Perry Ellis International is a global fashion house that represents an impressive and diverse portfolio of lifestyle, heritage and licensed brands. For this article, RLI sat down with Oscar Feldenkreis, CEO & President of the company to discuss the evolution of the organisation and its continuing growth across multiple markets.
The key objective for Perry Ellis International (PEI) is to build brand value through innovation in product design and new business development, and licensing is one of the most powerful components of their corporate strategy. Licensing allows the company to expand the overall brand lifestyle, as they seek new partnerships that offer natural brand product extensions resulting in growth opportunities that reach new audiences and increase brand awareness.
“Headquartered in the US, our brands are distributed globally and available in every market within Europe which accounts to 43 countries,” says Oscar Feldenkreis, CEO & President of Perry Ellis International. “We are present within every market in the Middle East, as well as South Africa and India. There are also new opportunities throughout the rest of Africa, where we are entering with Nike Swim. From a licensing standpoint, we currently have 145 active licensees in approximately 70 territories around the world.”
In the coming months, focus will be put on expansion in Greater China, South Korea, India, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Latin and South America and all territories throughout EMEA.
New Gotcha stores will be launching across EMEA this year, with two in Dubai, UAE and one in Bordeaux, France and these will be launched by existing licence partner Kennek FZE. Additional expansion will see the brand land in locations such as Bahrain and Qatar.
“We will also be looking to expand brands such as Perry Ellis in Middle Eastern territories and we are adding Perry Ellis standalone stores in India later this year through a new license partnership with shop-in-shops across wholesale channels following shortly afterwards,” explains Feldenkreis.
When discussing standout brands, Oscar explains that Perry Ellis America is enjoying a recent resurgence following its relaunch during New York Men’s Fashion Week in the US. He goes on to say that this reboot of a true American sportswear brand with an urban twist appeals to a new younger generation of athleisure logo loving customers which will resonate globally.
As a global organisation, PEI has the ability to look at different markets and is able to be nimble and agile, shifting and changing where and when it is required. The diversification of their customer base across every channel of retail distribution from luxury to mass enables them to sell across the gamut.
Because of Covid-19 the company has seen a large change in the channel mix. Brick and mortar remains the largest part of the business, but the growth in online shopping was remarkable whilst Covid-restrictions were in place and the propensity to shop online accelerated.
“For us this was good news as it opened up weighted distribution in a market, we are not limited by non-elastic shelves and can better tell our brand stories in front of shoppers. It has also meant that we look to curate our collection more often as opposed to dropping it all at once,” Feldenkreis comments.
Adopting a strategic and holistic approach to the marketing strategy of brands and predicated on the brand DNA and customer, PEI develops an annual digital marketing strategy, including social media, amplification and video content.
They have a digital innovation team and are always exploring new marketing avenues. They recently created an Original Penguin NFT. It featured six different iterations of the penguin and it garnered over one million impressions in just two weeks and over two hundred and forty million press placements. Oscar explains that this was a really effective PR campaign and a step into the fashion world’s emerging technology delivering a relevant brand experience to Generation Z.
“We are currently developing a task force that is focused on future technologies and the Metaverse. We are creating strategic partnerships with various American universities that specialise in digital innovation to allow for PEI to be leaders.”
Each of their brands has a different target audience and they tailor the product design and attributes. Product will always reign supreme, and the business prides themselves in offering trend-right fashion and value. The product is available to customers through wholesale accounts but they are then also able to tell their own brand story via e-commerce, brick-and-mortar stores and social media, which maintains
customer loyalty.
When discussing the key drivers behind the success the company has enjoyed, Oscar says that he and his father have provided great visionary leadership coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit. As a private company, they have a distinct company culture that implores family values.
“Being immersed in all aspects of the organisation and always seeking new niche business opportunities have enabled the company to flourish. Our determination and perseverance have been key to the company’s success,” comments Feldenkreis.
One of the effects of the pandemic is that it has altered people’s mind-set and their perception of their working lifestyle, and the company believes it is critical to hire the right associates that will lead them to future growth and prosperity.
“We will measure our success moving forward by the positive impact we have on our associates’ lives, our environment, and the communities in which we work and live,” concludes Feldenkreis.
