MEn of thE WEEk Plus: Costs and charges weighed on Kenneth Highland Fling Cole in the first quarter, leading to a steeper- Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy showed some leg by donning kilts at than-expected loss. the Costume Institute gala. Page MW2 Page MW2

May 5, 2011

BRAND BUILDING Peerless Puts Leisure Muscle Behind Tallia Orange Suit Tailored clothing giant Tailored clothing manufacturers branches out with own continue to take the man out of updated label. the boardroom and into vacation mode. softly by JEAN E. PALMIERI constructed suits in light hues, unlined PEERLEss INtERNAtIoNAL has built blazers and tropical a $500 million-plus business manufactur- ing tailored clothing under license for fabrics such as linen some of the industry’s top brands, includ- and seersucker ing Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, are the highlights Michael Kors and DKNY. But despite its of this season’s more than 90-year history, the Montreal- based company owned by Alvin segal and offerings. For one of the largest clothing manufacturers more, see pages in the world, has never produced its own 4 and 5. branded label. All that changed two years ago when tallia orange was born. the brainchild of Ronnie Wurtzburger, president of Peerless and the face of the company, tallia orange provides European sensibility at moderate prices, something Wurtzburger said “did not exist in the midtier.” For example, tallia suits are promoted at $295 for polyester-viscose blends and $395 for worsted wool three-piece models. there are also sport coats that retail for $199 on average, dress shirts are $75, neck- wear is $49.50 and outerwear sells for $165 to $295. A fancy military peacoat retails for $325 and is the line’s most expensive piece. Although rooted in tailored clothing, the line is targeted to be sold in the men’s de- signer collection area at department stores. Its primary distribution is at Macy’s, which launched the collection in spring 2009. It is also sold in specialty stores including Boyds in Philadelphia, where Wurtzburger said a tallia velvet blazer “sat between Gucci and Etro, but ours was $295.” Ken Gushner, co-owner of Boyds, said the line was introduced three seasons ago and “performs very well. We merchandise

@ Wilhelmina it in our contemporary clothing depart- ment, where it hangs with DKNY, Hugo Boss and Halston. It brings color, fun and a mason m. whimsical spirit to a dull category — all at a very accessible price point.” A hallmark of the brand is its orange point- of-sale efforts. Mannequins, hangtags, hang- badia; model: ers, rugs, graphics — all are in a bright orange

alex hue that stands out on the selling floor. “Ronnie fell in love with Isaia’s red man- nequins at saks,” said suzanne Anderson, styled by creative director for Peerless. Anderson said when tallia arrives on the selling floor xelman; and is merchandised with the other suits, a the orange hangers stand out “in a sea of Boss Black’s linen suit and Gant

Jakob black. And orange is a color that a lot of guys Rugger’s cotton shirt. Canali by can relate to, so we decided to go for orange. pocket square worn as scarf.

Photos {Continued on page MW6} MW2 WWD thursday, may 5, 2011 Men’s Week

Superdry Planning Major Kenneth Cole Posts Loss in 1Q stoRE CLosINgs and severance Paul Blum, vice chairman, said the charges, including those to its former management team is “collaborating on Retail Expansion in U.S. chief executive officer, contributed a concise strategy to take advantage of to a first-quarter loss at Kenneth Cole the many opportunities in front of the Productions Inc. organization,” but that it’s too early to by JEAN E. PALMIERI ing colored hoods; surplus-inspired outerwear; the firm said Wednesday that, for elaborate on the specifics. leathers, and sweaters. With the t-shirts, each the three months ended March 31, the the company expects second-quar- AftER A stRoNg debut here two years ago, graphic is used on only one style and offered in loss was $17.2 million, or 94 cents a ter earnings of between 2 cents and 4 superdry is planning a retail rollout in the U.s. only one color per season. diluted share, against earnings of $1.8 cents a share. In addition, it expects to the U.K.-based apparel brand, which oper- the t-shirts mimic fifties garage culture, million, or 10 cents, in the year-ago remain in clearance and liquidation ates 110 stores worldwide, granted a license Martens said, and feature tin-tab hangtags that quarter. store closings and severance mode during the second quarter. in 2009 to sDUsA, a division replicate the graphic on the shirt. charges for the current quarter were shares fell 74 cents, or 5.4 percent, of sunrise Brands LLC. since A look from these have become collectibles, $16 million, partially offset by $3.5 mil- to $12.86 in New York stock Exchange that time, it has opened six superdry. he said. the t-shirts retail for lion in deferred rent income. trading Wednesday. stores in the states: a flagship in around $30, and the vast majority Analysts were expecting a loss of separately Wednesday, Bernard New York’s NoHo area, as well of the line sells for under $100. 21 cents a share, according to Yahoo Chaus Inc. said that a subsidiary of as units in Paramus, N.J., Las superdry also has a wholesale finance. China ting group Holdings Ltd., its Vegas, Beverly Hills, and san component, and about 40 percent Revenues rose 7.3 percent to $117.5 exclusive supplier of merchandise pur- francisco. there’s also an outlet of its sales will come from that million from $109.5 million. same-store chased in Asia, had acquired 3 million in Woodbury Common, in Central distribution channel by the end sales rose 2.7 percent, but consumer di- shares of the company’s common stock Valley, N.Y. of the year, Martens said. the rect revenues fell 10.2 percent to $33.2 for $300,000, or 10 cents a share. superdry will add a store in line is sold in Bloomingdale’s, million while wholesale volume rose the China ting stake represents half santa Clara, Calif., at the Valley Nordstrom, Macy’s and 150 19.3 percent to $74.5 million. of the 6 million shares sold by Kenneth fair mall later this month as specialty stores, including Ron Jill granoff stepped down as ceo of Cole back to Chaus after Chaus’s license well as a unit at the south street Herman. “We want to keep a good the company on feb. 28. According to to produce Kenneth Cole sportswear seaport in lower Manhattan balance,” Martens said. “We don’t a regulatory filing with the securities was terminated in october. in June. A store in the Mall of want to flood the market. We’re and Exchange Commission, under the the remainder of the shares America, in Bloomington, Minn., looking for responsible growth.” terms of her employment contract she were purchased by Camuto group in is slated for a July opening. And with a lot of “high-volume will receive cash payments of about february, at which time Chaus said According to Michael Martens, stores” opening here later this $3.7 million. that Camuto “and another party with president of superdry UsA, the year, the percentage attributed Kenneth Cole, chairman, interim whom the company has a commercial company is planning to open 10 to to retail will be larger. Ultimately, ceo and chief creative officer, told Wall relationship” had expressed interest in 12 stores a year for the next four he said, he expects a “50-50 split.” street analysts on a conference call that the stock. years, depending upon availabil- Martens said the company has the firm was not pleased with the re- Cole had paid $1 a share for the ity of space. “finding the right worked to get its name known sults, but is taking the necessary steps Chaus stock in 2005 and sold it back property is key,” he said. in the U.s. by getting involved for growth and profitability. at 10 cents a share. the price paid by the brand has performed well at events such as the sundance He also told analysts the company Camuto wasn’t disclosed. since it made its debut in the U.s. film festival that “resonate with took higher than typical markdowns to shares of Chaus closed unchanged that, coupled with its popularity our customer.” the company move excess inventory, and expects “in- Wednesday at 16 cents. in Europe, prompted the retail rented a bar in Park City, Utah, ventories to be at appropriate levels by — Vicki M. Young and expansion in America and dic- and hired an up-and-coming the end of June.” arnold j. karr tates where the stores will be lo- band, drawing celebrities such cated. the company seeks spots as Penn Badgley, Adrian grenier that draw a mix of international and Danny Masterson. tourists and domestic customers, When the seaport store opens, Pringle’s New Passions he said, or “places that play to our Martens said superdry may host two strengths.” a softball or kickball game rather than throw a by sAMANtHA CoNtI Alistair Martens said superdry would like to open ad- traditional party. carr ditional stores in the Los Angeles market and is “We want to get our product on the right LoNDoN — Pringle of scotland is rapidly also looking at Boston, Chicago and Miami. the people,” he said, noting that university students remodeling itself into a leaner, more fo- average store measures around 2,000 square feet receive a 10 percent discount. “We target the col- cused operation with plans to open a new of selling space, although the NoHo store is 6,000 lege student to the young professional. that’s our store in Mayfair this year, forge a closer square feet. core.” link between its men’s and women’s collec- superdry, which sells 50 percent men’s and 50 founded in 2003 by James Holder and Julian tions and launch an accessories line. percent women’s wear, blends British tailoring Dunkerton, superdry Clothing launched in the company will shutter its sloane with vintage Americana style and hand-drawn Cheltenham, England, as Laundry Athletics be- street flagship, which has been open since Japanese-inspired graphics. signature styles fore opening its first store under the superdry 2003, and move to the West End, near Bond include t-shirts with hand-drawn graphics; buf- name in Covent garden, London, in December street. the store will open by December falo sweaters; plaid shirts; jackets with contrast- 2004. It is sold in more than 30 countries. and have a new design concept. It will also be smaller than the sloane street unit. “We are bringing focus throughout the brand, and sales will be driven by knit- Men of MArc JAcobs: b wear,” said Benoit Duverger, Pringle’s new THE WEEK managing director. robert Duffy: c Meanwhile, Alistair Carr, who was named design director of Pringle in March, is rapidly making changes of his Jacobs and Duffy turned up at the own. His first collections for the brand will Costume Institute gala looking like be resort and men’s wear, which will show a pair of Highlanders flung too on schedule in Milan in June. Resort, for far. Although Jacobs has been November delivery, will be a core collec- tion of 20 to 25 looks. feiffer p wearing kilts for some time In an interview, Carr said he plans ter now and can pull it off, the this boutonniere to offer a fresh take on knitwear and re- L image of him next to a taller is appropriate fresh Pringle staples such as the twinset Wa and tanner Duffy created only on and the argyle. prom night. a deliberately amusing — if “I won’t be doing rustic, woolly grand- photo by slightly asymmetric — fashion ma knits, but very beautiful clothes that women want to wear. I want them to buy into the brand. I’ll be bringing back color, moment. too short, and playing with the argyle and the twinset — but not in the obvious ways,” he said. should cover Carr said Pringle’s heritage will play an important but limited role: “I plan to Is he carrying knees. go through the archives in scotland, and I think it’s important to respect Pringle’s bronzer in this heritage, but I don’t want to ‘do’ a heritage line.” dopp kit? He also plans to add “more dressed-up elements for evening” and work in more

S trouser fits and wovens. “I don’t want the wovens to be fillers between the knitwear, e G Plain dress socks but special in their own right,” he said, adding that going forward, there would be ma i Lack of a pin or are not part more of a link between Pringle’s men’s wear and women’s wear. a sporran risks a of traditional Carr also has designs on accessories. He plans to add shoes, bags and small Lindsay Lohan-style scottish wedding leather goods as soon as he gets the ready-to-wear collection up and running. indiscretion. attire. Carr will make his first consumer-facing public appearance in the U.s. in

Lovekin/Getty september at a saks fifth Avenue event during fashion’s Night out. He will ap- pear at saks with tilda swinton, who stars once again in Pringle’s fall ad cam- Appropriate for his leg

Stephen paign, which has been shot for the second season by Walter Pfeiffer. length, but too short to Before joining Pringle, Carr worked at Balenciaga, Marni, Cacharel and be worn with a kilt. Chloé. for three seasons, he designed a signature label, which he showed during photo by London fashion Week.

MW4 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 Men’s Week A Man for ALL SEASONS Seasonal dressing is the key tailored clothing message for spring 2012. Suit manufacturers are showcasing linen blends, body-conscious silhouettes and earthy color palettes, which allow for a perfect revival of the British Colonial golden-era style. — ALEX BADIA

Nautica’s linen jacket, Rag & Bone’s cotton T-shirt and Shipley & Halmos’ cotton pants. Florsheim Limited shoes.

Perry Ellis’ linen jacket, Gant Rugger’s cotton shirt and Calvin Klein’s linen pants. Giorgio Armani shoes. Men’s Week FOR MORE WWD THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 MW5 LOOKS, SEE WWD.com/ menswear-news.

Photos by JAKOB AXELMAN

Isaia’s jacket and Calvin Klein’s tank, all in cotton.

Louis Vuitton’s suit and Gitman Bros. shirt, all in cotton. Tallia Orange tie; The Tie Bar tie bar; Louis Vuitton shoes. CAMPUZANO LUIS ASSISTANT: FASHION MEN; FOR CHRISTINE CHERBONNIER FOR REDKEN @ WILHELMINA; GROOMING BY ADRIAN AND MASON M MODELS: MW6 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 Men’s Week

Looks from Tallia Orange’s fall collection. Tallia Orange: T he Birth of a Brand Peerless International puts its muscle behind updated clothing label.

{Continued from page MW1} some ways, Tallia is “whimsical and eclectic,” It’s a fun thing, we give away Anderson said. “We mix pattern with pattern. orange candy and gifts, and We’re not afraid of color. We show printed it’s very recognizable that it shirts under patterned suits and our guy is is our brand.” comfortable with that.” But the goal is to get it Suit silhouettes, while classic, are slimmer out of the suit department, and narrower to appeal to a younger customer, Wurtzburger said, a move such as a 25-year-old just out of college who recently made by Macy’s. needs a suit. “It was a different con- “He’s fashion-conscious and willing to step cept for Macy’s tailored out and take risks,” Anderson said. “Our price clothing department, so they points make it possible for him to try something moved it to the designer col- without spending too much. He can’t spend lection area,” Anderson said. At more than $400, and the fi t and color appeal to the Herald Square fl agship, the him.” The pieces are also “great for going out.” collection now hangs with Lacoste, Wurtzburger said Peerless purchased the Hugo Boss, Armani Jeans and Polo. Tallia name from the estate of Al Cohen, the “We offer a look that is differ- former president of Hartz & Co. Although the ent but at a great price point,” label had been around for 40 years, it had Wurtzburger said. “It also allows “shrunk to nothing,” he said. the stores to make enough margin Realizing that “nobody needs another brand, on it.” He attributes the sharp pric- we came up with a new concept. We noticed that ing to Peerless’ size, which lets the the high-price stores all had very exciting, bou- company get the best possible deals on tique-y items from Italian brands, so we decided piece goods and manufacturing, as well as its to give them the same fl avor but in our attitude.” sophisticated back-offi ce operations in Canada. From the outset, Wurtzburger was commit- The design also sets the label apart from ted to making a statement with Tallia, which other clothing brands. Reminiscent of Etro in he calls “a labor of love.” As a result, he has Men’s Week

Tallia Orange: The Birth of a Brand

thrown his considerable muscle behind and plaids, waxed cotton coated raincoats making the brand a success, even if it takes and toggle coats in a range of colors. several years. The next addition will be sportswear, Although it is “still a baby,” Wurtzburger the big push for which will come for spring said the collection should ring up sales of 2012. Offerings will include shorts, cargo $10 million this year. pants, jeans, T-shirts and bathing suits. “I took a page from Ralph Lauren, the In addition to Macy’s, the line is carried highest man in our industry,” Wurtzburger in Lord & Taylor, The Bay in Canada and said. “He said if you believe in something, Dillard’s. For fall 2012, Wurtzburger said, the you stay with it.” distribution is expected to be expanded. For With that as his mission, the first order the past two years, Tallia Orange has been of business was to bring in Anderson, who shown in a separate area at the company’s had spent 15 years with Alexander Julian, booth at the MRket show in Las Vegas, where widely seen as a master with color. “He was it will remain, but in August, the brand will a great teacher,” Anderson said. “He cre- break out on its own with a booth at Project. ated all these color combinations and he The birth of Tallia Orange is quite a de- taught me everything I know on the textile parture for Peerless, which is “a branded end. He really understands the importance house,” Wurtzburger said. “We license of color in men’s wear.” the best brands,” he said, including Sean The brand focused first on clothing, John, Izod, Van Heusen, Chaps, Bill Blass but livened up the offering with fancy lin- and Joseph Abboud for men and Abboud, ings and under-collar orange strips to set Kors, DKNY, Elie Tahari, Hickey by Hickey the line apart. Worsted wool blazers have Freeman and Tallia Orange for boys. built-in pocket squares, orange piping on At the Peerless New York showroom, 2 promotions the interior, metal buttons and collar de- each label is housed separately to ensure its tails. All the linings are designed in-house own identity. The same with Tallia Orange. 15 commutes packed in like sardines and change every season. Wurtzburger stressed that he would 4 romantic encounters with my wife “Suzanne took my ideas to another level,” “never do anything that conflicts” with the Wurtzburger said. He admitted there were company’s licensed brands. “It’s tapered, 1 foolish break-dance attempt times when he thought Anderson may have sexy clothing, and [the other designer 10 business lunches pushed the envelope too far, but he stepped brands] would reject this if we showed it 256 POWER meetings

Styles from 1 TV appearance spring 2012. 3 rock gigs Looks from the 99 coffee spills Tallia Orange collection. 2 messy deli sandwiches 1 kids’ fancy dress party

Teflon® fabric protector means less washing, less dry cleaning, lower wash and dry temperatures, less energy, less wear and tear, and that can mean less impact on the planet. For more information, visit www.teflon.com/wwd photos by JohN AQUINo photos by

back and let the design team do what it does to them. So we did it ourselves. It’s like a best. “She showed me bow ties and I got ner- football player who sees there’s nobody be- vous, but they were right,” he said. tween him and a touchdown. He just grabs With the tailored clothing on the right it and runs with it.” track, the company set out to augment The ultimate goal for Wurtzburger is the line with other product categories. to eventually take the label beyond North “Everything had to be moderately priced American shores. The company has ad- but look very expensive,” Anderson said. vertised in L’Uomo Vogue and is currently And so Mario Tomei for I. Miller has been in talks with retailers in other countries, licensed to do woven shirts, J.S. Blank is pro- which he declined to name. And within the ducing neckwear and pocket squares, Chelsea next couple of years he may also consider Imports is doing scarves and Mundi Westport showing at Pitti Uomo in Florence. Group is the small leather goods licensee. “But we’re trying not to let it get too For fall 2011, Peerless will expand into much exposure,” he said. “We want it keep outerwear, which it produces itself. But it special.” rather than the standard items, Tallia And where does Wurtzburger hope the Orange offers fancy peacoats in red, olive, line will be in five years? navy, camel, burgundy and other colors, for “We would like it to be the number- example. “They don’t need us for black,” one fashion label sold in America,” he © 2011 DuPont. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, the miracles of science™ and Teflon® are trademarks Wurtzburger said. Other outerwear pieces said. “We want to challenge the European or registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved. are also tweaked to be different and include brands. It would be nice if we could get the three-button, shawl-collar car coats in solids volume to $20 million.” 2011 ® PEI Licensing, Inc. All rights reserved.