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Perry Ellis International history
Perry Ellis International company history timeline
Ellis would become one of the top customers of John Meyer of Norwich, Connecticut, a women's sportswear company, which would hire him away in 1967.
In 1967 he and his brother created Supreme International for their burgeoning clothing business.
1967: Supreme International is founded.
He started a small apparel wholesale company called Supreme International in 1967 as an importer of guayabera shirts - the pleated, four-pocket shirts favored by Hispanic men.
When owner John Meyer, diagnosed with cancer, was forced to sell the company, Ellis, in 1974, went to work for The Vera Companies as vice-president and merchandise manager of its sportswear division.
Although he refused at first, Ellis finally accepted the position, taking over in January 1975.
The result would be the Portfolio collection in the fall of 1976 and Ellis's quick ascent as a premier fashion designer.
Since that first unapologetic American collection in 1976, Perry Ellis clothes continue to enhance our guy’s life across work, play and family - giving him the CONFIDENCE to go anywhere and do anything.
1976 First collection, Portfolio, launches.
1977 Spring collection lauded, Perry called “designer of the future.&rdquo
1978: Perry Ellis International is founded.
1980 Perry launches Menswear, Japanese collections.
Feldenkreis' fashion-savvy son, Oscar, joined Supreme in 1980 shortly after the company began making products for more upscale retailers.
1982 “Chariots of Fire&rdquo collection establishes “the Ellis look.&rdquo
1984 First fragrance released.
1984 Perry Ellis launches Perry Ellis America, in collaboration with Levi Strauss for a jeans and activewear collection.
1985 The America line sells at major retailers.
Licensees in 1986 would generate more than $300 million wholesale, resulting in approximately $22.5 million for Perry Ellis International.
Our excellent track record over the past decade--especially since going public in 1993--has enabled us to be positioned among the leaders in menswear in the United States.
Supreme went public in 1993, paving the way for additional acquisitions and further expansion.
Thomas decided to leave Perry Ellis when her contract expired in 1994.
After assimilating the new brands into its operations, Supreme International saw its annual sales reach $50 million in 1994.
In 1995, the company began its licensing agreement with Isaco International to make Natural Issue underwear and sleepwear.
In 1996 the company cast its net wider when for approximately $3.7 million it purchased Jolem and its labels aimed at Hispanic and African American men, including Tipo's, Cross Gear, Monte Fino, and New Step.
1996 Perry Ellis America for men relaunches.
In 1996, the company acquired the rights to the Munsingwear label and the well-known Penguin logo.
By the end of 1998 Perry Ellis brands generated an estimated $900 million a year in retail sales across 39 categories in 60 countries, but Salant, holders of one of its most important licenses, was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
In 1998, the company acquired the apparel licenses for Ping-brand golf clothing and Andrew Fezza.
In January 1999 the trustees of the Perry Ellis estate decided to sell the company to Supreme International for $75 million in an all-cash transaction.
Originally founded by the acclaimed fashion designer Perry Ellis to manage the licensing of his name, Perry Ellis International, Inc. is now the assumed name of the licensing and marketing group of Miami, Florida-based Supreme International, which purchased Perry Ellis in 1999.
The John Henry, Manhattan, and Lady Manhattan labels were also added to the company's growing portfolio in 1999.
In November 2000 it paid $1.75 million for the Mondo trademarks.
In late 2000, Perry Ellis signed an agreement that enabled the company to distribute Perry Ellis menswear to advertising specialty and promotional products companies, laying the groundwork for the company's growing corporate ad specialty industry (ASI) division.
Miami Business magazine chronicles George Feldenkreis’ business acumen in a March 2001 cover story.
In 2002, Perry Ellis acquired Jantzen, and began designing and marketing women's swimwear under the Jantzen and Southpoint brands.
In June 2003, Perry Ellis completed its acquisition of Salant, Perry Ellis' largest licensee.
2017 First fashion brand partnership with Amazon Alexa.
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Perry Ellis International competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lf Stores | - | $1.2M | 25 | 2 |
| HELMUT LANG | 2006 | $8.9M | 110 | 16 |
| Jantzen | 1910 | $45.0M | 175 | 1 |
| LIZ CLAIBORNE | 1976 | $1.2B | 6,800 | - |
| VOLCOM | 1991 | $380.0M | 543 | - |
| Haddad Brands | 1948 | $147.3M | 200 | 13 |
| ANN INC. | 1954 | $248.8M | 19,900 | - |
| Elie Tahari | 1973 | $690,000 | 25 | - |
| rag & bone | 2002 | $320.0M | 140 | 156 |
| STUSSY | 1980 | $40.0M | 50 | 1 |
Perry Ellis International history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Perry Ellis International, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Perry Ellis International. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Perry Ellis International. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Perry Ellis International. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Perry Ellis International and its employees or that of Zippia.
Perry Ellis International may also be known as or be related to Perry Ellis International, Perry Ellis International - @peicorp, Perry Ellis International Inc, Perry Ellis International Inc. and Perry Ellis International, Inc.