Andrew Rosen

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Fashion Careers

Fashionpreneur with Rent the Runway’s Jenn Hyman: The Best and Worst Advice I’ve Received as an Entrepreneur

Jenn Hyman is the CEO and co-founder of Rent the Runway. Before that she went to Harvard Business School (and Harvard for undergrad too, NBD). She’s writing a column for us that we’re calling Fashionpreneur. In it she’ll dole out advice and lessons learned on everything from raising funds, branding yourself, sales and generally managing a business. She’s also taking your questions.

Rule number one of entrepreneurship is that the second you tell someone that you are thinking about starting a company, the floodgates of advice will open. Suddenly, friends, distant relatives and colleagues will frame themselves as experts on just about anything to create the opportunity to give you their opinion. This all stems from rule number one about people which is that they love to hear themselves talk (in fact, in any negotiation or interview, the person that speaks most believes that she has the upper hand). Since I had the idea for Rent the Runway nearly three years ago, my co-founder Jenny Fleiss and I have solicited and received lots of advice. The trick is the ability to decipher good advice from bad. So, in the efforts of saving all of you the trouble, I thought it best to list some of the very best and very worst advice I’ve received.

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  • JENN HYMAN
  • Monday, Nov 28, 2011 / 6:07 PM
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Parties

Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars Honors Raf Simons, Daphne Guinness, and Andrew Rosen, the ‘Godfather’ of Fashion

Last night, despite a cold, blustery rainstorm, the fashion industry elite put on their black-tie best and headed down to Cipriani Wall Street for Fashion Group International’s Annual Night of Stars Gala. The event is known for it’s glittery mix of designers, retail execs, editors and celebrities, and this year’s event was no exception. Elle’s Kate Lanphear (in an incredible YSL cape) told us, “This is one of my favorite events of the year. I’m a big fashion nerd, and I always try to come if I’m in town.” Spotted in the glamorous crowd were fashion luminaries like Proenza’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Harper’s Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey, Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo, model Lindsey Wixson, and style legend Lee Radziwill, who accompanied Star Honoree designer Giambattista Valli.

Many designers in attendance were excited to support Corporate Leadership Award winner Andrew Rosen, the President of Theory and an investor in young fashion brands. Stacey Bendet Eisner, founder and designer of Alice and Olivia, a company that Rosen has invested in and mentored, said, “I worship him. I talk to him every morning at 6am, or around that time. He’s the most amazing person in this industry; he’s the Godfather.” Misha Nonoo of Nonoo NY added, “Andrew Rosen is one of the most exciting people in fashion at the moment. He recognizes talent at a seedling level.”

Some highlights from the awards ceremony:

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  • JESSICA GOLD
  • Friday, Oct 28, 2011 / 6:30 PM
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The Business

The Deal is Finally Done: Theory’s Andrew Rosen Buys Large Stake in Proenza Schouler

Permira’s stake in the Proenza Schouler company has officially been sold to a group of investors led by Andrew Rosen and his business associate John Howard. The deal was finalized today, WWD reports.

Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez and Proenza Schouler CEO Shirley Cook said in a joint statement, “We are thankful to VFG [Valentino Fashion Group] for giving us a start, and allowing us to get where we are today. There’s so much we’d like to accomplish and have found the perfect complement in John and Andrew to help us realize our dreams.”

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The Proenza Schouler/Andrew Rosen Deal Might Finally Go Through

Looks like Proenza Schouler and Andrew Rosen are finally teaming up.

It’s been over a year since we first learned that Theory ceo Rosen was interested in buying Proenza Schouler. The label is part-owned by Permira Group, a London investment firm that also owns Valentino. Permira put its 45% stake in Proenza on the block in February of 2010.

At the beginning of 2011, we heard that the deal had been penned for months but that Permira wasn’t happy with the terms, resulting in severe delays.

Then Mark Holgate pretty much confirmed on the pages of Vogue that it was all happening!

Now WWD reports that it is indeed happening, probably by the end of this month. The partnership will be structured similarly to the agreements Rosen has with Rag & Bone and Alice and Olivia, which are also personal investments. Rosen runs Theory and Helmut Lang, but they’re owned by Uniqlo.

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10 Things We Learned at New York Fashion Week: Fall 2011

1. Sometimes, Tumblr tumbles. Despite the awesome access the Tumblrs received, including a private party at Donna Karan, breakfast with Nina Garcia, and more, the week’s events were reportedly badly organized.

2. Strippers are the new new thing. From go go girls at Rag & Bone‘s after party to casino hostesses at Karen Walker, topless dancers haven’t been this big since Striptease.

3. If you are under 21, you can still DJ an over-21 party. Thanks for the lesson in NY State law, Tavi.

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Events

Proenza Schouler Talks Tech at the IFB Conference; Tommy Hilfiger Talks Up the Garment Center at Parsons’ Innovation Panel

In the midst of this week’s shows there are some truly interesting conversations going on at Milk Studios. I’ve been fortunate enough to sit in on two of them.

Thursday night, it was the Proenza Schouler talk at the IFB conference. Design duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez sat down with the Business of Fashion‘s Imran Amed to discuss The Web. (As in bloggers, e-commerce, and viral campaigns.)

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Fashionista 50: The Slideshow

Click through to see who made our list–and why.

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Fashionista 50: The Most Influential People in New York Fashion

How do you measure influence?

Is it through website hits? Or sales? Through ad dollars? Or the number of mass retailers who’ve knocked off your work?

The answer is all of the above and none of the above. Influence is an intangible thing that just happens when you know your craft and you work hard at it.

To determine who belongs in the Fashionista 50–our list of the most influential people working in New York fashion–we used our own knowledge of the industry, combined with advice from industry sources. We also considered each candidate’s consumer reach–through sales, media, etc.

To be considered, candidates had to live and work in New York for most of the year.

What’s Fashionista’s definition of influential? It describes people who are shaping the direction of the New York fashion industry, both aesthetically and in terms of how the business works.

You’ll find the entire Fashionista 50 list after the jump. Click on the person’s name to read a full bio. And if you really want to click through the whole slideshow, you can do so here.

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The Business

We Hung Out With Sir Philip Green, Andrew Rosen, and Several Other Fashion Big Shots Last Night

Topshop’s Sir Philip Green. Theory honcho Andrew Rosen. Designer Kenneth Cole. HSN CEO Mindy Grossman. Put them in a room with 300 other top retail CEOs and execs and what do you get? The Financo Forum, held last night at the Harmonie Club.

The event, organized annually by Financo (the top fashion/retail investment bank), is a hot ticket for industry insiders. The lively panel discussion and networking session gives attendees the rare chance to collectively review the state of the retail industry, to share insights and to socialize with their elite peers.

The forum’s focus this year was on all things digital. Although e-commerce and social media hardly seem to be new topics, they’re something many retailers are still trying to learn more about. Financo Chairman Gilbert Harrison explained that the goal was to “help navigate the new world, and to ultimately drive sales and profits.” The panel included Ben Fischman, CEO of Rue La La, Chip Wilson, Founder/Chief Innovation and Branding Officer of Lululemon Athletica, Stephen Zangre of Facebook and Dan Schock of Google, and was moderated by CNBC anchor Nicole Lapin.

A few key takeaways:

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  • Jessica Gold
  • Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011 / 4:42 PM
The Business

Andrew Rosen/Proenza Schouler Deal Looking More and More Likely

We reported back in March that Theory CEO Andrew Goldman was courting Proenza Schouler, whose major investor–London-based private equity firm Permira–wants to sell.

Now WWD reports that the deal is about to go through: “Sources said Rosen could be heading an investment group that would buy Permira’s 45 percent stake in the designer firm.” Proenza’s designers. Jack McCollolugh and Lazaro Hernandez, as well as their college friend/CEO Shirley Cook, own 55%. Along with his role as CEO/Founder of Theory–which is owned by the Japanese company that also owns Uniqlo–Rosen has personally invested in Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia, and Gryphon.

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Fashion Shows

The Rag & Bone Experiment

Rag & Bone is many things. But if they were one thing, it would be a wearable, salable brand. Yesterday’s show in a meatpacking district warehouse showed that they’d like to be more than that. While there were plenty of marketable pieces, there were also plenty of totally unmarketable ones. And that’s okay, because designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville took some risks. And with the near-perfect collection they put out last season, they couldn’t do anything but.

There were Rag & Bone staples–a pair of oatmeal drawstring football pants, a red and tan blazer that I’ll be surely ordering–mixed in with some less-predictable items. A mushed up watercolor print, bike shorts with garters, and a few bandage harnesses. It all read as a modern interpretation of early ’90s street culture.

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Fashion Careers

Ten Investors Who Take Chances on Smaller Fashion Labels

Another question the Fashionista team is often asked, mostly by design students: “What does it take to launch my own label?”

Well, it takes a lot of hard work, talent, and yes…money.

The big problem: There aren’t a ton of investors willing to put down cash on a new designer. As one serial investor once explained to me, “Fashion is a risky business. But it’s not as sexy as film. Sometimes, people are lured by the glamor, but in general, the return on investment is so unlikely, most aren’t willing to take the risk.” In the movies, on the other hand, investors will still probably get to hang out with the star–even if the film doesn’t make any real bank.

So what’s a young designer to do? Working for a bigger label is always an option. Adam Lippes worked at Polo Ralph Lauren for years before launching his own label. Chris Benz worked at J.Crew. Richard Chai worked at Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan.

Loans from friends and family always help, but we understand that’s not viable for most.

Another way to do it? Get one of the few investors who do spend money on younger brands to notice you. Now, we’re not advocating knocking down these people’s doors. And you’re probably going to have to come up with your own money to establish the company initially. But doing good work and networking should get you closer to your goal. Here are 10 companies/people known for investing in younger brands.

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