Man of the Week

Wills’ Step and Repeat

Man on a Mission

penney’s new market

B&T Chain The Foundry Debuts TodayNew extended size concept to challenge Casual Male and Rochester Big & Tall.

{Continued on page MW3}

April 28, 2011

When in his civvies, Prince WIlliam tends to turn to the same looks again and again. Time to turn up the style quotient. Page MW2.

Plus:Bon-Ton’s major push for the inaugural John Bartlett-designed Consensus and Statements men’s private labels. Page MW2.

Dolce & Gabbana’s coat and Armani Collezioni’s turtleneck, both in wool.

“Book of Mormon” star Andrew Rannells ditches the short-sleeve button down. see page MW4.

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

ThE gLovEs ARE coming off in the battle for the men’s big and tall customer.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. today will take the wraps off The Foundry Big & Tall supply Co., a new retail concept targeted to this growing market segment — one that will pit it directly against the other major players in the men’s industry, all of whom have identi-fied this niche as one ripe for expansion.

The biggest player is Casual Male Retail group Inc., which operates nearly 500 stores including four Destination XL su-perstores, which combine all of the com-pany’s concepts: the moderate Casual Male merchandise as well as the more-upscale Rochester Big & Tall, along with shoes. The company will add 10 to 14 additional DXL stores this year and, by 2015, expects to have between 75 and 100 units in operation.

The Men’s Wearhouse Inc., which does $300 million in business in extended sizes within its stores already, has committed to test three freestanding Big & Tall stores this year. The retailer has said that sales in extended sizes are running 40 percent higher than its regular-size business. And Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., which launched a Web site de-voted to these sizes earlier this year, has also reported success within the category.

And Penney’s wants a chunk of the pie, which is estimated to be a $6 billion annual business.

The Foundry will start its retail rollout with six stores in the Dallas market, five of which will have a soft opening today, fol-lowed by two in Kansas City, Kan., and two in Kansas City, Mo., next week. By 2013, the chain is expected to expand to 100 units and then triple that number within five years.

The Foundry is the first of three new businesses within the Plano, Tex.-based company’s new growth Brands Division. The other two are Clad, a men’s Web site, and gifting grace, an online gift site, both of which will launch later this year. None of these businesses will have any external as-sociation with J.C. Penney; instead, they’re viewed as a new businesses separate and apart from the company’s core department stores. however, they will benefit from using Penney’s strong logistics and back-office capabilities.

“This is a men’s specialty store, not a family department store,” said steve Lossing, president of The Foundry and a

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With his nuptials on Friday expected to draw

a worldwide audience in the billions, he’s

definitely the Groom of the Decade. With all the

attention focused on Kate’s style, Wills has shown

a marked lack of creativity and youthfulness in

his wardrobe choices since their engagement

was announced in November. The Windsors have

a legendary sartorial heritage — i.e., the Duke of

Windsor — and even his father, Prince Charles, is a

snappy dresser. But William has taken a different

tact, disappointing all the fashionistas but not

wanting to draw attention to his clothes.

In the last six months, he has repeated exact

outfits such as the requisite navy suit, blue

button-down shirt and maroon tie for more-formal

events, and khakis and a similar blue dress shirt

for casual outings. It would be refreshing to see

him sporting suits in traditional patterns — Prince

of Wales anyone? — with modern silhouettes or

sportswear appropriate for his young age. With him

now taking center stage on a global scale, he has

a fashion responsibility to push men’s style and

embrace his heritage.

Men’s WeekMW2 WWD THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011

Iconix Consolidates Stake in Ed Hardy

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

WIth AN AssoRtMENt that runs the gamut from men’s sweaters to pet beds, the Bon-ton stores Inc. is planning a ma-jor push for the inaugural John Bartlett-designed Consensus and statements men’s private labels.

As reported, the de-partment-store chain last october inked a deal with tharanco Lifestyles LLC for Bartlett to take over the design of its apparel and accessories collec-tions starting this fall. the full collection, which of-fers preppie, military and outdoors-inspired styles, was unveiled at an event at the Ace hotel in New York City Wednesday night.

“We’ve been working with John over the last six months to get ready,” said steve Villa, senior vice president of private brands for Bon-ton. “We’re re-ally excited with the way it turned out and it’s been a great partnership. It’s re-ally nice product and will help move us forward.” Villa said the Consensus sportswear and the state-ments men’s furnishings will anchor Bon-ton’s up-dated area and will be showcased in a shop set-ting in all of the company’s 264 stores. the size of the shops will vary by store but the emphasis will make the brand among the company’s top three men’s businesses. It will begin flowing into stores in July with the full collection due in by Aug. 15.

Because of Bartlett’s ongoing support of animals, Bon-ton also will offer John Bartlett Pet, a selection of beds, leashes, accessories and gifts, for fall. other cat-egories, such as boys’, is expected to be added in the future.

“this is our big push in men’s,” said Bud Bergren, Bon-ton’s chief executive

officer. Men’s wear accounted for 12 per-cent of Bon-ton’s sales during 2010 year, or about $360 million of its $3 billion total.

the shops will feature the John Bartlett Consensus or John Bartlett statements logo and will have distinct fixturing to set the merchandise off from the rest of the mix. “We’re focused on the product, him

as a person and his view-point,” Villa said.

Villa said the company ex-pects sweaters, woven shirts and outerwear to be among the most popular items with customers. “they’re really right on trend,” he said, not-ing there will be “less em-phasis on bottoms and knits” at the outset.

Bartlett said he has worked to slim up the fit of the garments, which include everything from washed poplin shirts, which will re-tail for $45, flannels ($45), argyle sweaters ($65), chunky cardigans ($85), jersey knits ($30), Fair Isle sweaters ($85) and corduroy pants ($65) in Consensus. the statements offerings include suit sepa-rates, which will sell for $175 for the jacket and $75 for the pants, as well as neckwear ($32.50), dress shirts ($34 or $52.50), loungewear ($26-$70) and outerwear ($125-$200).

“the fit is trim, yet re-laxed, with engaging details that aren’t overdecorated,” Bartlett said. “I paid very close attention to the hand and feel of the fabrics, the washes, and the best in noble fibers to create the

highest price to quality ratio possible.” he said he has created “a real lifestyle brand, which is where the business is going today.” six to eight deliveries a year are planned.

the skinny dress shirts and ties are new for Bon-ton, he said, and expected to appeal to a younger guy. Bartlett said he will introduce a slimmer suit silhouette for spring. “We’re really overhauling the whole tailored side,” he said.

Bergren said that the investment in re-vamping the private label offerings is part of the retailer’s efforts to set itself apart from its competitors. In addition to Con-sensus and statements, Bon-ton also of-fers Ruff hewn for its outdoors-inspired offering, Kenneth Roberts for tailored looks, and in young men’s, juniors and children’s, the retailer just signed a li-censing deal with Australian firm Mambo Graphics Pty Ltd. to bring the Mambo surf and street brand to the U.s. exclusively for fall. the company also has a deal with Casual Male Retail Group to provide Big & tall men’s merchandise in select stores and online.

“this is what is going to differentiate us,” Bergren said, adding that while the company is “always looking for new lines,” no other deals are imminent.

Private brands are continuing to gain in importance in the men’s market. In addition to Macy’s and J.C. Penney, long the leaders in this category, other retail-ers have also had success with exclusive brands including saks Fifth Avenue, whose men’s collection is now its number-one vendor and Lord & taylor, which has had a strong response to its Black Brown 1826 men’s brand.

Man of THE WEEK Prince william: B

by VICKI M. YoUNG

ICoNIx BRANd GRoUP INC. has acquired the worldwide master license for the Ed hardy brand for $55 million plus a $7 million earn-out, and in the process has upped its ownership stake in the brand to 85 percent.

the company acquired the license from Nervous tattoo, which is owned by designer Christian Audigier. Under the terms of the deal, Nervous tattoo will continue as a licensee for Ed hardy t-shirts, hats and hoodies, and will prepay $7 million in royalties under its license.

In May 2009, Iconix acquired a 50 percent stake in hardy Way, owner of the Ed hardy trademarks, for $17 million. tattoo artist don Ed hardy still owns a 15 percent minority stake.

Neil Cole, chairman and chief executive of-ficer, said in a call to Wall street after posting first-quarter earnings results, “Ed hardy is a brand with worldwide recognition and a strong and growing international business. today it is sold in over 43 countries, over 39 product cat-egories.…We also hope to leverage its broad li-censing platform to extend some of our existing brands into new categories.”

In an interview, Cole said the brand has a diverse group of licensees such as in auto-motive, air fresheners, wine and vodka. And while international is where the growth op-portunities are, Iconix’s initial focus will be on stabilizing the business and fine-tuning its distribution. For growth, he sees cosmet-ics as a possibility and a “huge opportunity in regular apparel, if it’s done tastefully and the brand is redirected.”

the company said first-quarter income spiked 26.9 percent to $31.4 million, or 42 cents a diluted share, from $24.8 million, or 33 cents, in the year-ago quarter. total revenues, primar-ily from licensing income, gained 28.8 percent to $92.4 million from $71.7 million.

Cole said the firm continues to be acquisi-tive, and is eyeing intellectual properties worldwide. “We are looking to bring Iconix’s businesses around the world and bring [any acquired] brands worldwide, such as India, the Middle East and Russia,” he said.

he added business in general is showing signs of improvement.

the company increased its full-year 2011 diluted earnings per share guidance to be-tween $1.50 and $1.55 from $1.40 to $1.45, re-flecting first-quarter performance and the Ed hardy transaction.

shares of Iconix rose 3.4 percent, or 77 cents, to close at $23.28 in over-the-counter trading on Wednesday.

Bon-Ton Set to Launch Pair of Private Brands

Dec. 8, 2010

march 19, 2011

march 8, 2011

march 21, 2011

april 11, 2011

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20-year men’s wear retail veteran. “It will have no public affiliation with J.C. Penney.” Lossing has been with Penney’s for the past eight years, working in three men’s areas, including big and tall. Prior to that, he was at Parisian and Kauffman’s.

“We worked with an outside firm for the branding and creative. It has a whole different look and feel,” he said. “It’s very masculine.”

The stores are actually designed to replicate a microbrewery and feature an urban, industrial feel with concrete and wood floors, brick walls, steel and wood fixtures and modern lighting. There is a lounge in the center with comfortable leather chairs where customers are invited to sit and relax. There are flat-screen TVs both in the lounge and in the rear as well as an over-size poker table. An unusual compo-nent of the design is the fitting area, or “tank room,” which replicates the cylindrical copper tanks in a brewpub. And in markets without restrictions, The Foundry actually has happy hour where customers can stop in for a beer, water or soda at designated times. “We know guys hate to shop, but we want him to feel he can hang out and relax in our store,” Lossing said.

The assortment ranges from fur-nishings and sportswear to tailored clothing and shoes, or “soup to nuts,” according to Lossing. In focus groups prior to opening, potential customers said they hated having to go to three different stores to com-plete their wardrobes, hence the comprehensive mix. “They’re very frustrated with the selection avail-able to them,” he said.

The Foundry carries a mix of national brands and private label and is broken down into three dis-tinct sections: the porch, the lounge and the loft.

Upon entering, customers are in a porch area, which show-cases traditional collections such as Nautica, Callaway Golf and Timberland, Lossing said. On the other side of the entryway are the modern collections, including Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis and Marc Ecko Cut & Sew. That’s followed by 24 feet of private label polos in solids and stripes, along with shorts merchandised under The Foundry Supply Co. name. Denim, which is a mix of brands and private label and screen T-shirts are also found here. Private brand overall is around one-third of the assortment, Lossing said, and is most heavy in basics such as polos, Ts and shorts.

The back third of the store is the loft, which houses the tailored clothing, dress shirts, neckwear, socks, underwear, belts and dress and casual shoes. Izod, Geoffrey

Beene and Cubavera also are housed here. Other brands of-fered include Cole Haan, Dockers, Geoffrey Beene, Levi’s and Nike.

The red brick back wall mer-chandises licensed team apparel and activewear. “This gives each store a local flavor,” Lossing said.

In stores, The Foundry carries from 1XL to 6XL and 1XLT to 5XLT in sportswear, but up to 10XL on-line. Shoes run from 10 regular to 16 wide. Tailored clothing sizes will run up to 54L in stores and up to 60 online. Prices range from $20 for a T-shirt to $200 for a suit coat.

The Web site already is up and running — it launched quietly two weeks ago and will send out its first e-mail to the public next week. “We’re running transactions on it,” Lossing said. “We sent an e-mail to around 110,000 people so we’re getting traffic, but it’s been all internal communication.”

When the marketing does hit, it will be “very unique,” Lossing said, saying it features “tongue-in-cheek” humor. For example, one ad will run the tag line: “You know what they say about a man with big hands…he shops at The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co.”

The retailer will employ direct mail, radio, e-mails, run of paper advertising and billboards in the cities in which the stores oper-ate. “Everything but TV,” Lossing said, noting that the company pur-chased some big and tall lists to

mine for customers. The target shopper for The

Foundry is affluent, professional and generally 45 or older, although some younger customers may be lured by the Marc Ecko line or other more-contemporary collections. He generally makes over $75,000 a year.

Seven of the first stores are off-mall locations while three are in centers. Lossing said that it will be “interesting to see” which sites do best and he expects the big guys to gravitate more toward street loca-tions, while tall guys may be more

likely to shop in malls. Most stores will average around 5,000 square feet, with the smallest being 4,500 square feet and the largest 6,000 square feet.

Lossing declined to provide a volume projection for the new company but is confident that The Foundry’s distinct look and feel will allow it to carve a niche. “There are a lot of big and tall com-petitors out there,” he said. “We’re not the only ones who have identi-fied it as a growth area.” In fact, he said the B&T population is expect-ed to grow 25 percent over the next 10 years while the regular popula-tion growth will be flat. “People are just getting bigger and taller,” he said. “We offer a unique environ-ment and assortment, and our asso-ciates are the cherry on top. They will bring the experience to life.

“There are not a lot of new men’s concepts out there. We want to create something exciting.”

The Dallas-area stores will hold grand-opening events on May 14 featuring autograph sessions with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bradie James and Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. The Kansas City grand opening will be May 21 and feature Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel (Oak Park Mall store only) and signings by Kansas City Chief cheerleaders.

Men’s Week MW3WWD Thursday, april 28, 2011

Vilebrequin to Relocate Madison Ave. StoreVILEBrEqUIN IS MAKING a move on Madison Avenue.

The Saint-Tropez-based men’s and boys’ swimwear manufacturer, will relocate its store on the upscale shopping street in Manhattan to 1007 Madison Ave., between 77th and 78th Street, this summer. It currently op-erates a 600-square-foot store at 1070 Madison Ave. between 80th and 81st.

The new 665-square-foot store is slated to open July 15 and will carry the company’s swim collection as well as ready-to-wear, including cotton polos and T-shirts, linen shirts, cargo shorts and pants. Accessories, includ-ing cotton caps sporting the company’s turtle logo, as well as beach bags and colorful towels, will also be offered. Prices range from $150 to $550 for the men’s swimwear, which is known for its whimsical prints and tropical themes, while the boys’ swimwear is priced at $110 to $140.

The store will feature sky blue walls, wood floors and rust iron fixtures to reflect the colors and mood of its headquarters in Saint-Tropez.

Vilebrequin,which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, will con-tinue to operate a store at 436 Broadway in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.

— Jean e. Palmieri

J.C. Penney Plans 300 Foundry Stores

The fitting rooms are designed to

appear like tanks in a brewpub.

Twenty-four feet of polos will be offered.

{Continued from MW1}

Men’s WeekMW4 WWD thursday, april 28, 2011

by MATTHEW LYNCH

WHEN HE WAs iN rehearsals for “The Book of Mormon” last summer, Andrew Rannells decided to get a closer look at the source material, so he made his way to the Latter-day saints New York visitors’ center to meet some real-life missionaries.

“i wandered in and there’s a security guard, and i said i’m just looking for some general information, and he let me wan-der,” Rannells says sitting on a couch out-side a Meatpacking District photo studio on a sunny April day. “i mean no one stopped me. Maybe because i look Mormon?”

score one for Trey Parker and Matt stone, the “south Park” savants and, along with songwriter Robert Lopez, mas-terminds of “The Book of Mormon,” the most lauded Broadway comedy since “The Producers.” For those who haven’t been able to lay hands on tickets (and good luck with that: it’s currently booked well into summer and the NYPD opened an inves-tigation into counterfeit tickets this week), the show follows two wide-eyed mission-aries plucked from suburbia and dropped into a war-torn and AiDs-ravaged Uganda. There, they are tasked with not only con-vincing villagers that there is a God, but

that he revealed his most sacred teachings to a treasure-seeker turned preacher in up-state New York in the 1820s.

Profanity and profundity ensue. As Elder Price, one of the show’s two

leads, Rannells, a boyish 32, plays nothing short of the salt Lake ideal: An all-Ameri-can kid as sure of his faith as he is of him-self. He’s the straight man to co-star Josh Gad’s Elder Cunningham, a schlubby and compulsive ne’er-do-well. Rannells looks the part. He’s tall, but not too-much-so, with a very easy smile and a truly impres-sive chestnut coif. Originally hailing from Omaha, Rannells’ gracious real-life de-

meanor doesn’t seem too far off, if a little less cartoonish, from the one he conjures up for the play’s first act, before it all goes to Hell, literally, in the second.

“i got to be funny — and a lot of times you’re not supposed to be,” says Rannells, whose credits include “Hairspray” and “Jersey Boys.” “i’ve certainly played those leading man or male juvenile roles, where you’re not supposed to make people laugh. [The producers] let me sort of explore that and what is funny about that guy and also to make him quirky and weird in his own way.”

Which is to say Bud Abbott never had Holy scripture forcibly placed where the sun dares not shine by an African warlord whose name is not printable in Men’s Week. in any case, the comic torment seems to be paying off. “The Book of Mormon” is sure to garner its fair share of attention when Tony nomi-nations are announced on May 3. individual nod or not, Rannells has booked a part on “Girls” the buzzed-about HBO series from “Tiny Furniture” director Lena Dunham.

And as for that trip to the Mormon visi-tors’ center?

“i have complete respect for what they’re choosing to do, particularly the guys who are stationed in Manhattan because they said, sort of very defeated, ‘Well, the only people who talk to us are homeless people,’” Rannells recalls. “i ended up sort of counseling these two boys about living in Manhattan…i felt like i should take them out to dinner or something.”

In “The Book of Mormon,” Andrew Rannells stars as a missionary with a serious crisis of faith. The actor chats to Men’s Week about going to hell every night and living to sing about it.

Keeping the FaithPH

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Polo Ralph Lauren’s wool blazer, Cheap Monday’s cotton sweater, Burkman Bros.’ cotton shirt and Simon Spurr’s cotton denim jeans. Thom Browne shoes.

Trovata’s T-shirt and Adriano Goldschmied’s denim jeans, both in cotton.

For more images, see

WWD.com/menswear-news