![]() ![]() Early on, Schwartz began looking for a job in the field on his own, and he started off in the mailroom of a lingerie company before moving on to Russ Togs, an apparel manufacturer, where he spent four years in sales. His parents were involved in the fashion business-his father, Daniel, was a dress sales executive, while his mother, Sue, had a clothing boutique in Long Beach, New York. Schwartz was born in the mid1940s and grew up in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. I’m doing nothing different than Calvin, except he’s probably at La Grenouille for lunch for three hours, shaking hands with the editors. The founder is impervious to his critics, once telling Forbes journalist Nina Munk that “when something costs $1,400 they call it an original at $400 it’s a knockoff. Based in Los Angeles, Schwartz’s company has been scorned by the fashion establishment, but it consistently racks up impressive sales figures year after year. SidelightsĪ llen Schwartz is design director of A.B.S byAllen Schwartz, a clothing company that surgedto fame in the 1990s with its clever copies of designer originals. 1964-68 sales executive, Esprit de Corp, 1968-77 East Side Clothing Company, New York City, co-founder, 1977, and executive, 1977-81 founded A.B.S by Allen Schwartz, 1982 launched “Oscar Watch” line, 1996 company acquired by Warnaco, Inc., 2000, and Schwartz became design director. W orked in the mailroom of a lingerie company,early 1960s sales associate, Russ Togs, c. Corporate, 1231 Long Beach Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90021. 1945, in NY son ofDaniel (a garment salesperson) and Sue (a boutique owner) Schwartz married Pam (a homemaker) children: Danielle, John.Īddresses: Office-A.B.S. He stopped selling his clothing to department stores, opting to trade only in his stores and via eCommerce.B orn Allen Bruce Schwartz, c. In 2017, the brand was revamped to include other merchandise like footwear, handbags, and jewelry and concentrated solely on original, contemporary read-to-wear. In 2000, Schwartz sold the company for $20-$30 million but remained as design director. It flew off the shelves, kicking off the mainstream ABS phenomenon.įor several years, Schwartz's knockoffs were a major success. His first copycat dress was less Hollywood, but possibly the most famous dress in the world-Carolyn Bessette's Narciso Rodriguez-designed wedding dress worn at her 1996 wedding to JFK, Jr. ![]() In 1996, Schwartz started the "Oscar Watch" line. The turnaround would be fast, and the quality excellent. Schwartz conceived of copying each year's Oscar dresses. His more affordable (but not cheap) knockoffs were being sold at fancy department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales, to name a few.Īlways on the lookout for the "next big thing," Schwartz noticed the public's obsession with red carpet dresses worn on Oscar night by movie stars like Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Winona Ryder. By 1995, other stores opened around the country. In 1988, Schwartz opened his flagship ABS store in Santa Monica, followed four years later in New York City. ABS's biggest draw was its speed of construction it was made so quickly, it often hit the racks at or before the time of the original designer's launch. Unlike other copycat fashions, ABS clothing was very well made-making it a rarity in the business. He insisted his first loyalty was to his customers who couldn't afford Gucci but wanted to look like they could. Schwartz spent a lot of time defending his practice. It was not exactly a noble venture in the fashion world. Made exclusively in Los Angeles, ABS clothing was trendy, affordable, and, most scandalously, virtual duplicates of other designers' original creations. In 1982, Schwartz founded ABS by Allen Schwartz. Within four years, he sold his shares to his partners and moved to Southern California. ![]() In 1977, along with two partners, Schwartz started the junior fashion company, East Side Clothing Company. ![]() He moved up to sales at famed retailer Russ Togs (1964-1968) and as founder/sales executive of junior sportswear brand Esprit de Corp (1968-1977). Following into the family business, Schwartz started at a low-level, working in a mailroom at a lingerie company. His father was a dress sales executive, and his mother owned a fashion boutique in nearby Long Beach. Born in 1945, Allen Bruce Schwartz grew up in Queens, New York. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |