Men’s Wearhouse names Joseph Abboud creative director

FREMONT, Calif.—The Men’s Wearhouse has named designer Joseph Abboud chief creative director. The designer left his position as chief creative officer at HMX Group in mid-November.

“I am excited to have Joseph join our team and bring his talents to our organization,” commented CEO Doug Ewert in a statement. “By marrying the largest menswear specialty retailer with Joseph Abboud’s vision and ability, the brand will be even better positioned to bring contemporary, well-made menswear directly to our customers at great prices.”

Abboud will be bringing his Jaz label to Men’s Wearhouse, where it will become an exclusive. Abboud launched Jaz in 2007 but Jack Victor, which held the tailored clothing license, let it expire in 2010.

“I am very excited to partner with Doug Ewert and his team at Men’s Wearhouse to take menswear specialty retail to a new level and to continue with George Zimmer’s vision of great quality, great service, and, of course, great value,” Abboud added. “Coming full circle, this is also a great opportunity for me to return to retail, where I hope to bring new ideas and innovative concepts directly to the consumer, including the launch of my Jaz collection.”

It isn’t yet clear if Abboud will continue his Black Brown 1826 line with Lord & Taylor.

Joseph Abboud began his career at Louis Boston and became a designer at Polo Ralph Lauren in the 1980s. He launched his own, eponymous line in 1986. Abboud is no longer affiliated with the brand that bears his name. He launched Jaz in 2007, and was brought on to design the Black Brown 1826 line for Lord & Taylor in August 2008.

Men’s Wearhouse operates 1,144 stores.