David’s Bridal is setting its sights on the guys.
The women’s wedding and special events retailer, which already is a leader in the bridal market, is launching menswear into its stores and on its website through a collaboration with Perry Ellis and its brother brand, Cubavera.
Elina Vilk, president of David’s Bridal, said the move “seems like a no-brainer. We should have done it a long time ago.”
Vilk said 90 percent of all brides in the U.S. “touch David’s at some point” in their wedding journey. And the addition of menswear is a way to further “dominate the entire space.”
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In 2007, David’s signed an agreement with Men’s Wearhouse that lasted around a decade, under which the menswear chain served as the official tuxedo provider for the company. David’s currently works with Black Tux as a rental partner. But in both of those cases, the grooms and groomsmen were sent to those companies to rent or purchase their outfits. The deal with Perry Ellis marks the first time menswear will be offered directly through David’s Bridal, Vilk said.
“This is a revolution in turning David’s into a marketplace for all things weddings,” she said.
With most weddings, the bride is the one who heavily influences the process — from the choice of venue to the invitations, as well as the outfits. “So it’s important to offer her everything wedding-related.”
Vilk said in many cases, there are eight to 30 outfits needed for the bridal party alone — and that’s for the big day itself. There are separate outfits for the engagement photos and party, the rehearsal dinner, the bachelorette party, the brunch the next day and the honeymoon. With each of these, the brides seek to coordinate with their grooms, so having a menswear partner is “an extremely important collaboration,” she said.
Because Perry Ellis offers both classic tailored options under its flagship label and a more casual aesthetic under Cubavera, “it fits us well,” Vilk said.
The labels can also be worn for proms, honeymoons or other events — both dressy or casual — not just the wedding day, she said.
Jay Nigrelli, president of the direct-to-consumer business at Perry Ellis, believes the partnership with David’s will benefit both companies. He said they worked together to build a Grooms Shop on the site where both the men or their soon-to-be-spouses can shop together or separately.
He said under the Perry Ellis label will be tuxedos or more traditional suits along with dress shirts, ties and shoes, while Cubavera will offer more casual linen suits, guayabera and sport shirts.
The initial drop will be 20 pieces with a total of 200 items from both labels expected to be offered over the coming months.
“We think it’ll be great for customers and our brand awareness,” Nigrelli said.
Perry Ellis International chief executive officer Oscar Feldenkreis agreed. “Partnering with David’s Bridal allows us to bring our legacy of quality craftsmanship and modern design to a new audience. Together, we’re ensuring that men can look just as polished and confident as their partners for all special occasions.”
Vilk said Perry Ellis is the launch and “marquee” partner of David’s, but the wedding retailer may eventually add other brands to its menswear offering.
David’s Bridal, which operates 193 stores around the U.S., will continue to add to its fleet and invest in stores, Vilk said. It is also launching a virtual try-on program for consumers not near any of its stores.
To introduce the Perry Ellis partnership to consumers, Vilk said David’s will be doing “a huge marketing campaign” that will include homepage takeovers, emails and events.
Menswear customers will be eligible to join the David’s Bridal Diamond Loyalty program, which currently has nearly 3 million members.
At the beginning of March, David’s promoted Kelly Cook, its former president of brand, technology and finance, to CEO, succeeding Jim Marcum, who will transition to executive chairman on Tuesday.
In April 2023, David’s filed bankruptcy for the second time — its first stint was in 2018 — after its quest for a buyer was unsuccessful. However, it was rescued by Cion Investment Corp. three months later.
