PLUSSuitsupply is set to

open shops-in-shop at Bloomingdale’s Manhattan

fl agship and Beverly Center store in Los Angeles

this spring. Page MW3.

Ted TalkIf Texas’ Ted Cruz wants to hold the nation’s highest o ce, he’ll need to amp up his style. Page MW3

MAN OF THE WEEK

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

NEW YORK — Joseph Abboud opened his fi rst store in his hometown of Boston under then-owner GFT in 1992.

But the 4,300-square-foot fl agship that will open Friday at 424 Madison Avenue here marks a whole new beginning for the designer and his brand. It is the fi rst dedi-cated store to open under Abboud’s new owners, The Men’s Wearhouse, which pur-chased the label in July 2013 for $97.5 mil-lion. If it is successful, the concept could mark the beginning of a signifi cant retail rollout for the designer label.

“In 1992, I was a designer opening a re-tail store,” Abboud told WWD Wednesday as he put the fi nishing touches on the store. “Now, we’re retailers opening a retail store. The support system here — the systems, vi-sual and real estate teams — are amazing. I didn’t have that before. This is the fi rst true fl agship in New York.”

Interestingly, the store has not even a pass-ing resemblance to a Men’s Wearhouse. In fact, nowhere in the unit will customers fi nd the name of the parent company. Instead, the design and aesthetic is 100 percent Abboud. From the double-sided linen curtains and the ivory herringbone fabrics on the mahogany columns to the cozy, tufted hassocks and wing chairs in classic men’s wear fabrics, the store was designed by Abboud in collaboration with Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates.

“Inspired by London’s Savile Row, I wanted to bring an American curated ex-perience for men to Madison Avenue — a place where they can not only shop, but ex-plore,” he said.

The location, on the corner of 49th Street, was formerly home to a Capital One bank, but the building dates to the early part of the 20th century. As a result, the bronze lights and clock on the exterior as well as the wooden doors are original to the space. “It’s got great bones,” Abboud said. It also has 170 square feet of frontage on the avenue and side street in the heart of the men’s wear corridor, which includes Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, My.Suit and Charles Tyrwhitt.

“This is one of the great men’s wear corners in the city,” Abboud said. “Upper Madison is more boutiquey and uberluxu-ry, but every guy walking to Grand Central Station has to walk by this store.”

Doug Ewert, chief executive offi cer of Men’s Wearhouse said of the new store, “It is the perfect location and environment to showcase the quality, style and value of the Joseph Abboud brand.”

That brand has become a cash cow for the company, generating sales of $230 million in its fi rst year.

MEN’S WEAR CORRIDOR

{Continued on page MW2}

March 26, 2015

Joseph Abboud StoreOpening on MadisonIf successful, the store could spawn additional units around U.S.

ACCESSORIES GONE WILD

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

JILL SANDER

ALEXANDER WANG

LOEWE

PRADA

Men are ready to get noticed. And these fall accessories prove that the growing category continues to push boundaries. For more, see page MW4.

DIOR HOMME

ALEXANDER WANG ALEXANDER WANG

For more, see page MW4.

GIEVES & HAWKES

LOUIS VUITTON

GIVENCHY

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by PETE BORN

JOSEPH ABBOUD will accent the opening of his new store with the debut of a men’s fragrance.

Called simply Joseph Abboud, the new scent is what the designer calls “the de-scendant” of a similar fragrance, also called Joseph Abboud, that he launched in 1989. He came off that experience having learned a lesson about distribution and market-ing. “I vowed to go vertical [the next time]. I couldn’t be happier going directly to my own customer. I want to be able to give him an undistilled appreciation of what we are trying to offer him,” the designer said, while acknowledging that one day he would like to wholesale the fragrance beyond the 900-plus doors of Men’s Wearhouse in the U.S. Plans are also underway to distribute the fragrance in the Joseph Abboud stores oper-ated under license in Japan through a part-nership with Onward Kashiyama, as well as the company’s Moores division in Canada.

In the U.S., the fragrance will launch this week in his store on Madison Avenue and then be rolled out in April and May at Men’s Wearhouse, which Abboud joined in December 2012 as chief creative offi cer. “I love retail because that’s where the mes-sage really gets delivered to the consumer,” Abboud said. “The real measure of success is whether we can talk to the customer intel-ligently.” He also admits a fascination with in-store merchandising. “I am going to sign the fi rst 50 bottles,” said Abboud, while say-ing he is contemplating other merchandis-ing ideas, including eye-catching displays.

“Fragrance is important because it com-pletes a guy in his persona, and his image,” he said, describing the new scent as the fi rst step in building an assortment, with additional products like body sprays. “We could have a number of fragrances,” said Abboud. “It’s important in this launch to establish your core fragrance, your packaging, your imagery, and build on that.”

The new Abboud fragrance was produced under a licensing partnership with Tru Fragrance and creat-ed by Harry Fremont, master perfumer of Firmenich. Comparing it with the original scent of the Nineties, Abboud said, “It’s fresher and probably more in the moment of 2015. I think this is more in keeping with the way I am designing clothes now. It’s taking

on a younger-thinking approach.”The formula is a modern update of the

classic men’s fougère, with a fresh citrus, ac-cents of spice and herbs for a woody aroma, opening with a blend of citrus and bamboo, revealing a heart of lavender, geranium and sage. The scent closes with guaiac woods, moss and clean captive musks. Declaring that the packaging is as important as any other element, Abboud said he took pains to design the bottle and the box as well.

Price points range from $65 for the 3.4-oz. version to $50 for the 1.7-oz. size.

Abboud declined to discuss volume, but industry sources estimate that the new fra-grance with its 1,000-door universe, plus online selling, could conservatively gen-erate about $5 million at retail during the fi rst year on counter. Whatever the fi nancial outcome, the results stand a good chance of being more sustainable than the first time Abboud entered the men’s fragrance arena. That time, the original Abboud scent was launched in partnership with GFT, and distributed to Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. The product was created under license by the Italian-based Euroitalia.

Abboud explained that GFT, as it began “to dismantle,” had diffi culty coping with the marketing requirements of big American retailers, especially since the Italian fi rm had a specialty store mind-set. But with the present vertical organization, it’s a new game. “The fact that we are creating our own product; that we have over 800 stores to put our product in, I think the future of retailing is more about verticalization.”

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015MW2

Subhead

FOR MORE IMAGES, SEE

WWD.com/menswear-news.

“It’s our commitment to dress men in the fi nest quality designer men’s wear in America so it was only natural to support the Joseph Abboud brand with its own re-tail store and expand that product offer-ing,” Ewert added. “Joseph Abboud sets a high standard of affordable luxury, offer-ing collections that have style, quality and enduring value.”

While Ewert said it’s “premature to declare a new rollout,” the company has hinted that it would open additional Abboud stores if the brand performs well in its new home. Upon entering, custom-ers are greeted with a cozy interior that showcases the brand’s tailored clothing, furnishings, sportswear and accessories. Although the 15-foot vaulted Venetian plaster ceilings, stone fl oors, brass and hand-blown glass chandeliers and wood accents were already in place, much of the interior was red and pink, Abboud said, cringing, and so required a signifi -cant makeover to add men’s wear patterns in shades of sepia to complement the de-signer’s collection.

“It has a grand feel to it,” Abboud said.Decorative elements range from vin-

tage, classic and modern pieces such as original hand-drawn charcoal fash-ion illustrations by artist Bill Rancitelli and a vintage terracotta bust — wearing a peak-lapel blazer, bow tie and vest — found by Abboud in a local antique shop

in Connecticut. Abboud also created cus-tom-made wing chairs — upholstered in his gray chalk-stripe fabric and leather, trimmed with brass nail heads. A hand-made miniature wooden staircase from the 1860s holds cuff links, and shoes — exclusive designs by Allen Edmonds for Abboud — are displayed on an Art Deco-inspired table made of tapered bronze with a deep chocolate shagreen top.

“A lot of the things are found pieces

that give the store a little character,” he said.”Everything was curated.”

Fixtures are mostly bronze and open, allowing customers an unobscured view of the apparel, and there will be 40 man-nequins in the space. “Guys buy from what they see,” Abboud said. “The visual aspect is key.”

In the rear, near the fi tting rooms, is a VIP area where special customers can tuck away for some privacy.

An iron staircase at the back of the store leads up to the Joseph Abboud Custom clothing area on the mezza-nine. There, more than 250 Italian fab-rics are displayed on specially made bronze hooks. The silhouette options are offered from actual illustrations that Abboud developed for the space. “Creating a suit should be fun,” he said. “The old cards in a box are static and old, and yesterday’s news.”

Prices for custom suits start at $895 with the “sweet spot” at around $1,200, he said.

Custom clothing, produced in the company’s New Bedford, Mass., plant, has been a surprise star for the company. Abboud revealed that last week alone, Men’s Wearhouse sold 625 custom units.

“That’s our competitive edge,” he said. “We have a Made in America product, and the fact that we’re vertical allows us to give great value.”

The assortment in the Abboud store is a more-elevated collection than that sold in the Men’s Wearhouse stores. Off-the-rack suits at the fl agship open at $795 and go up to $1,195. The offering at the Men’s Wearhouse starts at around $695. Some limited-edition pieces are also offered at the fl agship.

The sportswear is also exclusive to the store and is produced in small runs. It skews toward dressy sportswear with linen shirts, lightweight cotton/linen sweaters and casual pants.

Even so, Abboud believes “tailored clothing will drive the business. There are so many sportswear stores in the area.” He also expects sport coats to be a driver of business. “Our brand has always been known for its sport coats,” he said, point-ing to the “soft jacket, made in America” in various classic men’s wear patterns.

The store will also showcase the new Joseph Abboud fragrance in a case inside the front door. (See sidebar.)

Abboud summed up the store this way: “It’s theater with a commercial bent.”

{Continued from page MW1}

The Scent of a Man

Suitsupply to Open Shops at Bloomingdale’s

Destination XL Moves to Q4 Profi t

Joseph Abboud Flagship Could Lead to New Chain

The store is 4,300 square feet.

Joseph Abboud

Abboud custom designed the furniture and fi xtures.

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The fragrance.

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Men’s Week WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 MW3

The Scent of a Manby ARNOLD J. KARR

DESTINATION XL GROUP INC. continued to make progress in its larger Destination XL stores even as company results fell slightly short of Wall Street’s expectations.

In the fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, the Canton, Mass.-based big and tall retailer reported net income of $1.6 million, or 3 cents a diluted share, versus a net loss of $55.1 million, or $1.14, in the 2013 period. Excluding special items, such as a $51.3 million pretax charge to establish a full valuation allowance in 2013, adjusted EPS was 2 cents a share, 1 cent below the 3-cent profi t con-sensus estimate of analysts, versus a loss of 3 cents in the prior-year quarter.

Gross margin expanded to 47.9 percent of sales from 44.8 percent.Revenues in the quarter totaled $119.6 million, below the consensus esti-

mate of $120.9 million but 11 percent above the $107.7 million logged in the 2013 period. Comparable sales were up 8.9 percent, following a 4.2 percent increase in the 2013 quarter, with the expanded Destination XL stores to which the company is transitioning generated a 16.4 percent comp increase.

“Our Destination XL customer base con-tinues to grow both overall and on a per-store basis,” said David Levin, president and chief executive offi cer. “In addition to the higher conversion rate, we are seeing an increase in our end-of-rack customers, who now make up 45 percent of our bottoms business.

“All of these factors have driven our sales per-square-foot to $165 at the end of Q4, com-pared with $150 a year ago,” he said.

End-of-rack customers are those in the company’s lower size ranges, a coveted group among big and tall merchants as they can often buy their merchandise in stores not spe-cializing in big and tall.

The company is phasing out its Casual Male stores, but Levin noted that the fi rm’s decision to keep them open longer in lo-cales that have Destination XL stores is working in its favor. “In these markets, we are seeing a higher rate of Casual Male customers transitioning to the Destination XL brand, and our 2014 conversion rate is up 19 percent,” the ceo said.

The company also benefi ted from a decision to delay the launch of its fall marketing campaign by three weeks, which helped holiday sales and helped sales in January.

The company ended the year with 138 Destination XL stores and 157 of the smaller Casual Male stores. By the end of the current year, the company expects to have 178 Destination XL units, with approximately 1.5 million square feet of space, and 124 Casual Male stores with 438,000 square feet. Those fi gures don’t include outlet stores under the two banners.

This year, the fi rm expects sales of $438 million to $443 million, under the $446.6 million expected, on average, by analysts. For the full year, the adjusted net loss is seen at between 12 and 16 cents a diluted share, versus consensus estimates of a 1-cent profi t.

Shares, which fell following the release of the results Wednesday morn-ing, closed up 2.1 percent to $4.93.

For the full year, the net loss was trimmed to $12.3 million, or 25 cents a diluted share, from $$59.8 million, or $1.23. Revenues were up 7.1 percent, to $414 million from $386.5 million, while comps rose 6.4 percent, including a 13.7 percent increase at the larger DXL stores.

SUITSUPPLY, A DUTCH RETAILER known for its youthful tailored cloth-ing, will open shops-in-shop at Bloomingdale’s Manhattan fl agship on 59th Street and Beverly Center store in Los Angeles this spring.

The shops are a leased concession and will be around 1,300 square feet. They will be staffed with trained Suitsupply associates and tailors and fea-ture a curated assortment of the brand’s collection.

David Fisher, Bloomingdale’s executive vice president and general mer-chandise manager of men’s, said this partnership will help the department store reach the Millennial guy who’s not as knowledgeable about suits and looking for a certain price point. The brand’s suits range from $400 to $1,000.

“We weren’t really looking into a shop-in-shop, but we think that Bloomingdale’s is the right partner since we share the same dynamics. In some markets we think it could be a nice add-on for our distribution,” said Suitsupply founder and chief executive offi cer Fokke de Jong.

As of now, the plan is to only open the initial two shops-in-shop within Bloomingdale’s, but Fisher expects a larger rollout down the line.

Within the past three years, Suitsupply has opened 14 stores in the U.S., which includes two New York City units in SoHo and on Madison Avenue. The brand is set to open stand-alone stores in Los Angeles; Greenwich, Conn.; San Francisco; Miami; Dallas; Montreal; Sydney, and Shanghai this year. It also operates a shop-in-shop at Stanley Korshak, a luxury department store in Dallas. — ARIA HUGHES

WITH A NEW PRESIDENT at the helm, J. Press is ready to expand its footprint in the U.S.

The venerable men’s specialty store chain, which can trace its roots back to 1902 when Jacobi Press opened a store on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., has been owned by Japan’s Onward Kashiyama since 1986.

In December, the company named longtime executive Takashi Sudo to the post of president of the chain. Over the course of his career, he has operated the Japanese operations for American brands ranging from Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan to Calvin Klein. At J. Press, he is working closely with Yuki Okita, who had been chief executive offi cer and president of the retailer.

During a preview for the York Street collection on Tuesday, Sudo said he is hoping to add to J. Press’ three units in the U.S. in New Haven, Washington, D.C., and Cambridge, Mass. There is also a dedicated store on Bleecker Street in New York for the younger-skewed York Street brand. He envisions between fi ve and 10 stores in key American cities over the next fi ve years with New York City, San Francisco and Chicago tops on his list.

Last January, J. Press shuttered its Madison Avenue store when the landlord renovated the building, forc-ing the unit to close its doors. “We’re still looking for the right location,” Okita said. She said J. Press had hoped to secure the corner spot at 49th and Madison, but Men’s Wearhouse beat her to it for its fi rst Joseph Abboud store.

In Japan, Onward operates more than 100 J. Press stores and about the same number of in-store shops. But in its home country, the store’s expansion has been near-ly nonexistent.

Sudo explained that one deterrent to opening more stores in the U.S. has been the different timing sched-ule of the design and production of the collection. The J. Press and York Street collections are designed in Japan.

In the U.S. market, men’s wear is shown in January, but in Japan, it’s April. “But we recently met with our Japanese production team and we’ll now be doing it at the same time,” he said, “so we can fi nally expand here.”

Okita said the company has been “visiting a lot of cities, so I think it’s going to happen.” — JEAN E. PALMIERI

J. Press Eyeing U.S. Expansion

Suitsupply to Open Shops at Bloomingdale’s

Destination XL Moves to Q4 Profi t

Man of the WeekTed Cruz: C

The Suitsupply shop at Stanley Korshak.

A Destination XL store.

A look from the York Street fall collection.

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TED CRUZ: CIf he becomes the next

president, his thinning hair doesn’t stand a

chance. Better step up the Propecia now.

The repp tie in silver and black paired with the black suit makes the outfi t

look too evening for a public speaking engagement. Where’s the navy suit and

red power tie? But one good thing is that the knot and width of the tie work well

with the spread of the collar.

A leather bracelet implies a more leisurely lifestyle.

But it’s time to hit the gym since he’s bound to be criticized for his

weight, so he should swap it out for a Fitbit.

This is the epitome of the boxy suit, it’s very Nineties of him. Neiman Marcus is

from Texas, too — time for a visit.

It’s really important to know your true collar size — transparency is key, so don’t lie about it. A tight shirt just accentuates the girth of his neck.

The oversize soft shoulder does nothing to empower him.

The sleeves are too long and add to the balloon e� ect of the outfi t.

What to say about a pair of cowboy boots with a dress suit and tie? It’s not the fi rst time we’ve seen it on a Texas politician, but we still don’t like it. A pair of lace-ups would take him far.

The pants fi t him correctly, with the right break.

The repp tie in silver and black paired with the black suit makes the outfi t

look too evening for a public speaking engagement. Where’s the navy suit and

red power tie? But one good thing is that the knot and width of the tie work well

with the spread of the collar.

This is the epitome of the boxy suit, it’s very Nineties of him. Neiman Marcus is

from Texas, too — time for a visit.

It’s really important to know your true collar size — transparency is key, so don’t lie about it. A tight shirt just accentuates the girth of his neck.

The oversize soft shoulder does nothing to empower him.

The sleeves are too long and add to the balloon e� ect of the outfi t.

What to say about a pair of cowboy boots with a dress suit and tie? It’s not the fi rst time we’ve seen it on a Texas politician, but we still don’t like it. A pair of lace-ups would take him far.

The pants fi t him correctly, with the right break.

The newly minted Republican nominee candidate for president is in desperate need of a fashion makeover to transform him into a more powerful and convincing political choice.

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FOR MORE IMAGES, SEE

WWD.com/menswear-news.

Fur accents, chunky statement shoes, graphic elements and humorous conversational designs are some of the leading trends within the growing and dynamic men’s accessories market for fall. — ALEX BADIA

FUN AND FURRY

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015MW4

NEIL BARRETT

RAG & BONE MICHAEL KORS

COACH BORSALINO

GUCCI

RALPH LAUREN

J. CREW

FENDI

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS

BOTTEGA VENETA

VERSACE

KORS

PHO

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M H

AYES

PHO

TOGR

APHY

; MCQ

UEEN

BY

BERN

HARD

DEC

KERT