Connecting the people, ideas and energy of the menswear business
The Menswear Hall of Fame Texas talent: Russ Patrick Neiman Marcus’s Russ Patrick is described by vendor colleagues as “highly principled,” “pragmatic,” “a merchant’s merchant.” “He’s very tuned into the selling floor,” says Mike Cohen of Hickey Freeman. “He digs deep to figure out why things are selling or not. He’s incredibly connected to [...]
The Claymore Shop sees smooth sailing in two locations It’s telling that the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bob Benkert’s new resort location for The Claymore Shop was delayed by a few minutes—because he was finishing up a sportcoat sale. At a youthful 71, Benkert is still a hands-on merchant who believes that being a successful retailer [...]
One merchant’s unique vision makes Blackbird soar. Nicole Miller’s passion for retailing—not only for the four stores and e-commerce site she currently operates, but for her ideas yet to be turned into realities—is evident from the start. “The worst part of my job is that I want to do so much! I get impatient. I [...]
Fred Segal Man grows from within. How do three guys with virtually no fashion experience run one of the most successful men’s stores in California? “It’s kind of a funny story,” says Joey Gonzalez, co-owner of Santa Monica’s Fred Segal Man. “About 12 years ago I was a musician and basically a ticket broker for [...]
David Wood grows by relocating next door. “It keeps me up at night—I wake up at 2:30 a.m. worried about everything,” says David Hodgkins of David Wood in Portland, Maine. He’s talking about his latest move from the Upper Old Port section of Portland to Commercial Street, the hottest, most happening street on the city’s [...]
We first featured Jesse Chao of the neckwear brand Vittorio J in the August 2009 issue of MR, in a story about four up-and-coming tie designers. He started his business in 2006 with money he raised from selling his baseball card collection in college. I caught up with Chao after he got married in April—publicly—in [...]
For more than two decades, Russ Patrick has shaped the business at Neiman Marcus. Russ Patrick is described by vendor colleagues as “highly principled,” “pragmatic,” “a merchant’s merchant.” “He’s very tuned into the selling floor,” says Mike Cohen of Hickey Freeman. “He digs deep to figure out why things are selling or not. He’s incredibly [...]
David Witman has a clear, customer-centric vision for Nordstrom menswear. David Witman did not intend to spend his career at Nordstrom. He started out at a specialty store in San Francisco while in grad school, switching gears only because his wife Jayme (who worked for Banana Republic at the time) got transferred to Seattle. “It’s [...]
Daily deal websites and consumers see great benefits, but do retailers? You know the deal—Groupon, Living Social, Facebook, Google—they all have their own version of the daily deal model that’s flooding inboxes with 50 to 90 percent off promotions at local bakeries, spas, restaurants, bars and retail stores. These sites are usually a win for [...]
Neckwear Notes is an ongoing series of conversations, notes and short features about the neckwear world and its personalities and brands. Neckwear Notes will tend to focus on the little guys, the new brands and the upstarts, because they tend to be the risk takers. A good dimple under the knot of a tie is [...]
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