THE ART OF REINVENTION
About a decade back, Murray Roffe had a fortunate flash. Recognizing the difficulty of controlling one’s destiny via licensing, he began to research the market and buy up brands with intrinsic potential. He started with XMI, best known for upscale neckwear. From there, he acquired Duchamps London, a quirky cool British brand, owned by Swedish investors, favored by Bloomingdales and Barneys. (He bought the brand for all the Americas in all categories but footwear.) A rising star in his portfolio, the upscale Daniel Hechter collection features contemporary sport coats ($495 MSRP), woven shirts ($125), and neckwear ($98.50).
Recent licensing deals include Eagle, Lucky and Geoffrey Beene tailored clothing, all from ABG. Roffe explains that each collection has its own design staff and stays true to its brand DNA, with virtually no overlap. To coordinate this expanding business, he brought on former retail exec Glen Schanen as EVP Sales, Digital and Licensing.
Not to be overlooked: Roffe’s extensive collection of backpacks and briefcases (400,000 sold this past year), a strong showing of belts, wallets and cufflinks, and a great group of Save the Ocean shirts (made from recycled water bottles), with 10 percent of the wholesale purchase going back to The Ocean Foundation.
Still, even with rapidly growing sales, Roffe sensed that the declining number of U.S. department stores meant expanding business in those that remain. So why limit his focus to menswear? He soon launched a women’s accessories division featuring hats, scarves, and cold weather items. With the help of his fashion savvy wife Michele (with Murray at the top of the post), this business now includes trendy contemporary women’s wraps and wearables, a big hit at Anthropologie and other hip stores. Part of the Save the Ocean collection of sustainable fashion with proceeds going back to The Ocean Foundation, Roffe confides that “It’s the only check all year that I don’t mind writing.”
