NEW YORK — Christian Francis Roth has resurfaced as the designer of Bernardo Collection, a better-priced sportswear line.
Roth made a splash in the late Eighties and Nineties with dresses that featured colorful crayons and graphic prints of money. After he won the Perry Ellis Award for new design talent in 1990, he failed to maintain a signature business. He later created a collection for QVC, worked at Nordstrom designing private label and designed for companies such as Tommy Bahama.
Roth arrived at Bernardo last November and had one month to start a fall line from scratch. “So far, we are getting a great reaction,” he said.
The fall line includes silk blouses, boy-tailored pants, matte jersey dresses, and silk jersey tops and skirts. Roth said the line has evolved since last season, becoming more of a sportswear brand with related pieces rather than an array of separates. “It’s the full head-to-toe look, something it wasn’t in the past,” he said.
Stuart Pollack, president of Bernardo Fashions, which generates $20 million at retail, said he hired Roth because of his wide-ranging experience.
“We started this line a couple of years ago in a very strong way,” Pollack said. “We realized that we just didn’t have the follow-through and consistency for fall that we should have. We needed someone who could interpret the designer trends into the better market.”
Roth said a plan is in place to build Bernardo into a $30 million or $40 million business at retail in about one year. Once the Bernardo brand is up and running as it should be, Roth hopes to launch his own line with the company.
“It’s in the very early stages, but Stuart and I have begun talking about launching my own line down the road,” he said.
The 24-year-old firm, based here, first launched its better sportswear line, Bernardo Collection, in 2004. Primarily known for its women’s outerwear, Bernardo began producing washable and dryable suede sportswear separates under the Bernardo label in 2000 and has grown the sportswear portion of its business, along with private label.
Recalling when he had his own signature line, Roth said, “I had some kids and realized that I just couldn’t be broke all the time. I decided to keep a low profile, move to Seattle and get some corporate experience so I could really learn the business. It really served me well.”