Club Monaco
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Toronto, Ontario, 1985 |
| Founder |
Joe Mimran Alfred Sung |
| Headquarters |
Starrett-Lehigh Building New York, New York |
| Products | Apparel |
| Parent | Ralph Lauren |
| Website |
www |
Club Monaco is a mid-priced, high-end casual clothing retailer[1] owned by Polo Ralph Lauren.[2] With more than 140 locations worldwide, the retailer has locations in Canada, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Turkey, United States, and United Kingdom.[3]
Each month, Club Monaco brings in a new collection, alternating between casual styles during the northern spring and summer and more formal offerings during autumn and winter. Originally, the company was best known for its classic "black and white" styles, with which different colors are paired, but this is no longer a focus in each collection.[4]
Company history
In 1985, Canadians Joe Mimran, Saul Mimran and Alfred Sung opened the first store in Toronto on Queen Street West. This store, which still exists today, originally included a cafe below the sales floor. The first US store opened in Santa Monica in 1989. Until 1999, Club Monaco was a Canadian company and was based at Avenue Road and Bloor Street West along the Mink Mile in Toronto. It is now owned and operated by Polo Ralph Lauren, which acquired Club Monaco in 1999.[2] Polo has allowed Club Monaco to exist as an independent entity within the group and has downplayed its ownership of the brand.
Recently, Club Monaco has transitioned itself into an international lifestyle brand that offers "affordable luxury with modern sensibility". Each store has its own unique concept and design as well as a mix of different products. Third-party brands carried in stores include Ray-Ban sunglasses, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Mackage leather goods and can include a variety of vintage goods from high-end designers such as Chanel and Hermès. Club Monaco also contracts with outside designers to create an exclusive line of products such as jewelry designed by Erickson Beamon and handbags from Jane Mayle.[5]
Club Monaco relies heavily on social media to market itself, using sites such as Pinterest and Tumblr to present its lookbooks or inspirations which can also be viewed on their website through their "Culture Club" page.
Luxottica began distributing Club Monaco prescription frames and sunglasses in its retail outlets in 2007.[6]
In August 2013, Club Monaco launched their first footwear line consisting of high-quality leather flats and heels made in Italy. In the same month, the brand also introduced a higher-end label simply titled 'Collection'.
The women's design team is currently headed by Caroline Belhumeur and the men's design team is currently headed by Aaron Levine.
Caban
Caban was a design-oriented furniture, tabletop, home accessories, bed and bath and apparel retailer launched by Club Monaco as its lifestyle brand in October 2000, in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with locations opening later in Calgary and Edmonton. Caban established itself as an innovative and unique retailer, with a distinctive product mix and presentation philosophy.
Caban was an offspring of Club Monaco, and Joe Mimran, who was the founder of Club Monaco. In 2000, just after the launch, Club Monaco/Caban was purchased by Ralph Lauren, and began to lose focus and Mr. Mimran was ousted. In the summer of 2006, Ralph Lauren Corp. closed all of the Caban stores to focus on the Club Monaco in the United States. The last store to close was the flagship store on Queen St. West in Toronto.
Caban opened its first lifestyle concept store in Montreal in the historical landmark Laurentian Bank building located at 777 St. Catherine Street (corner of McGill College) Saturday, December 9, 2000. It closed the branch in 2006, after which Banana Republic opened its flagship Quebec store.
References
- ↑ "Club Monaco on Facebook". Club Monaco. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- 1 2 "Polo/Ralph Lauren Corporation - Company History". FundingUniverse.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ↑ Johnston, Robert (March 11, 2011). "Club Monaco Arrives in Britain". GQ Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ↑ "Club Monaco". TheSommersetCollection.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ↑ Brooke, Taryn. "One-Stop Shopping: 3 Outfits From Club Monaco". Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ↑ "Luxottica to Offer Club Monaco Eyewear". MediaPost Publications. October 25, 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Club Monaco. |
Coordinates: 40°45′5.2″N 74°00′23.2″W / 40.751444°N 74.006444°W