Burke to Exit Bergdorf’s

NEW YORK — Robert Burke, Bergdorf Goodman’s senior vice president of fashion and public relations, is leaving the store on Jan. 15 to start his own luxury consulting company based here, Robert Burke Associates.

Burke has been Bergdorf’s fashion voice for the past six years, and was a key player in several a reas, helping to attract younger customers to Bergdorf’s women’s and men’s stores, repositioning Bergdorf’s men’s store to become more fashion-driven, selecting fashion for ads and the Bergdorf Goodman Magazine and generating greater press coverage and buzz around the business.

No successor has been named. The parent company, the Neiman Marcus Group, also is searching for a successor to Joan Kaner, who retired last month as senior vice president and fashion director for Neiman Marcus Stores.

In an interview Thursday, Burke said his first client will be Bergdorf Goodman. In the weeks ahead, he plans to announce other clients, both designers and brands. He also expects to work with an investment banking firm to advise it on acquisitions and expansion potential of brands and designers.

Burke said he had been discussing the terms of his departure with Jim Gold, chairman and chief executive officer of Bergdorf’s, for the past few months and that the decision to leave the retailer was entirely his own. Asked if he was at all nudged out, he replied: “Absolutely not.” He said details of a contract are being finalized.

“He was a valuable player,” said Burt Tansky, president and ceo of the Neiman Marcus Group. “He made a major contribution, helping the team at Bergdorf Goodman to focus on the right fashions, styles and trends. He has had very strong relations with designers and a number of very key vendors.”

“Robert’s primary focus was helping to position the store from a fashion standpoint, in terms of vendor assortment, fashion in the windows, the advertising, the quarterly Bergdorf Goodman Magazine and on the mannequins,” said Gold. “He provided the fashion direction for the store on a macro basis and got very involved in editing the assortments for the quarterly Bergdorf Goodman Magazine. He also played an instrumental role in the product positioning of the men’s store.

Burke started at BG in 1999 as vice president and fashion director overseeing women’s, men’s, accessories and home. In 2003, he was promoted to senior vice president of fashion and public relations. Before Bergdorf’s, he worked at Ralph Lauren for 11 years in a variety of retail, design and merchandising positions, including managing the Rhinelander Mansion flagship on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street.

Burke said he sees a void in fashion for a luxury consulting company that focuses on product and merchandising, brand expansions and brand positioning. He said he plans to hire a team of industry experts from the luxury sector that can advise designers and vendors. He declined to name any major brands or the investment bankers that he is considering working with.

“There are a lot of great public relations companies, but I don’t feel like there are many that could really deal with product, brand positioning and finding voids and opportunities in the market for retailers, designers and vendors,” he said.

“I see big opportunities for the whole luxury sector,” Burke added. “It’s growing at a rapid rate, but, quite frankly, I feel there are not a lot of true merchants out there.”

He said his new consulting role is not about going to a brand and saying: “‘Pink is the color of the season.’ It’s much more strategic in terms of pricing, design and where [shop-in-shops] are located in stores. Part of my motivation is the luxury consumer is growing rapidly and their buying patterns are changing quickly, as well. Luxury is not always about the most expensive. It can be luxury chocolates or luxury cashmere. It’s about quality and design and so many companies want to tap into the luxury market.”