David Mullen
Creative Director
www.bdbaggies.com
Booth # 431

How do you define your collection?
Our goal is to create a modern shirt brand - simple, versatile and comfortable.

What key item(s) will you be featuring in your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
Spring/Summer highlights are lightweight shirting, "baggies" - nylon surf and swim shorts with oxford and gingham patterns,
cotton shorts and pants, and packable nylon outerwear - trenches and parkas that travel well.

What are you doing with your business to adapt to the new reality?
Focusing on making items that people really need.

Where do you see opportunities going forward? (i.e., product, retail, marketing, promotion, internet, etc)
Men are becoming savvier in style and consumption. They have lots of choices and information about those choices. Quality and responsibility become important again. It's a big part of WP brands - the company recognizes that their customers are looking for brands that "stand for something."

What is the best advice you have ever received?
To try to make a vocation out of doing what you love. Where do you draw inspiration from?It's everywhere, if you are tuned in and receptive to it.

If you had a crystal ball and could look ahead 2 years from now, what do you see for the men's business?
In the men's business I'm optimistic. We will continue to develop classic men's sportswear with a modern twist.

Michael Redda
International Marketing Director
www.etonshirts.com
Booth # 316

How do you define your collection?
With the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection, Eton invites the modern gentleman to let loose his inner dandy and stand out in the crowd, while reaffirming its position as a true heritage brand with an unmistakable reputation for first rate quality. New and varying collars and a gradual increase in intensity of colors and patterns as the Spring season progresses create an impressive collection destined to leave a lasting mark.

What key item(s) will you be featuring in your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
Eton always creates our own colors and own designs so we have unique, key pieces that play an important role in every collection. The four monthly deliveries for Spring/Summer and the three for Autumn/Winter represent new creations in different color combinations. We always aim for the most optimal color outcome, shown in very unique styles both in a business and a casual manner.

What are you doing with your business to adapt to the new reality?
Reality for us is all about the changes in our environment; the way you can, want and are allowed to dress yourself. In our collection, we have added Green Ribbon Line where you can find totally washed shirts that are produced with the same craftsmanship and dedication to quality that we have with our other lines. That makes it unique!

Where do you see opportunities going forward? (i.e., product, retail, marketing, promotion, internet, etc)
We are establishing a great retail department in our organization, which develops our existing Eton business concept even further. We want to supply our clients and franchisees with the best solutions for realizing an Eton brand store, shop-in-shop and corner concept. We believe our wholesale customers are the best in retailing. Due to this development, the marketing of our brand becomes a core factor. We always strive to find an approach of marketing our products in a unique and distinguished way.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Be yourself and take the future ...that's more than good! (Quote from my mother!)

Where do you draw inspiration from?
Emotions, music, traveling, discussing, people on the street, family, friends, weather, my own emotions and creative spirit.

If you had a crystal ball and could look ahead 2 years from now, what do you see for the men's business?
If I had a crystal ball and I could look ahead and manipulate the crystal ball by pushing in my wishes,
I would wish that men should be more daring when expressing themselves. Also, that they shall try to match their character with the clothing they wear. In 2012, I believe that the mentality will change completely due to the generation swap and that people will express themselves more. "Dress for success'' will receive a meaning, through the combination of classic men's rules and the adaptation of new designs.

Jared Lang
Designer/Owner
www.jaredlang.ca
Booth # 427

How do you define your collection?
Jared Lang is a collection of fine button down shirts that offer an excellent fit in a variety of rich colors and vibrant prints. It's remarkable European quality and it's exceptional detailing make the collection unique and incomparable.

What key items will you be featuring in your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
The Spring/Summer 2011 collection will bring new and exciting details to the brand. Metallic accessories, high collars, contrast buttons and stitching, invigorating colors and exclusive prints will all come together to offer the ultimate collection.

What are you doing with your business to adapt to the new reality?
Jared Lang was founded in 2009 with a conscious effort to offer a high end product at an accessible price point in order to respect the new reality. Jared Lang is an attainable luxury brand defined by a classic European look with a fashion edge.

Where do you see opportunities going forward? (i.e., product, retail, marketing, promotion, internet, etc)
The opportunities are coming to us incessantly. People love our product and we have a lot of demand. Our first objective is to continue invading the American market. We also see opportunities in Canada, South America, Asia and Europe, which we plan on developing going forward. We are also in the works of opening our first Jared Lang boutique in Macau, China.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I have ever received is to go after my dreams no matter what they are and that nothing is impossible.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everyday, everywhere I go is a form of inspiration. The aesthetic of my collections is influenced by art, cinema, photography and travel. Designers such as Etro, Robert Graham and Paul Smith have also played a big role in the inspiration of my collections.

If you had a crystal ball and could look ahead 2 years from now, what do you see for the men's business?
The crystal ball tells me that the men's business will continue growing. Men are paying more and more attention to fashion and they are always looking for some new edgy styles to add to their wardrobes.

Chris Knott
President/Designer/Founder
www.petermillar.com
Booth # 535

How do you define your collection?
Classic, timeless, colorful, active and most of all "global".

What key item(s) will you be featuring in your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
Chino Lino 5 pocket jean, satin washed garment dyed knit polos with matching woven plackets and custom-designed colorful swimwear.

What are you doing with your business to adapt to the new reality?
We were already in the zone with value and pricing. The new economy has driven some of the top end business down to us. Our core customer continues to buy more categories from us.

Where do you see opportunities going forward? (i.e., product, retail, marketing, promotion, internet, etc)
We are partnering with our retailers to sell more products on their web sites and help them market Peter Millar with shop-in-shop concepts stores. We are doing e-mailers, swatch mailers for trunk shows and giving them great images we control for local marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
"It is not the bad times that hurt you, it is the good times." You have to be smart in good and bad times-Chris Dalrymple.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
I watch a lot of non-related categories. I really study the home furnishing market for pattern and color. This helps me with my color direction.

If you had a crystal ball and could look ahead 2 years from now, what do you see for the men's business?
Brands will be re-positioning themselves to adjust to the market. I personally think retailers will partner with their core vendors more and more. Customer service will be the deal breaker and deal maker on both ends.

Michael Crespy
Director of Sales and Marketing
www.zanetti.com
Booth # 277

How do you define your collection?
Zanetti has two main collections: Zanetti and Zanetti Elements.Zanetti is an updated classic collection produced in Italy that is focused toward the executive or company owner. It has beautiful fabrications from the finest Italian mills including Loro Piana, Cerruti & Vitale Barberis. Zanetti Elements is a modern collection produced in China that focuses on quality and luxury, but at a lower price. It features a slimmer silhouette for the more fashion-conscious. We also have a sub-group called Fuoco, which is much slimmer and targeted toward the entry level/younger customer.

What key items will you be featuring in your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
In addition to our beautiful clothing collections, we are launching two new dress shirt collections - Zanetti & Zanetti Elements, and a casual soft jacket and casual pant to be worn when you're not working but still want a jacket - dinner party, theatre, etc. What are you doing with your business to adapt to the new reality?We are doing what we have been doing from day one - producing the best quality product at the best possible price and, customer service, customer service, and customer service. We do everything we possibly can to help the customer push our product through their door.

Where do you see opportunities going forward? (i.e., product, retail, marketing, promotion, internet, etc)
Although Zanetti has sold its products both domestically and internationally, the focus has primarily been international. Today, given the challenges of the economy, we believe there is an opportunity for us to take market share from brands that are slow to adapt. We are a trim, agile company with the ability to quickly produce high quality product catered specifically to the retailers' needs.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
I can say there have been two bits of advice that have stuck with me over the years: "All great ideas need wings… but they also need landing gear." The other is "A good reputation takes years to build but only a minute to destroy - do the right thing". I believe the first was said to me by my father and the second, by my mother.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everyday life, I'm not trying to get all Zen on you but I think all inspiration for fashion comes from living our lives and absorbing our day-to-day experiences.

If you had a crystal ball and could look ahead 2 years from now, what do you see for the men's business?
I think the men's business will be in much better shape. The past two years have been very painful and I believe the next one to two years will be as well. However, this pain has weeded out and will continue to weed out the weakest of the retail and wholesale industry. The smart companies are in the process of "retooling" right now and this will push them to the next level in the future. I think you will have stronger men's stores (divisions of stores) and stronger wholesalers/brands. In terms of fashion or dress code, I think the country will turn more conservative and begin to dress up again. Getting a job will be harder and men will want/need to look their best to move ahead.