Schmuckler and Levy: Garment District

The people who buy, make, and market your clothes

MANUFACTURING

fAMILY AFFAIR

Behind some ofthe mostfamous names in clothing is the name Pietrafesa. By Renee Gearhart Levy

HE MACHINE IS THE SIZE from Italy that need only to be Tof a boardroom table. An loaded- they press and stack automated arm guides an ink pen garments themselves. across a roll of paper, up and down, "There are some machines out back and forth, its motions con­ there that every time I see them, troled by a computer in an adjoin­ I have to shake my head," says ing office. Within a few moments company chairman Robert D. an image becomes recognizable. Pietrafesa. "It's great what's going It's a pattern for a man's suit on out there." jacket- front panels, sleeves, "Great" may be an understate­ collar, back panels. ment. The Pietrafesa Company, The apparatus is the plotter ofthe owned by Robert and his brother, Gerber CAD/CAM system- state­ Richard- Bob and Dick to all who of-the-art equipment for clothing know them- may well be the manufacture. It has revolutionized premiere men's clothing manufac­ daily procedure at the Joseph J. turer in the world. The company, Pietrafesa Company in Syracuse, which produces some 4,000 suit one of the first manufacturers in the pieces per week, manufactures top­ country to use it. quality tailored clothing for a blue The Gerber is but one in an ar­ chip list of clients, including ray of technical innovations that fill Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, the Pietrafesa factory. There are and Polo, not to mention Learbury computerized sewing machines that Clothes, their own "factory-to­ automatically tack and cut thread, you" store in Syracuse. "I don't say and automated pressing machines this is the finest manufacturing Robert and Richard Pietrafesa in their Syracuse suit factory

24 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Published by SURFACE, 1988 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 5, Iss. 1 [1988], Art. 6

facility in the world," says Dick, of the technological wizardry that OR YEARS, THE PIETRA­ several feet away automated sew­ company president, "but I'd like fills the Pietrafesa factory today, the Ffesa company was housed in ing machines buzz with activity. to know one that comes up to it." company began manufacturing for two four-story buildings, located Work stations flow in order of Brooks Brothers. The consummate several blocks apart on Syracuse's operations necessary to produce a OB AND DICK PIETRA­ purveyor of quality menswear, North Side. The faci lities were garment. The space is flooded by Bfesa were practically raised in Brooks Brothers demands certain functional, but often inefficient. natural light from windows that sur­ the factories of the Joseph J. standards ofco nstruction that many There was always a wait for the round the the building's perimeter Pietrafesa Company. Bob was born manufacturers wouldn't be able elevators. Workers could be on and several courtyards that dot its in 1922, the same year the company to provide. Jacket armholes, overtime in one factory while center. Bob gives credit forthe suc­ was incorporated by their uncle, the shoulders, and collars are hand­ workers in the other had nothing cessful relocation to his son, company's namesake. When their stitched; store labels are sewn in to do. And there was no room to Robert, director of marketing, and father died at an early age, their manually. Tailored women's wear put in the Gerber computer system Dick's sons, Joe, director of manu­ uncle, who had no children of his is manufactured on request. the Pietrafesa's wanted to buy. facturing, and Richard, director of own, became their mentor. They An increasing number of upscale So in 1985 the Pietrafesas began operations-the third generation. began working in the factory as clothiers began seeking out the construction of a $3-mill ion, The elder Pietrafesa's admit to teenagers, working their way up Pietrafesa's to manufacture their 86,000-square-foot facility in Clay, a slow changing ofthe guard. After from the cellar-where the piece goods: Land's End, Britches of north of Syracuse. Since June, for nearly 50 years in the business, Bob goods came in-through the spong­ Georgetown, and Federated Stores the first time in its history, all opera­ and Dick are beginning to leave the ing room, cutting department, to (Bullocks, Bloomingdales, FiJenes, tions of the company have been daily direction of the company to the pant and coat shops, eventually etc.) among others. The company housed under one roof, all on one their sons. learning to operate every machine had to make more changes to keep floor. Luxurious office suites are They have no doubts about the in the factory. up with production. Says Dick, separated from the factory only by future of the Joseph J. Pietrafesa Both men studied management " We decided that if we were going several sets of doors. Company. Says Dick, "we in­ at Syracuse University, working to be in business, we wanted to be In the factory, old world crafts­ herited the company at one level, and going to school at the same as efficient as possible. We made manship meets modern technology. we brought it to another level, and time. "I used to go to registration a big, big commitment with A woman labors over handstitching I think maybe our sons would like and ask for 8 a.m. classes so I could equipment." on the collar of a silk jacket, while to build to another level." finish early and come to work," recalls Dick. Bob earned his B.S. in 1947, Dick in 1950. For many years, Bob worked BRAND LOYALTY with his uncle in the administra­ tion of the company while Dick The clothes are different, only the name's the same. managed the production. They joined forces when they took over command of the company in the ODAY CONSUMERS ARE more difficult. We also wanted early sixties. When Joseph J. Tquite accustomed to find­ to develop a branded busi­ Pietrafesa passed away in 1968, they ing specialty "shops" within ness [shoes with their own became owners of the firm. major department stores. brand name] to establish a It was around the same time that Gathered together there are spot in the marketplace." the clothing industry was going shirts, pants, jackets, That led to Street Cars, ''the through some serious shake-ups. sweaters, and shoes that most comfortable shoe men The popularity of men's specialty make up a "collection," and and women can buy," accord­ stores was on the wane, being the consumer is much more ing to Selig. Today Street Cars replaced by department store men's likely to buy whole outfits makes a variety of styles, in­ shops. American companies began than individual pieces. cluding business shoes, to find it increasingly difficult to One such collection is weekend casuals, and shoes compete with the growing foreign Generra, a line of upscale, for the "serious 100-mile-a­ Steven Selig market. "If I said that 65 to 75 fashionable sportswear and week walker." percent of all the manufacturing footwear aimed at a clientele Even with Street Cars' suc­ facilities in the United States have aged 18 to 25. According to cess, Selig yearned for a ing to include shoes and gone bankrupt in the last 20 years, Steven Selig, president of business that would combine clothing for women, boys, I don't think I'd be exaggerating," Street Cars (which manufac­ both footwear and sportswear and girls. Today Generra does says Dick. tures Generra), his line was for the upscale, fashion­ about $200 million worth of In order to stay afloat, many one ofthe first, "if not actual­ conscious consumer. He ex­ business a year. men's clothing manufacturers ly the first," to present such amined how department Selig's primary responsi­ began to downgrade the quality of a concept to retailers. stores presented fashions to bility is footwear. " Our their product. The Pietrafesa It all came about after consumers- shirts in one greatest challenge is identi­ brothers took another tack. They Selig's graduation from SU in department, jackets in fying worldwide fashion changed the company's focus from 1964, when he and his family another, shoes somewhere trends and interpreting them producing middle-of-the-road were looking for a way to else-and knew there was a for the U.S. mass market, goods to producing only very fine, change their shoe manufac­ betterway. ln 1981 , his collec­ without losing our unique superior quality garments. "We turing business. "Manufac­ tion concept-and Generra­ identity. That requires some zigged when the industry zagged," turing shoes in the United was born, starting with men's talent. The marketplace is says Bob. States had become more and clothing and rapidly expand- unforgiving." - CNS In 1974, beforetheadventofmuch

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SPECIAL MARKETS

KID STUFF

Clare and Carol Freiman represent the height offashion . . . in size 2T. By Carol North Schmuckler.

HEN CLARE FREIMAN explains. "The only previous W Kivelson and Carol Frei­ choices buyers had were sporty man Finkel walk through Saks Fifth looks, very dressy outfits, or exor­ • Avenue or Lord & Taylor, they keep bitant imports at $125 an outfit. We • an eagle eye out for the latest found a real gap in the market and fashions. But it's not women they're filled it with a different look." looking at. It's the babies the Obviously they made the right women are pushing in strollers. decision. Today their infants' and Their interest is not merely children's wear (sizes three months grandmotherly. They know there's to toddler four) is carried by some an excellent chance that babies in 5,000 better department stores and and Israel. such pricey stores will be wearing specialty boutiques across the As they completed their liberal outfits they designed. United States. The clothes feature arts degrees at SU (Kivelson in Since Kivelson and Finkel took exquisite detail and are termed an 1947, and Finkel in 1951) , neither over the family-owned Freimanit "upstairs line," as opposed to one sister had any thought ofjoining the Corp. when their father died in forthe mass market; their most ex­ business. Instead, they married and 1978, they've not only tripled their pensive item sells for $45 and many raised families. Finally, Father per­ business, but carved out a special items retail around the $25 mark. suaded Kivelson (who'd always niche in the children's wear market. yearned to be a designer) to join " Our clothes have a European HEIR FATHER STARTED him when her children were in their almost liquidated the business," look but they're tailored to the TFreimanit in 1921 , making teens. Finkel came to work a few Kivelson remembers. "Neither of American market at prices sweaters and eventually importing years later. us had any business training. We'd Americans can afford," Kivelson children's clothing from Europe "When our father died, we done only the designing, buying, and selling. Having the major financial responsibility came as quite a shock." They also reeled under a set of personnel problems. Through ill­ ness, they lost their bookkeeper of 40 years and their shipping chief. In an unbelievably short time, in fact, they lost all their key people. "We would come in every day, look at each other, and say, 'What else?' And that day another catastrophe would happen!" Finkel remembers. The sisters knew it was sink-or­ swim time and decided to trust their instincts. "In those days, children wore only sweet, babyish-looking things in white and pastels," says Finkel. They chose to reposition the business and move into fabrications other than seasonal knits, such as French terry and interlocking materials. Within a year, they had made significant progress in rebuilding Freimanit in its new image. Kivelson and Finkel obviously adore what they're doing. In a building on Eighth Avenue, they sit Carol Frieman Finkel and Clare Frieman Kivelson- together in toddlerwear at a long table in a room crowded

26 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Published by SURFACE, 1988 3 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 5, Iss. 1 [1988], Art. 6

plains Kivelson. "The point of a ODAY KIVELSON SERVES current demand." collar is too long. The applique isn't Tas president and Finkel as vice The greatest challenge is timing in just the right spot. The em­ president and treasurer. Although and readying the lines earlier and broidered rosebuds aren't right. they do almost everything together, earlier. "What we used to do in The sleeve is the wrong shape for Kivelson is more involved with September, we're now forced to do the body." financing and Finkel with selling. in April," Finkel says. The final result is a line that's Kivelson's husband, the corporate "That's why we're always quite distinctive. They make every secretary, handles shipping and the breathless," Kivelson chimes in. piece in two colors: a "safe" one office. " You're not even finished with one and a fashion color. Their bold col­ Every day they're besieged by season before you're into the ors exhibit unexpected combina­ store buyers who see their line and middle of the next!" tions, such as purple with blue. want to take it on. But they're But they wouldn't trade it fo r a Their fall line features rounded, cautious about expansion. minute. "When the phone rings," whimsical, almost clown-shaped "We don't want to push produc­ laughs Kivelson, "and you hear a one-piece garments. Last year they tion to a point we can't control," buyer desperately begging, 'Send even made "a little black dress," Kivelson explains. "We purposely me more! Everything just walked which far outsold a similar dress hold down sales because we have out of the store!', then you know it's made in a safer color. all we can do to keep up with all worth it."

FINDING A N ICHE

You can sell to anyone if you figure out who they are.

ULE NUMBER ONE IN Rthe retailing game: Know your market and serve it. The wisdom of that is demon­ with display racks festooned with strated by two successful brightly colored clothing. Their retailing chains at opposite fingers fly as they sketch and pin ends of the country and and cut. They talk without looking seemingly opposite ends of up from their work, finishing each the business: New York's other's sentences. There's no time Bonwit Teller, serving a to go out for lunch; salads are fashion-oriented clientele, Stuart Moldaw William Ruben delivered. and Ross Stores, an off-price West Coast clothing chain. day Ruben is vice chairman, in U.S. Venture Partners, a HAT SETS FREIMANIT Bonwit Teller was a chain in concentrating on project fund with investments in re­ W apart is not only their trouble when William Ruben planning as the company tail operations, medical tech­ designs but their attention to detail. took over as C.E.O. in 1983. anticipates expanding its cur­ nology, and consumer prod­ Kivelson and Finkel travel to He'd come to Bonwit after 20 rent 12-store operation to 30 ucts. Europe frequently, absorbing years experience in retailing, to 40 stores around the It's start-ups he likes best. ideas. Although they once did all a career he'd prepared for as country. "I like putting the people, the the designing themselves, they now a member of SU 's Class of Funny thing is, Stuart systems, and the strategies have a staff of three designers. But 1951 , School of Management. Moldaw has exactly the same together," he explains. One of no design is finished until they've " We'd lost sight of our idea as chairman of the board the companies he started is added the final touches. customers," he says. "With of Ross Stores, but his target Ross Stores, one of the three They send their designs and more than 50 percent of the market is different. He's largest off-price chains in the fabrics to the Orient, where the female population working, focusing on brand-conscious country. fabrics are custom-dyed just for the needs of women are quite shoppers who want quality "Department stores have them. Twice a year, one sister different than they were 10 without paying what they continually raised their travels there and sits in a factory years ago. We had to decide perceive to be inflated [profit] margins and lowered for six weeks, supervising con­ which customer to reach for, department store prices. their level of service,'' Moldaw struction of the samples. and we chose the executive Moldaw's career path after says. "They no longer give "This is very labor-intensive woman who wants quality, finishing his management good value. We pass all work that couldn't be done in the service, and good value. We education at SU in 1949 savings directly along to the United States," says Finkel. "In became a fashion store moved him steadily upwards consumer. What distin­ fact, people here won't even quote again." in retailing. He eventually guishes us from other off­ prices on it." He made the stores so pro­ settled on the West Coast and price stores are attractive When the samples return to New fitable that just four years later went into business for physical layouts, a good York, they start all over again they were snapped up by himself, starting (and then assortment of merchandise, finalizing the details. "You'd never Hooker Corp., an Australian selling) several retail chains. and service." - CNS notice what we find wrong," ex- development company. To- Today he's a general partner

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COSTUMING

CENTER 5 TAGE

When you design clothes for the theater, your audience is an audi­ ence. By Carol North Schmuckler.

HERE YOU ARE, SITTING measured in the mind; you see the T around a table and Neil Simon results as a finished series of im­ says, "I don't know what she's wear­ ages before you begin and then work ing, but I think she ought to look backwards to bring them about." a little funny rather than pretty." Brooks, who is based in New And Mike Nichols chimes in, "A York City, emphasizes, "It isn't little funny? She ought to look what you want that's important, but hilarious!" With only that to go on, what you all want together. You use what do you design for the leading your own design standards to lady? interpret their needs." Donald Brooks dressed the While just as free to be creative, young bride in Barefoot in the Park Landry, who graduated from SU in a nightgown, curly lamb jacket, in 1965, finds she must work within terfere with leg and arm move­ enlarge your theatrical concepts so sweat socks, sneakers, and certain practical considerations ments." they carry. Color, line, and pattern babushka. "The minute you saw peculiar only to dance. Brooks designs for film and tele­ must be bold." her, she not only got a laugh, but "There are certain things you vision as well as the stage, and finds In contrast, he says, film and audiences realized she was can't put around a woman's waist each medium has its particular television work must be subtle. desperately trying to keep warm on because the man turning her might demands. "When the camera can move right her wedding night!" says Brooks. catch his fingers. When men lift the "On stage, people sitting in the in on top of the actor, anything Cut to the ballet and a whole dif­ women, you can't have parts of the last row of a balcony have every overscale or too showy becomes ferent set of design challenges, ac­ costumes falling into the dancers' right to see as well as those in the gross," Brooks explains. "But cording to Patricia Landry, who has faces . Costumes must never in- first row," he says. "You must there's yet another difference in costumed the Dance Theatre of Harlem. "First and foremost, you must be aware of fabrics that will stretch with the body," says Landry. "You must also work closely with the lighting designer and determine if colors change under the lights." Both designers agree: Deciding to costume a character or dancer a certain way can be based on no more than a word dropped by the director or writer, or the plans of the lighting director. BROOKS, A MEMBER OF SU's class of 1950, cam~ to costume designing only after firmly establishing himself as a designer of women's clothing. Although accustomed to being the sole creative force of his fashion collections, he finds the collabora­ tion of show business rewarding. "The challenge is weighing such factors as the mood of the work, the personality of the star, and the desires of the author and director. ,:,_ .. ! =~ -- Everything must be constantly Donald Brooks, well-known designer of retail clothing, gets his biggest kicks designing

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designing for film and television. fabrics he wears, so I do nothing Currently Landry operates her and are currently negotiating Videotape reproduction isn't as to detract from that;' he says. "Men own design studio and showroom, projects. sharp as on film, so you compen­ shouldn't look as though they've Pat Risha, in Silver Springs, "Wherever beauty is required," sate by using both lights and darks been toyed with." Maryland. Designing under her says Brooks, "I will be right there, to give clothes stronger contrast. own label, she creates and sells standing in line, trying to get the Of course, no matter what the ANDRY DID HER THE­ evening wear, bridal and prom job." medium is, you must consider the Latrical designing while work­ gowns, jewelry, handbags, and hats. personality of the star you're ing in retailing in New York City. "My high fashion wear is mostly designing for." During that period she also designed evening wear," Landry says, "and CAROL NORTH SCHMUCKLER an off-Broadway production of I also have a private clientele of is a writer on the SU Publications ROOKS'S FIRST STAGE Hello, Dolly!, the film Cotton working women.'' Office staff and a frequent con­ Bassignment in 1962, No Comes to Harlem, and productions Both Landry and Brooks are tributor. RENEE GEARHART Strings, for which he won the New of Music Man and Showboat. eager to do more costume design LEVY is a staff editor. York Drama Critics Award for costume design, still remains his favorite. "With Diahann Carroll playing COUNTRY CLUBBING a fashion model," he recalls, "every costume had to be the epitome of That je ne sais quoi that's Doral-whatever it is, it sells. chic and glamour." He faced a similar situation in his favorite fllm, Star. "Julie Andrews played N 1964, CAROLE KASKEL Gertrude Lawrence, a stage star ISchragis made a mistake. known for her glamorous clothes She criticized the Doral Coun­ and jewelry. I designed 3,500 try Club shop in Miami for its costumes, some 156 of them for limited selection of clothing Julie." and unfashionable styles, and Among his other theater credits she did so in front of the man are On a Clear Day J:Ou Can See who owned it: her father. He Forever; Promises, Promises; Last promptly told her that if she of the Red Hot Lovers, and She thought she could do any bet­ Loves Me. ter, go right ahead. The three films for which he Although she hadn't received Academy Award nomina­ studied retailing as a student tions were The Cardinal, Star, and at Syracuse (Class of 1952), Darling Lili. He received Emmy Schragis did possess a flair nominations for television produc­ for fashion and a great deal tions of The Two Mrs. Grenvilles of common sense. She ac­ and The Letter. He also designed cepted the challenge and costumes for The Country Girl, now, after 24 years of shut­ Scruples, Carol Channing's Los tling back and forth from her Carole Schmgis Angeles, and Ethel Merman on family in Scarsdale to Miami, Broadway. she has turned the $68,000-a­ business." me that they'd keep, so I sent As a designer of women's year business she started It didn't take her long, a calendar with pictures of fashions, Brooks's trademark has with into one doing $4 million. however, to hit on the real key models wearing my clothes, always been the use of elegant She did it primarily by to success: designing her different outfits for each fabrics in beautiful colors. He also establishing a unique "Doral own clothes, items that could month." designs his own prints and patterns, look" that epitomizes the only be purchased at the It's difficult for Schrag is to from rich paisleys to intricate glamour and exclusivity of the DoraI and that her customers pinpoint how much of her Oriental patterns. club, and that can only be wouldn't find duplicated in business is calendar-related. Brooks's clothes never look bought at the Doral or through every pro shop in the country. "I don't know whether to remotely like those of any other a mail order operation that "I design things for sports count it as a catalog sale or designer. "I developed a look very brings her designs into that no one else dares to do, a shop sale when a man much my own, designing for homes all over the country. like metallic decorations and comes in after playing golf wonderful tall American women "When I started, I didn't studs," she says. She also and says, 'My wife told me to who were full of confidence," he even know where Seventh makes It easy for her buy all of February and all of says. The industry dubbed his Avenue was," Schragis customers to put themselves August in size 12. Wrap it up." special style the "Brooks Look": recalls. "So I looked at the together by completely coor­ However she counts it, one that is never flashy, but empha­ labels in my clothes and then dinating outfits, with mat­ Schragis knows that the sale sizes striking fabrics subtly cut. visited those manufacturers. ching top, skirt, sweater, was made because the His successful men's wear col­ My first order was eight golf visor, socks, and pants. clothes she designs are the lection also emphasizes cut. "Men skirts: four pink and four blue. Her mail order business Doral to thousands of loyal look a little goofy in 'designer When they sold, I ordered 12 began almost by accident. "I customers who keep coming clothes.' The best looking thing more, then 24. I suddenly wanted to send people back- or writing- for more about a man is his carriage and the realized this could be a big something to remind them of every year. - CNS

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