his dad called saying he could use some help in the store. To say Jeff loves France is an understatement so, begrudgingly, he moved back to St. Cloud. At the age of 19, he started his buying career, hoping to bring the European influences he’d grown to love back home with him. He began venturing to

NYC, knocking on doors to check out warehouses around the garment district, heading over to the 1290 building and staring at the directory, hoping something French would pop out. He recalls Guy Laroche as his first stop. The rest is history.

He remembers that early on, people thought he was a bit crazy to focus on designer goods. “‘Who is this kid from St. Cloud trying to bring fashion from New York, Paris and Milan to Minnesota and South Dakota? Could he be right? Is it even possible to do that?’ And 40 years ago, they might have been right. But today, affluent shoppers reside everywhere; they travel, stay in the finest hotels, and dine in great restaurants. They know what’s happening in fashion and if we don’t give it to them, they can easily buy it somewhere else.”

After many years working side by side with his dad, Jeff and his brother Tim bought him out in 1999. “I’m proud to have made menswear retailing my life’s work and delighted to have my son Jaime currently in the business with me. Hopefully, my grandson Julian will eventually carry the torch.” (Editor’s note: Julian is two years old.)

While most independent menswear retailers were struggling to survive the pandemic, shutting stores according to state mandates, Jeff was plotting his next acquisition. Although managing seven stores in four states during a pandemic can’t be easy, he takes no credit. “We were lucky,” he explains, with his trademark humility. “We’re no smarter than anyone else in the business but the pandemic presented a perfect storm: business came back strong in 2021 based on customers’ pent-up demand and weight changes plus the return of social events and travel. What’s more, there were simply fewer stores to shop. We were likely gaining market share by default.”

Halberstadt’s newest concept, J.H. & Sons, recently opened its second location in Omaha. “We combined the best of J.H. & Sons in Sioux Falls with the best of Halberstadt’s Galleria and somehow

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nailed the right mix. With a definite slant toward tailored clothing, key brands include Canali, Isaia and Ring Jacket.” Just back from the Grand Opening Party in Omaha, Jeff describes his grandiose notion to bring in the piano player from Bemelmans Bar in NYC’s famed Carlyle Hotel. “Securing a Steinway, Rob Mosci entertained about 200 guests with fabulous bites and cocktails, celebrating J.H. & Sons’ entry into a new market.”

Looking ahead, Jeff plans to grow sales via regular infusions of fresh fashion. That said, he admits that his stores are unlikely to sustain the current 30-40 percent increases they’re now experiencing. Asked what’s selling best this season, Jeff notes that it’s hard to list best-sellers because everything seems to be working. “In other words, nothing is not selling.” (Editor’s note: which is, of course, the sign of a good buyer…) Always on the hunt for exclusive luxury sportswear, Jeff is on his way to Pitti Uomo to secure new Italian collections. “We’re not great at super casual or athleisure wear; dressy sportswear is where we shine, especially where we can offer color, as in Waterville quilted vests and everything from Mark Calder. Same with golfwear: we’re selling unique items from Greyson in awesome colors that really stand out on the course, and sit well next to Peter Millar, a strong backbone resource for us.” hat else is needed for independent menswear stores to excel in these precarious times? Jeff responds without hesitation. “In addition to the right product mix, you need the right venue in a compelling location, preferably where you can build out to create some cool shops. Most importantly, you need a motivated team: if your people truly believe in your vision, if they eat, sleep, and breathe the vision, then they can sell it.” Jeff also points out that, unlike dress codes at many stores, his sellers wear suits and ties to work, clothing that reflects the latest trends and reinforces how empowering wearing tailored clothing can be.

So with business so strong at the moment, what keeps him up at night? Jeff replies it’s currently about securing enough wedding suits. “This past weekend, one of our stores booked 20 large wedding parties, all to happen by September. With lingering supply chain issues and guys waiting until the last minute to get measured, it can be hard to keep up with it.” He also talks about the timing of deliveries. “We’ve always tried to land goods closer to season; customers today are buying today and wearing tonight. And as much as I wish my inventory were like a Chateau Margaux…it just isn’t

MY DAD PUSHED ME TO FOCUS ON THE FASHION PART OF THE BUSINESS, WHICH IS THE MAIN REASON WE’RE STILL AROUND.

JEFF HALBERSTADT

so. If the industry could figure out how to create four deliveries annually instead of two, I think our customers would shop more often and buy more. Whenever a new box comes in, our guys get right on the phone…”

Also on Jeff ’s wish list: more fashion-focused in-stock programs.

“Most of the existing programs are too basic for our customers who already own blue, grey and black suits. On the other hand, I understand the vendor’s point of view. For retailers to be healthy, our manufacturers must be healthy. If they invest in too much fashion and get stuck with it, it’s a problem for all of us. Occasionally, a calculated risk pays off, like years ago when Peerless created a stock book with 15 colors of a double-breasted gabardine suit. But that doesn’t happen often…” Another wish: that the dollar and the euro stay close in value. “Some wholesalers have raised prices considerably, but I believe this will eventually self-correct. Fortunately, at least so far, customers have not pushed back on higher tickets; they seem to be taking it in stride.”

Asked if a change in model wouldn’t jumpstart sales in tailored clothing, Jeff doesn’t think so. “There are too few men wearing suits on a daily basis to make a difference. So were we to go from side vents to non-vented or from two-button to three, I don’t think it would move the needle, or that anyone would even notice. I just returned from Paris and Italy: whereas 30 years ago, the windows of European clothing shops looked completely different from what’s here in the States, today there’s very little difference. The only place I still see truly unique fashion is at the Kentucky Derby…”

Nor does he think that adding online shopping would be right

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for his business at this point in time. “I haven’t seen any websites that reflect what I’d like to do. We’re not big enough yet to devote enough resources to it, and I don’t want to dabble. We’ll do it right or not at all.”

Among his mentors, Jeff puts his dad on top of the list. “He pushed me to focus on the fashion part of the business, which is the main reason we’re still around.” Ron Wurtzburger from Peerless has been another source of inspiration. “He was always there to lend an ear, always encouraging and complimentary, making me feel important, which I don’t think I am… I’ll never forget a dinner I once had with Ronny at the Café Boulud. After dinner, walking down Madison Avenue to his car, he stopped at every single store window, commenting on the product and presentation, noticing every detail. He is one of the all-time great talents in our industry!”

A few little-known facts about Jeff Halberstadt: He was a trumpet player back in the day. A barefoot water skier too. He

speaks fluent French. He loves France Four generations of Halberstadts: Jaime and Italy and travels there often. On holding Julian, Jim any given morning, whatever store he’s and Jeff. visiting, you’ll find him vacuuming. He personally trims all his store mannequins and windows. He personally curates the stores’ unrivaled playlist. He oversees every garment selected every season. He has a passion for customizing automobiles and boats. (If you ask him about his vintage 1947 Hunter classic wood boat, he’ll proudly show you a video of his masterpiece.)

He recently customized a Vespa with the J.H. & Sons logo and had it flown direct from Italy for a store prop. He is obsessed with details. His motto has served him, his team and his clients well: “We’re on stage everyday so we must unfailingly deliver an outstanding performance.”

On a final note: Jeff claims to be extremely shy. “I do my best in the back of the bus,” he tells us. Not that we believe him.

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M R 2022 P E O P L E ’ S C H O I C E S A L E S P R O F E S S I O N A L

GARY WILLIAMS

T H E GA RY W IL L IA M S SH OW RO O M Practically raised in the fashion business, this entrepreneur brings depth and charm to ever y interaction. By John Russel Jones

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

ASHION, MAYBE MORE than most businesses, requires those of us who work in it to be a little bit psychic. Fortunes rise and fall because designers and merchants either have that prophetic ability to tell what is going to sell in six months to a year down the road, or they don’t. For the foreseeable future, we are going to listen very carefully to Gary Williams. In late 2019, frustrated with Manhattan’s soaring rents and the economics of running a business in the city, Gary began planning to decamp from a showroom in the Garment Center to his home in Westchester County, New York: He completed his move just one week before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses around the world and taught us all about the realities of working from home.

MAKING THE MOVE “I would have shifted out of New York regardless of COVID,” says Gary. “I was on that trajectory already. I decided to move, mostly based on the economics and metrics of it. Add my stubborn insistence on wanting to be a small shop: When you deal with my business you deal with me. There are bigger guys who are around, but I never wanted to have that very large footprint.

I had people wag their fingers in my face and tell me that I’d live to regret that position because there’s this overwhelming urge in American business to go big or go home. My business philoso-

phy has to do with dealing with people directly. I get the most enjoyment — both on the vendor and the retail sides — from relationships. They are what has enabled me to be as small as I am and still prosper.”

Gary is now a quick 38-minute train ride from Grand Central Station, and often comes in to meet with customers in their offices. He also has a few friends who have been kind enough to lend him space when he needs it (including his friend Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments and fellow MR Award winner Fred Derring). He’s had people come to his home in White Plains to meet with him there and, like all of us, Zoom has become his best friend. Of course, you’ll also see him at the trade shows.

“The New York trade shows have always been a centerpiece of my business, so the last two years have been a major inconvenience.

But I was still able to participate in regional shows, particularly the smaller market shows in Boston and Philadelphia. Getting into the car and visiting retailers in person is always extremely helpful.”

IN THE BEGINNING Gary grew up on Long Island’s South Shore in a family of 12 siblings. His mother was kept busy raising the large family, while his father ran his own business. Gary needed a certain kind of attention that neither had time to give, so he managed to get himself into some typical teenage boy trouble.

“I had an older brother who took me under his wing when I was in my early teens. He was a retailer and started taking me both to his place of business and into the marketplace, so

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I more or less grew up around fashion,” Gary explains. “I started meeting with guys like Sal Cesarani and Bert Pulitzer, then later on Jeffrey Banks, Alexander Julian, and Ralph Lauren, all the guys who were the ‘who’s who’ from that time period.” Gary worked at his brother’s store and lived with him on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. After high school, he went to college in the Midwest, where he pursued his interest in music, becoming the station director of the college radio station.

Asked about the road not traveled, Gary relates that he attended Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, and has a graduate degree in education, with a United States History minor focused on African American studies. An experience with student teaching left him feeling indifferent about a career in education, so higher learning’s loss was the fashion industry’s gain.

He returned to New York, and, as a 23-year-old, was trying to figure out his next steps when he was approached by a gentleman who wanted to open a store but didn’t want to run its day-to-day operations. The two opened Sils Mara on 72nd and Lexington where he worked for four and a half years before he was recruited by British Khaki by Robert Leighton to be the sales rep for the entire United States. That experience introduced him to some of the nation’s finest retailers: Fred Segal, Louis Boston, and Billy Neville’s The Rogue.

“This was a time when MAGIC was still in Los Angeles, and Elyse Kroll’s Designer Collective was just taking off. I went to Bidermann Industries, where I worked with Bill Robinson, Allan Ellinger, and on the women’s side with Nancy Heller and David Rosenzweig. I then became the sales manager of Gene Pressman’s line, BASCO.

By January 1997, I decided it was time to hang my own shingle.”

ON WITH THE SHOW(ROOM) Gary got his start borrowing space in a corner of a friend’s office, with his first client, New Republic. Three years into it, Schirley Zisman of Golden Bear Sportswear was looking for a New York showroom, and they now have a relationship that’s lasted more than 20 years.

“Pollacks of Nantucket was my first customer,” Gary recalls, “as were Dan Maxwell of Falmouth, Mass., and Sid Mashburn in D.C.” Gary emphasizes that the most important part of running a showroom and managing the size is that “You get me. I’m a difference maker. I know product as well as anyone, and I’m a hard worker.

You get more than just a salesman. I know the marketplace, and my customers know that they can call me for just about anything.

I’m a resource person.”

Gary’s long-term relationships extend beyond the showroom,

YOU GET ME. I’M A DIFFERENCE MAKER…. YOU GET MORE THAN JUST A SALESMAN.

GARY WILLIAMS

too. “One of the reasons I made the move to work from home was because I always want to have work/life balance. I’ve been married to Denise for 37 years, and our daughter Chloe was born 31 years ago. Being present has been important in that regard.”

ON THE MENSWEAR BUSINESS Gary muses that he sees how the menswear industry is shifting and notes how much technology has affected the marketplace: “The younger customer is just different,” he points out. “They integrate fashion into their lives differently, so we see competition for fashion coming from other things, not just other brands. Then of course it’s how they purchase: It used to be that a consumer would stop by a store two to three times a season to stock up on what they needed. Now a person can easily buy online anytime (not to mention go to a discount store). There are so many avenues to shop. For the consumer, a phone is now a handheld store! A physical store becomes more of a reference point, so there are a lot more pressures on traditional retail. It’s important to be sharper, more curious than ever.”

Gary also emphasizes the importance of theater and engagement in retailing. “I used to love to go to the grand Louis Boston store on Newbury Street, but that era has passed. Now it’s more about a customer being able to walk into a store and be engaged for his entire lifestyle. Todd Snyder is a great example. They address a whole host of things in the store, so you can spend a whole Saturday morning there. Of course, the longer you’re in the store, the more money you’re likely to spend…”

Gary thinks we all have to be ready to try new things, beyond fashion, to captivate the customer, and for him, “I like the challenge!

I like to help my retailers look for the next big thing. We’ve got to capture that 20-something customer, then bring him into his 30s and 40s.”

Based on Gary’s track record and experience, we’ll all be paying attention to how he thinks we might accomplish that.

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Clockwise from top: 1. Gary shows us how trade shows are done. 2. Gary’s clients include luxury brands like Desoto and 3. Golden Bear (his oldest).

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M R 2022 P H I L A N T H R O P I C L E A D E R S H I P

S H A R I FA MURDOCK K ITH

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

A new foundation provides access to higher education and nurtures careers in fashion. By John Russel Jones

HARIFA MURDOCK IS a bona fide New Yorker. Growing up in Brooklyn, the daughter of hardworking Trinidadian immigrants, she attended Lincoln High School (other notable alumni include actors Lou Gossett, Jr., and Harvey Keitel, photographer Irving Penn, singer Neil Diamond, and New York’s U.S. Representative Elizabeth Holtzman). Like many youngsters, Sharifa wanted to be a dancer, but — growing up in New York and particularly in Brooklyn — “fashion was a thing. I always wanted new clothes. I’d go to my Dad and say, ‘I just need ten things this week.’ Just ten! And I was serious! He’d look at me with a crazy face and explain that I had to work to get money.

I was into magazines and liked seeing how people dressed and wanted to emulate the beauty that I saw. So, I always knew I was going to be in the fashion industry in some way.” To earn the money she needed for those ten items a week, Sharifa got a sales job at the illustrious store Atrium in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood at the age of 16.

“Back then, Atrium was the hot store. There was nothing else like it, so I was very proud to work there. I still am! Every time somebody mentions the store, they have nothing but great things to say.” When it came time to think about college, her father encouraged her to go to school away from the city, so she headed to Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island. Best known for its culinary school, J&W also has a well-known fashion merchandising program (“People were always asking me if I could cook,” Sharifa recalls). Attending a big university with large classes, however, exacerbated a problem that had been a minor annoyance in high school: Sharifa has dyslexia. To get the education she needed, she moved back home and transferred to the smaller Wood Tobe-Coburn in midtown Manhattan. Finishing her four-year

degree, she was proud to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and land a position at Louis Vuitton.

Before long, however, Atrium’s Sam Ben-Avraham came calling. “We always had a joke that, if you’ve worked at Atrium once, you’ve worked there twice,” says Sharifa. “I’ve been working with Sam since I was 16 years old, and that’s a testament to the kind of person he is. He’s had a major impact on my career, and not just me: He’s blessed so many people. As a female working in this industry, he’s provided me with opportunity and taken me to different levels in my career. He’s both my mentor and my business partner.”

Sharifa rejoined Atrium as a manager, but shortly Sam announced that he was starting a trade show. “I didn’t even know what a trade show was,” says Sharifa. “I was 23 years old, and Sam says, ‘Trust me. You’re gonna call these people and tell them I want them to do my show.’ I said, ‘They’re not going to listen to me!’ But he said, ‘Yes. They will. Just let them know it’s me.’”

As Atrium’s buyer, Sam recognized that something was missing from the market. Sharifa partnered with him to start Project in 2003 with 67 brands. Together they grew the show to include more than 1,000 exhibitors.

“Even after Sam left in 2010, I stayed on because I felt a responsibility and a connection to the brands. We’d grown the show so much by the time it was sold (to Advanstar Communications). I had a connection to all those people, so I wanted to stay on and help those people grow. After a while, though, it just became a different show. So that’s how Sam and I ended up starting Liberty together, and how I became his business partner!”

WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE With those years of experience learning the needs of both brands and retailers, Sharifa offers a unique perspective on the menswear market.

“I’m an advocate for menswear because I grew up in that space,”

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says Sharifa, “and I love it. I love it! What concerns me is that multi-brand retailers used to have very specific identities: Every store had its own feeling. Everyone sold different things. I say this in a positive way, but over the course of time, retailers got nervous. They all started doing the same thing. Everything got mixed up and many stores lost their identities. It’s unfortunate, because I looked at these stores as operating at a higher tier, and I thought each one had its own identity and vision. That’s missed now. Of course, I understand how the industry changes and that we just came off the pandemic. But there were really great stores out there with really strong identities, and now some of them have even closed! A lot of the multi-brand stores are surviving, but are they thriving? I want to see things change. And within the trade show world, as well.”

Sharifa, Sam, and the team at Liberty Fairs (which they started in 2013) are taking a pause on trade shows. Although halted by the pandemic, they have decided to wait until they can return with something more to offer.

“We wanted to come back with something great, that people can appreciate. I didn’t want to come back from the pandemic doing the same thing. We talk about it all the time: how does it come back? Does it come back? Is it worth it? What are we doing right? What are they doing wrong? We don’t want to come back with something and make the same mess we made before. And if we’re not going to do it right, we’re not going to do it at all.”

BEING THE CHANGE Sharifa is now the Chief Impact Officer at Kith. The store was originally opened by Ronnie Fieg and Sam in 2010, as a special build-out inside Atrium. Originally maintaining a focus on sneakers and footwear — particularly with limited-edition collaborations — the store has grown to include streetwear — including its own apparel collection — and has become, in many ways, the heir apparent to Atrium, which closed in 2016. Kith now has 12 locations across the United States and internationally, including shops in Bergdorf-Goodman, Selfridges, and a Kith Kids location on Bleecker Street in Manhattan. The position was created for Sharifa to, as Ronnie put it in a statement on Instagram, “…(to use) the brand as a platform to create change….”

Together the duo created The Kinnect Foundation, whose mission is to uplift high school students by providing access to higher education and creating pathways into the fashion industry. The Foundation is dedicated to transforming futures and unlocking the potential of imaginative students.

THE FOUNDATION IS DEDICATED TO TRANSFORMING FUTURES AND UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF IMAGINATIVE STUDENTS.

SHARIFA MURDOCK

Not long before she joined KITH in this role, Sharifa also co-founded the ENVSN Festival with her friend and radio personality Laura Stylez. This multi-dimensional community is committed to the professional- and self-development of the Gen Z and Millennial generations. The platform is dedicated to cultivating the talent, dreams, and sustainability of youth culture in an inclusive environment, that promotes collaboration, discovery, and conversation.

As Sharifa puts it, “ENVSN, in a way, is my homage to New York. I want to provide the same opportunity to others that Sam gave me. I was going to a lot of festivals in 2016 and 2017, but I felt like there was information missing for Gen Z, especially young brown girls and boys in New York. I felt like we were saying, ‘buy this, or buy that,’ but we’re not giving them all the information that they need. I want to encourage young people to work hard, and to look for the jobs that they desire, not just to take jobs because they think they’re going to make a lot of money. It’s about empowering young people to do what is best for them and to help them make connections.

“As a young girl who grew up in Brooklyn who has been given opportunity…without that opportunity, I don’t know where I would have been. How do I get the opportunity? Where does it come from? It may be the simplest thing. An introduction.

Hearing somebody speak who inspires you.”

At this writing, Sharifa is also on the verge of yet another chapter of her life, the one titled “Motherhood.” One look at her Instagram feed and it’s apparent that she’s handling this particular project with the same level of style, grace, organization, and, of course, love, for which she’s known and respected throughout the industry. Don’t we all wish we could be there when baby looks up at mommy and says, “but I only need ten things!”?

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would like to congratulate

DLS Apparel Group on being honored by MR Magazine for their contribution to the Industry.

Congrats Fred Derring Lee Leonard Virginia Sandquist

chicagocollective.com

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M R 2 0 2 2 H A L L O F FA M E

FRED DERRING, LEE LEONARD, AND VIRGINIA SANDQUIST D LS A P PA R E L G ROU P The trio behind this iconic buying office take their shopping —and their buying—seriously. By John Russel Jones

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

HE MORNING WE met with the DLS team to prepare for this story, we talked about everything: from the financial markets (invest in I-bonds!) to the supply chain (place orders early!), to staffing shortages (should stores be sponsoring Ukrainian tailors to move here?) to marketing (the power of online flip books). And that was before we even got into the meat of the interview!

The principals of DLS — Fred Derring, Lee Leonard, and Virginia Sandquist-Wenzel — are known throughout the menswear industry for their acute understanding of the market, their savvy deal-making skills, and their willingness to go above and beyond for their clients. Each of them grew up in the business as retailers and consultants, with resumes that read like a “who’s who” of legendary department and specialty stores where each of them honed their craft. Today, more than 100 DLS member stores now rely on their expertise on fashion, retail, and business trends, not to mention coordinating incentive pricing and exclusive programs, the production of a seasonal magazine, and coordinated marketing support.

AN EARLY START Fred credits his father’s personal panache with stirring his interest in fashion. For Virginia (who has a keen interest in interior design and studied it at The New School), it was growing up with a very stylish mom and aunt who both appreciated pretty things. Lee talks about his ardent love of shopping. All three credit their early jobs at stores including Britches, Garfinckel’s, Alexander-Beegle, and H. Oritzky.

Lee was working at Farnsworth Reed, a Washington, D.C. haberdasher that dressed many of the prominent politicians of the time. When the Jaeger Corporation consultancy was brought in to increase profitability, they brought in all new management, including Fred. (To put things in perspective, this was an era of bell bottoms and flares worn with platform shoes and body-hugging printed knit shirts. It really does come around again, doesn’t it?)

The two shared a townhouse in Foggy Bottom for a while before Fred moved to Chicago, and Lee, eventually, to Phoenix.

The two friends stayed in touch, always kicking around the idea of bringing independent men’s specialty stores together to command the extra margins that large department and chain stores took for granted. Fred eventually settled in New York City and met Virginia. In 1980, the three formed the company we now know as the DLS Apparel Group.

“We launched with a small group of retailers who we knew from our consultant days, and built the business from there,” says Lee. “We started working with manufacturers to block out product that the stores could tap into for extra margin. We were the new kids on the block. There was Doneger, Kreiss Gordon, and a huge number of women’s buying offices. But we were young, fresh, and humble.”

Lee maintains that their early success secret was staying adaptable to changing times, rather than following a rigid roadmap. “We went with the flow, trading up along the way. It was definitely hard work and long hours.”

At one point they even hosted their own version of a trade show. Says Fred, “We’d take a space and host our own show about 10 days after the other events in New York.” Lee recalls carefully making his way down the stairs at Arno’s — the notorious garment center restaurant — to set up in its downstairs banquet room. The space had no elevator, so he schlepped everything from suits to coats to rolling racks down the steps by hand. “We’d set up the

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Lee Leonard puts his public speaking skills to good use.

product and allow stores to shop through the samples themselves, without the hard sell — or help — from the brands’ salespeople. It was an incredible presentation. The whole market was in one room and every client would come. Without the presence of salesmen, they could comfortably talk among themselves, and they all became friends.”

“It was exciting,” says Virginia. “We also hosted a big party the first night. We’d come back to our office on West 56th Street for drinks, food, and music.”

Through all this time, they’ve kept their offices in the uptown part of midtown, a bit apart from the Garment Center. The cozy space they now occupy is a welcoming home base for DLS members when they’re in town.

They now gather their members at the trade shows during major markets in the U.S. and in Italy. During this July’s New York market week, they’ll have visited all five shows, hosting meetings with their retailer members at the show venues. There, retailers compare notes on key items, collections, and emerging brands. As always, the DLS team shares the latest advertising and marketing trends, facilitates private label programs, helps retailers acquire margin building inventory, and highlights in-season opportunities.

HOW DO THEY DO IT? Fred says, “We’re all open to finding new ideas and promoting the ones that work.”

Yet each of them has their niche: Fred and Lee shop the men’s market while Virginia

is more administrative, also focusing on accessories and other gift categories.

“It works because all three of us are shoppers,” says Virginia. Fred concurs, “I’m always out shopping, finding places with interesting products that might have nothing to do with clothing! I love walking from Christopher Street, all the way down to Houston and Canal. There are so many great shops.”

One of Fred’s favorites is John Derian, a shop in Manhattan’s Lower East Side that retails a potpourri of products from decoupage to objets d’art, home furnishings and antiques, a well-spring of inspiration. Il Buco Vita, next door, is an Italian restaurant and market that also sells rustic tableware, linens, kitchen tools, and decorative objects.

“We also go to the gift and food shows when we can,” says Virginia, “great chocolates, cookies, candles, wellness products, these are wonderful impulse items.”

In addition to discovering great product, DLS helps their clients with in-store events. “We’ve recently helped the stores focus on pop-ups,” Lee explains. “They didn’t understand it at first, so we educated them on the topic, and also educated the vendors. It’s been especially good for items like accessories or jewelry that they don’t normally carry in the store.”

“We also have strong connections with the Canadian government and the Italian Trade Agency,” Fred points out. “So we encourage them to sponsor lifestyle events in the stores: cheese, charcuterie, good wine, fancy cars: all this puts customers in the mood to shop Italian.”

But these days, as important as special events is learning to negotiate. Says Fred, “During the pandemic, we talked to the stores about working with their vendors on payment terms and talking to their landlords to get rent reductions. Don’t be afraid to have those conversations.

OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO HELP OUR STORES FIND WHATEVER THEY’RE LOOKING FOR…

VIRGINIA SANDQUIST

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The vendors are going to work with you and either give you a discounted bill or let you pay over time. That’s a lesson we learned during the recession back in 2008.”

“We also had to push our stores to start carrying athleisure or loungewear, which was the only thing selling during COVID,” said Lee. “Most of our stores weren’t even in that category,” Fred points out. “We had to convince them to add it.”

DLS INSIGHTS “The market is always evolving, becoming, and presenting something new. It matches the zeitgeist of the moment, as does any work of art,” says Virginia.

Fred agrees. “The market works best when it matches the current culture. It’s happening now with sustainability: young people are demanding it, so brands are incorporating sustainable properties into their collections.”

“Now is a very exciting time at retail,” concludes Lee. “Business is booming, supply seems to be catching up with demand, and stores are doing more business in fewer hours with less help. Unfortunately, they’re unlikely to keep up this momentum and getting the help they need is difficult.”

Just as unlikely: that three very different personalities can get along so well, 12 hours a day, five plus days a week, for 42+ years?

(Lee is a professionally trained actor, Virginia a triathlon athlete and Fred, a foodie and weekend beach bum…)

Asked to describe the worst fight the three of them ever engaged in, Fred doesn’t hesitate. “We disagree all the time,” he confides without shame. “So it’s tough to single out any one argument. But it’s my belief that

Karen Alberg Grossman comparing notes with Fred Derring at Pitti Uomo.

kind words of encouragement and their perspective on the market and how it changes by season are insights we’ve used to grow our business.

I could not imagine anyone more deserving of the Hall of Fame award than DLS Apparel for their contributions to the men’s industry.”

Beyond the programs, the intelligence and the sage advice that DLS provides its clients, member stores most appreciate the lasting friendships.

Says Lee, “We make sure to allow time at our meetings for conversation, comparing notes, and bonding. I’ve learned to really listen to the stores, which helps us serve them better.”

Concludes Fred, “The friendships that we’ve nurtured over the years with both retailers and vendors are truly priceless.

That’s clearly the best part of what we do.”

our differences of opinion are what make the whole much stronger than the sum of its parts. If we all thought alike, we wouldn’t need three of us.”

Clients agree. Says New Jersey retailer Michael Duru, “I joined DLS so I could learn to be a better merchant. Their advice and guidance on navigating the market has been tremendously helpful over the years.”

Says Craig Delongy of John Craig in Winter Park, Florida. “In late 1995, I joined DLS. I arrived in NYC in November 1995 to begin the process of buying for my new store in Winter Park. I’d never been to NYC to speak of and didn’t know 55th street from Madison Avenue.

Not only had Fred set up multiple appointments over a two-day period, but on a sheet of paper he drew the streets and exactly where my appointments were located. (One issue: they were 30 minutes apart!)”

“Fred, Lee and Virginia have been Virginia Sandquist takes a moment to relax with her a huge part of our success. Their husband, Robert Wenzel.

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M R 2022 L I F E T I M E A C H I E V E M E N T

JL SHAIA SH AIA’S A C entur y of Relationships and Risk-Taking

By Karen Alberg Grossman

L SHAIA, RECIPIENT of MR’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, never doubted he’d enter the family business. The store was founded in 1922 by his grandfather, SG Shaia, who in 1905 at age 16, immigrated to America from Lebanon with $10 in his pocket. SG started out as a peddler with a 100-pound pack on his back, traveling by foot, streetcar, and wagon to hawk his wares.

Ultimately settling near Birmingham, Alabama, he married, purchased property, built a home and store on his land, and nurtured a garden of figs and grapevines. Still the symbolic heart of the business, a grapevine now forms the handle on the store’s front door, providing a warm welcome to all who enter.

Eventually, JL’s dad AJ took over the business, then JL and his brother Leo, and now JL’s son Ken. Here, we talk to JL about the store’s evolution, and to Ken about confronting new challenges.

I L LU ST RAT IO N BY BE LA J U DE

What are some of your earliest memories of working in the store?

JL: In the mid 1940s, prior to air conditioning, I was about 10 years old and my job was to raise and lower the awnings to prevent sun fade. At closing, I had to cover the tables of merchandise and hang covers on the bottom half of the windows. I remember sweeping the wooden floors with an oil-treated mop. Before AC, we had a water-cooled unit that caused all kinds of problems due to the moisture it created. I remember big commercial fans at the back of the store.

What were you selling at the time?

JL: We carried brands like Puritan sweaters, Pioneer belts, Esquire socks, Wembley ties, Swank jewelry, Welden pajamas, Jockey underwear. In 1964, we converted to an all-men’s store but, because there were several well-established men’s stores in Birmingham already carrying the top brands, we had to find lesser known but similar quality labels: Sero, Eagle, and Creighton shirts (because we couldn’t get Gant). We had a trouser brand called Jefferson because we couldn’t get Corbin. We also carried

McGeorge sweaters, Deansgate Clothing, Hertling, Freedberg of Boston, Southwick and Borenstein. Eventually we were able to prove our worth and got the big names like Robert Talbott and Norman Hilton. In the early ’70s, we were offered Polo, and had it exclusively in our market for about five years. During that time, we added Alexander Julian, who made regular appearances at our store. Those two brands put us on the map in our trading area. We ultimately added Zegna in the early ’80s (we’ve been a Zegna account for 40 years) and then Hugo Boss and Armani, which we ultimately dropped….

In addition to these brands, we knew we had to find a fashion niche that was not covered by other men’s stores in Birmingham.

At the time, the city was ultra-conservative in its dress code: all suits were three-button and most dress shirts were button-down collars. We believed very strongly in traditional two-button clothing and the accessories that went with that look. We decided we were going to be the Paul Stuart of Birmingham. It was an uphill battle, but we stayed the course, finding a customer base that believed in us. That base grew and the rest is history.

Who were your mentors along the way?

JL: Certainly, my father: I greatly admired his dedication and work ethic. I always had tremendous respect for Murray Pearlstein from Louis Boston: I’d go there just to walk around that store for inspiration; I eventually had dinner with him thanks to tie designer Audrey Buckner. DNR editor Clara Hancox was certainly a mentor and great friend. She’d call me to share thoughts on business or recommend a new line she thought would be right for the store. Several times at New York market (at the old Designer Collective), she’d literally take me by the hand and pull me over to a particular vendor’s booth.

Ken, was it difficult having two generations running one business?

Ken: We somehow made it work, even though my father’s management style and mine are as far apart as East is to West. My father is a planner, an organizer; I’m spontaneous and nonconforming.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned from my dad is to create

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value for the people you work with, that doing this will pay dividends. To quote John C. Maxwell: “A successful person finds the right place for himself, but a successful leader finds the right place for others.” My dad models this philosophy for me every day. I’m trying to master it but I’m not there yet.

I STARTED WORKING AT THE STORE AT AGE 10: MY JOB WAS TO RAISE AND LOWER THE AWNINGS TO PREVENT SUN FADE.

JL, how involved are you in the business now?

JL: Several years ago, I began to reduce my time at the JL store, maybe working three days a week. But when Covid hit (March 2020), Ken suggested because of my age and asthma that I needed to stay away until the pandemic got less severe. Then we were closed for two months and that was the beginning of the end for me. I was 85 at the time and had already put in 65 years…

So now I just stop by on occasion to say hello or to visit with a friend. I might do a little paperwork in the office but I’m not on the sales floor. I don’t miss the work, but I do miss my customers and my vendors.

So how is Ken doing? Do you give him advice? Does he take it?

JL: Ken’s doing great: I tell everyone he’s the best Shaia merchant yet. I don’t really give him advice: he began going to market with me full-time when he was 24; he’s now 55 so he’s picked up a few tips along the way…

We’re lucky that Ken is the total package: excellent in the market, great taste and vision, confident leadership of the strong team he’s put together. He single-handedly guided the store through the pandemic and as it turned out, 2021 was a record-breaking year for us.

But what’s best about Ken is his ability to think outside the box.

For example, when we were finally allowed to reopen in May 2020, we were down two employees. So Ken was faced with opening the store with less help. But how do you properly take care of customers without giving your employees a well-deserved day off? Ken decided that rather than staggering days off and accepting a shortage of sellers, he’d close the store on Mondays to give everyone the same day off. He believed that whenever our doors are open, our staff needs to be rested and ready to provide the exceptional service our customers expect. This proved to be such a good move that we now close on Mondays as part of our regular routine.

Ken, how has business changed since the pandemic?

Ken: When the pandemic hit, we decided to focus on what we could control. With the dollar and the euro nearly one to one, we kept our assortments 80% European. With the government printing money, we knew inflation was coming and planned accordingly. We’d been through the 1980s and learned that carrying over fresh fashion can be an asset. But our greatest asset is owning our building on property purchased by my great grandfather. So with minimal cash flow

SHAIA

problems, we decided to invest in inventory and people. When the governor shut us down for a month, we sent our employees home with four weeks PTO. My dad and I agreed to take no salary until we were back on our feet.

So are you back on your feet?

Ken: As my dad said, 2021 was our best year ever. Although I used to hate the word “team,” the pandemic taught us the value of working together. Our sales associates, like most sellers, tended to be competitive but during the pandemic, we began to work in a circle, each of us bringing our own unique strengths to each sale.

This team approach contributed to our success last year and in the process, elevated the experience for our customers. We observed that by working with more people (maybe one associate would bring a drink, another would deal with the alteration, another would show something new that just came in), the customer feels truly special.

As Chris Rock has put it, “Husbands and wives should quit being competitive: two people can move a couch better than one.”

What’s your take on evolving dress codes? Will we ever go back to mandated suits and ties in the office?

Ken: I don’t think suits are going away; in fact, with wedding, proms and other special events coming back post pandemic, suits have been on an upward trajectory. Remember that historically, tailored clothing evolved from church-inspired prayer garments and military uniforms. So I believe suits will remain relevant as long as church and state are relevant. When I first heard that several city stores were looted during the pandemic, but the looters didn’t steal tailored clothing, it gave me hope… Tailored clothing has always been a hallmark of successful serious men. The modern suit has survived the pandemic and will continue to represent success.

What are key ‘must-have’ items for fall ’22?

Ken: The industry would tell you it’s the chore jacket, but I’m not sure our customers will come running into the store for luxury-priced

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chore jackets. (I’ve yet to hear a man say he needs new clothes to do chores…)

When a customer walks into our store, we engage him in conversation to discover his needs and dress him as an individual. A man needs a balanced wardrobe of upto-date tailored clothing and sportswear. He needs clothes that are modern but not extreme. We show our customer how dressing in a relevant manner automatically makes him look 10 years younger.

Four Generations: 1. SG Shaia, JL’s grandfather and the store’s founder. 2. Alexander, JL’s father, and SG Shaia. 3. JL and son Ken Shaia.

That said, what are you doing to get younger guys into the store?

Ken: We carry a mix of traditional and contemporary brands. And thankfully, my Dad and Uncle pioneered a tradition of customers shopping with their sons and grandsons. Not to say that kids want to shop where their father and grandfathers do, but they know they can count on us to get it right. This has helped us gain their trust and create loyalty.

JL, what have you learned from your years in the business?

JL: I’ve learned that creating a men’s apparel store takes passion, dedication, and hard work. It’s a lot to give but the rewards are truly gratifying, not just financially but in personal pride and satisfaction.

And along the way, you develop friendships that last a lifetime, with fellow merchants, with vendors, and with customers.

What would you do differently if you could start again?

JL: I can’t think of a thing. My cup runneth over.

Ken, what are your business plans for the next five years?

Ken: We’ll continue to stay in tune with the needs of our customers. Our focus is and has always been the selling floor: engaging with customers and discovering their needs.

We’ve been doing this for 100 years and I’ve learned that change is the only constant. People love newness: this is what excites them and why I’m looking forward to getting back to Pitti Uomo to discover a variety of fresh looks. I loved it when our leading brands each had individual points of view; now, with everyone playing it safe, there’s a lot of sameness. The fact that many family businesses have become public companies means that profit often trumps creativity.

Other than family, who have been your mentors and what have you learned from them?

Ken: There are so many, but to name just a few: Glenn Taylor and Dick Pattison from Taylor Richards, George Bass, Butch Blum, David Fleisher from Pitkin Dry Goods, Kenny Gushner from Boyds, Shayne Regan, Scott Kuhlman, Steve Ramenofsky and Johnny Braeger from Garys. I’ve learned so much from these talented merchants who are always willing to share their wisdom. In fact, the real beauty of our menswear industry is caring people willing to share what they’ve learned to help each other out. I believe that banding together is more important now than ever: if the independent retailers don’t survive, the whole world will be shopping online.

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| BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR | BRAND MR.INSTA.indd 5 48 YEAR | BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR | BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR | BRAND 6/20/22 1:36 BUILDER THE BUILDER OF MR JUL OF 2022.indd 6/23/22 8:35PM PM THE YEAR | BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR | BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR | BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR |

JAMIE SALTER

The Raffi aamily woild imie w recwgnmze anld cwngra oia e aii w he 2022 MR A arld Hwnwrees.

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Congratulations to all of tonight’s honorees, we look forward to seeing you at Society For International Menswear.

jef.pt www.jef.pt

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THE FASTEST GROWING MEN’S SHOW IN THE COUNTRY Dallas is your ultimate luxury lifestyle market with 850+ curated brands and more categories to explore than ever before. Find everything from tailored softwear and fresh contemporary to fine Italian luxury and elevated outdoor.

Source from a juried selection of emerging trends from leading brands such as: 7Diamonds, Bugatchi, 34 Heritage,Tiger of Sweden, Lief Horsen, Stone Rose, Le Chameau, Tiki Napoli, Emmanuel Berg, and many more.

Dallas Men’s Show July 30 – August 1, 2022 dallasmarketcenter.com

@dallasmarket

Inspiration Starts Here.

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CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE ON A WELL DESERVED HONOR. CONTINUE BUILDING.

YOUR BRAND PARTNERS

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FINAL THOUGHTS

“Il futuro ha radici antiche.”

Surely, the future has ancient roots.

— E UG EN IO TO M BO L IN I, 193 3

So let us build on the past As we reinvent the future Never forgetting the lessons Of hard work and trust, That those before us Lived and thus learned, But were unable to teach us So certain were we That we knew a better way.

But now we know How much we don’t know And how much stronger we are When we open our minds And open our hearts, Working together To reach new heights, New ways to shop, to sell, to create, New ways to live and embellish life!

—Karen Alberg Grossman

W I T H M U C H G R AT I T U D E F O R YO U R S U P P O R T A N D F R I E N D S H I P, LIZETTE, CHARLES, KAREN, AND JOHN F o r a l o o k a t t h e f u t u r e — a n d t h e p r e s e n t — b e s u r e t o c h e c k o u t W W W. M R - M AG .CO M .

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WE ARE PROUD TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS YEAR’S HONOREES SHANNON STEWART, LOUIS DIGIACOMO AND JEFF HALBERSTADT

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