In 1999 John Varvatos was a successful New York-based fashion executive at Ralph Lauren, but a sudden realization made him want to start his own men’s line after having spent over two decades in the fashion industry. Varvatos remembers walking through Barneys in New York, seeing the current trends available for men’s fashions, and realizing that he had his own look that he wanted to bring to world of men’s fashions.
“There was so much black,” says Varvatos of the trendy men’s collections that were in style at the time. “Everything was black or charcoal. You could change the labels on the brands and you wouldn’t know who was who.” Varvatos says he had not yet seriously contemplated starting his own label before that point. “I was very happy at Ralph Lauren....But at that moment, something clicked in my brain and said, ‘Now’s the time.’ I made the decision and I ended up running with it. I had this thought in my head and I wanted to move 180 miles per hour with it.”
Varvatos soon launched his own fall/winter 2000 collection, which was met with acclaim by critics and the fashion media. In 2000 he received the Perry Ellis Award for New Menswear Designer from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). He also received the Menswear Designer of the Year award from the CFDA in 2001 and 2005.
As he embarked on this new phase in his career, positive response came quick. His line was carried at stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, which Varvatos credits with helping him find success in his new endeavor. “It’s very difficult to grow a brand today—especially for men’s [fashion],” he says.
Today, there are John Varvatos boutiques in New York, West Hollywood, Las Vegas, and his new location at South Coast Plaza—and Varvatos is thrilled that he made the dramatic decision to start his own line. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he says. “I’ve been blessed that we’ve been successful. We’ve had a terrific response [from customers].”
Varvatos describes his typical customer as a man who is educated and classically based while paying close attention to details regarding not only his personal appearance (whether it be fashion style or exercise routine) but also the details of his home, electronic/music equipment, car, etc. These characteristics have made the John Varvatos boutique a good fit for Orange County in Varvatos’s mind. “We seem to have dialed in to that customer base. I really identify with that type of customer.”
In addition to the actual fashions, Varvatos designs the look of each boutique. “There’s an Old World spirit of steel [at the South Coast Plaza location], but there’s nothing old fashioned about the store. The lines of the store are very modern, but the root of it has an Old World quality.” He says the custom finishes and the combination of steel and wood are consistent throughout the John Varvatos boutiques in the U.S., but the Orange County boutique still has a distinctive look that Varvatos feels is worthy of its location. “It’s beautiful in that part of the state,” the New Yorker says of Orange County.
Just as the look of the boutique itself has Old World flavors while still being modern, Varvatos says his fashions follow the same guidelines. He describes it as a respect for the past while looking to the future, or reaching back into history in order to move forward. This is one of the characteristics that attracts men to his line, he says, in addition to several other examples such as attention to details. Varvatos refers to such details as “hidden treasures,” which range from hand-stitching on suits to an additional coin pocket within a pocket to keep your change from making noise when you walk. “There are many little things we think about in everything we do,” he says.
Another example is a belt on the interior of a garment that can’t be seen from the outside. The interior belt is there to help keep the shape of the suit even when the wearer keeps sitting down and getting up. Varvatos says it’s a vintage concept that hasn’t been used by designers in 75 years. “A lot of inspiration comes from vintage garments,” he says. Still, he points out, his line is modern, not old-fashioned. It’s a “fashion-forward brand. But it’s not so forward that most guys can’t wear it. We offer fashionable clothing that’s comfortable for most men. It’s classical with a twist.”
Not many designers have the resume of Varvatos, who has been a fashion executive for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. He says this experience has been key to finding success with his own brand. Without that experience, he says, “I really couldn’t do what I do today.” His experience at those companies taught him how to execute his vision from start to finish. “It’s one thing to do a sketch. It’s another to deliver it to the customer and have it fit great.”
His path in the world of fashion began as a high-school student in Michigan during the ’70s when he became a fan of rock stars and the clothes that they wore. “Even though I wasn’t a musician, I wanted to look like one.” Varvatos worked at a men’s store throughout college (at Eastern Michigan University), which continued to spark his interest in fashion. In the early 1980s, Varvatos became a regional sales manager for Ralph Lauren and then he became vice president of sales for Ralph Lauren out of New York. He began taking design classes at night at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. “I was very passionate about what I saw,” says Varvatos of the world of fashion design. This led to a job at Ralph Lauren’s design studio, and in 1990, Varvatos became head of menswear design for Calvin Klein. In 1995 he returned to Ralph Lauren as vice-president in charge of men’s design for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands.
But even with all of this experience, Varvatos says he is constantly striving to keep on top of the latest trends and meet the challenges of staying as up-to-date as possible. “It’s what stimulates me.” In 2004 he launched his John Varvatos men’s fragrance, and in 2005 he launched a collection of high-end skincare products under his label. This summer, Varvatos will launch his collection of eyewear. Currently, Varvatos has been working on his spring 2007 collection in Paris, with the inspirations for his designs changing daily.
Varvatos is also very excited about an event being held at his West Hollywood boutique on Sunday, March 19. The event features a live performance by the musician Chris Cornell of the band Audioslave as well as celebrity storytelling for children plus a silent auction and live auction. The event takes place from noon to 5 p.m., with 25 percent of all sales from the John Varvatos boutique that day going to Stuart House, an adjunct facility of the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Medical Center. All of the auction proceeds also benefit Stuart House.
“It’s a super-important cause for me,” says Varvatos of Stuart House, which treats sexually abused children. Varvatos began supporting Stuart House with a fundraiser when he first opened his West Hollywood boutique in 2002, and he has no plans to stop. “It was something I wanted to do long-term,” he says. “We hope to raise a quarter of a million dollars [on March 19].”
Varvatos says 1,200 people attended last year’s fundraiser, and this year he would love to see even more. “We definitely would love people from Orange County to attend as well.”
The chance to meet such a intriguing designer and businessman while also supporting a worthy cause should be worth the drive—even with Southern California traffic.

—John Irwin