Brooks Brothers Rides California Vibe Into Ron Herman as Part of New Wholesale Strategy
Ron Herman has been a Los Angeles destination for laid-back California cool for nearly 50 years.
Which is why it seemed out of the ordinary that the Melrose flagship would unveil the latest spring collection from East Coast preppy stalwart Brooks Brothers.
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But the brand’s spring offering has California lifestyle injected into the selection of madras jackets and shorts, seersucker suits, less structured blazers, khaki pants, knit polo tops and striped rugby-style tops.
Ruben Leal, the store’s men’s buying director, saw the collection in New York on a buying trip and felt it would be perfect for his customers. “I was really impressed with the direction of the collection because I thought it looked fresh and interesting,” he said.
The store went all out in introducing the collection at a cocktail party where a DJ turned tunes and guests mingled inside the store and on the outside balcony with views of a mist-laden fog approaching. On hand was Brooks Brothers’ creative director Michael Bastian, who has been with the label for a little more than two years since it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group.
When he joined the company, Bastian thought it was time to break the mold and experiment with more casual looks. “My first [spring] collection was a little Nantucket and a little bit of Palm Beach. And the criticism was, ‘Wow. You’re really stretching yourself there.’ The perception of Brooks Brothers is that it is so East Coast and cold weather. When the reality is, I’ve a lot of West Coast friends who might be even more preppy than I am, but in their own cool way,” he said. “So, me and the design team decided to explore the idea of California preppy.”
That California preppy is sophisticated, simple, graphic, easy to wear and introduces black instead of the usual Brooks Brothers navy blue. “We did these knit polos that you can button up all the way that are like a sweater, and we played around with formalwear, like a very modest tuxedo,” Bastian explained. “We did a seersucker double-breasted jacket with a big, pleated pant so it does have that kind of relaxed, oversize ‘80s vibe you can wear with a black knit sweater.”
Under Brooks Brothers’ new ownership, the company is extending the historic label’s merchandise outside its own store chain to specialty stores and other retailers. Aimee Carroll, president of wholesale for SPARC, the parent company of Brooks Brothers, was at the event and explained this retail plan was perfect for L.A., which once had a huge flagship on Rodeo Drive but now has only a few Brooks Brothers stores in the area.
“Our strategy right now is to bring Michael [Bastian] and Brooks Brothers to these incredible specialty stores,” she said. This reformatted retail push has been extended to exclusive locations including Sault New England in Boston and Halls in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
These new business moves are designed to retain the traditional Brooks Brothers customer while bringing in a younger client. “Right now, I think 50 percent of my job is to put the spokes back on the wheels of Brooks Brothers,” Bastian said. “You should always be able to find the perfect chino or a good cashmere sweater. But then there is this layer of sportswear and fashion-tailored clothing we are working on to attract new people. That’s very exciting.”
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