NEW YORK — Brooks Brothers’ Madison Avenue flagship has made it to 100, and on Tuesday night the retailer marked the milestone with a party at the store.
“Everyone keeps telling me ‘Happy Birthday,’ but it’s not my birthday,” Brooks Brothers chairman and chief executive officer Claudio Del Vecchio said.
Del Vecchio has owned and led Brooks Brothers for over a decade — he acquired it from Marks & Spencer in 2001 — and has reinvigorated the business, but he isn’t resting on his laurels.
“Globally we probably have about 50 stores opening in the next 12 months,” he said.
According to Del Vecchio, Brooks Brothers is expanding its retail footprint into the Middle East, Central Europe, India and Australia and it recently started its business in China, which will trigger openings throughout Asia.
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For its U.S. stores, Del Vecchio said omnichannel services such as order in store and ship directly home will be fully implemented before the end of the year and other initiatives including reserve online and pick up in store are in the works.
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Del Vecchio, who purchased the flagship building shortly after buying the business, acknowledged that physical changes to the Madison Avenue store over the years have been purposely subtle, but innovation within Brooks Brothers’ product has been more pronounced.
Since he bought the company, the retailer has collaborated with streetwear brand Supreme, developed the Black Fleece line with Thom Browne, which will be discontinued after the fall 2015 season, and brought on designer Zac Posen as creative director of its women’s business — Posen’s collection will be in stores for spring 2016.
The brand has also continued to build its close relationship with Hollywood. Brooks Brothers recently released a multiplatform ad campaign that features actors such as Christina Hendricks and Tony Goldwyn, and at last night’s event Matthew Morrison, who is starring in “Finding Neverland” on Broadway, made an appearance. Morrison toasted the brand before introducing his castmates, who performed at the party.
“My relationship with the team at Brooks Brothers started as a business relationship and turned into a friendship,” Morrison said. “Happy Birthday to this building. It’s been standing for 100 years and I’m sure it will be standing for 100 years longer.”
The night ended with a Ron Ben-Israel-designed cake that was modeled after the flagship. Ben-Israel watched over the cake and fit in some shopping.
“I love the brand,” he said. “I arrived two minutes early and I went to buy underwear downstairs because they have the nicest boxer shorts with little doggies.”