Karen Alberg Grossman

Of all the fashion industry events that generously donate to worthy causes, few create as much emotion and prestige as the annual Father’s Day luncheon. Past honorees have included Presidents Joseph Biden, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Generals Douglas MacArthur, Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, retail veteran Terry Lundgren, sports notables Arthur Ashe, Jim Kelly and Michael “Coach K” Krzyzewski, and communications leaders Tim Russert and Harry Smith.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I accepted the invitation to

“We believe in wholesale, but wholesale has to change.”

Today more than ever, an international trade fair is more than just buying and selling beautiful clothes. As Pitti Uomo ’s president Antonio De Matteis puts it, “Pitti Uomo 110 sends out a message of solidity and confidence for the entire fashion world: businesses, trade show organizers, distribution and retail, media and consumers.”

Every specialty store is unique, a reflection of the ones who founded it and of those who fine-tune the mission over the years. Each generation adds a fresh perspective, and while there are no fool-proof success secrets, I’ve picked up many helpful insights from the retailers, brands and innovators we honor at our annual MR Awards dinners.

“We use algorithms to calculate missed areas of opportunity, so we know how much more volume we could have done by following different demand curves. This takes lots of analysis and lots of guts.”

MR is deeply saddened to report the sudden passing of Rich O’Boyle, a well-loved and multi-talented guy who died of a heart attack in his sleep, with his husband Jim Foley by his side. Rich was 59 years old and had always seemed in great shape. “We were in Florida this past winter and Rich seemed in perfect health,” Jim recalls. “He’d ride his bike to the gym; he kayaked and played pickleball…” Needless to say, family and friends are shocked and devastated.

I was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and moved to Montreal at age 6. Growing up between cultures shaped my perspective early. It instilled in me an appreciation for quality, discipline and a strong sense of presentation.

The Segel family is sad to announce the passing of Robert Segel, who died this weekend at the age of 84. ‘Uncle Bobby” was the guiding force and vision for founding Mr. Sid with his late brother Ira.

He’s the guy who speeds off to work each day on his Harley, dressed in an impeccable linen suit. He’s known to work hard, play hard, and be his own toughest critic, yet the entire menswear industry seems to adore him. “My dad was a salesman so we moved around a lot,” recalls Gary Flynn, now CEO and Co-Owner of M. Dumas. “We lived in Cleveland, New Hampshire, Southern California… I started working retail at a California branch of Nordstrom while still in college. I did back-of-house maintenance, which meant everything from picking up hangers to cleaning bathrooms. I really liked the job: the energy, the people, the product… I ultimately went from maintenance to receiving to the selling floor to management: I was DMM of kids’ wear under David Witman and worked at their Mall of America store.”