Karen Alberg Grossman

There were lots of hugs and even some tears as Fred Derring and Virginia Sandquist announced at their Chicago Collective

“Never have I had a more difficult task than selecting 15 photos to go on my MR schmoozing page.”

It is with very mixed emotions that Ellen and David Levy, owners of the landmark 171-year-old men’s and women’s fashion emporium in Nashville, have decided to close their doors at the end of this year.

“Guys are shopping with a new sense of intentionality.” Dan Trepanier, Articles of Style

Do you ever wonder how great fashion designers get started? Meet EJ! He’s not yet a teenager but wow: could this talented kid portend fashion’s future?

How many of us get to celebrate their father’s 100-year birthday with him? Happiest of birthdays on August 28 th to Phil Elkus! And many thanks to his son David and nephew Ron for sharing some of Phil’s inspiring story.

Here: a few favorite finds from the August Chicago Collective!

“With fewer reps traveling store-to-store these days, regional shows give brands an important opportunity to build and maintain buyer relationships,” maintains Ken Haruta, celebrating his 20 th year in the men’s trade show business. “At regional trade shows, buyers can see, touch, and feel complete collections in person, leading to better buying decisions and fewer mistakes than ordering via Zoom.”

Karako Suits, a leader in men’s formalwear, recently announced its partnership with DoorDash. As the first men’s suit retailer to join the platform, Karako is changing how customers access formalwear. With all 12 Karako Suits locations across New York and New Jersey now live on DoorDash, customers can easily order high-quality suits, tuxedos, shirts, shoes, ties, and more for fast delivery or pickup.

Upon his retirement, SuitMart owner Gary Dante shares a few lessons learned. MR: How did you start out on your retail journey?