NYDJ

NYDJ Apparel, LLC
Formerly called
 Not Your Daughter's Jeans
Private
Industry Retail
Founded 2004 in Los Angeles, California, United States
Founders Lisa Sandel-Rudes, George Rudes, Leslie Rudes
Headquarters Vernon, California, United States
Area served
 North America, Europe, Oceania, Asia
Key people
 Lisa Collier (CEO)
Mackey McDonald (Chairman)
Products Apparel (pants, jeans, skirts, tops, athleisure)
Owners Crestview Partners
Website NYDJ.com

NYDJ or NYDJ Apparel, LLC,[1] formerly known as Not Your Daughter’s Jeans,[2] is a women’s denim and casual apparel brand based in Vernon, California.[3] Founded in 2004[4] and privately-held by Crestview Partners and Maybrook Capital Partners,[5] NYDJ designs and sells[4] items such as jeans, pants, tops, sweaters, jackets and dresses[3] through retail and factory stores in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, Australia,[3] Japan,[6] and Canada[7] among other locales.[3] In March 2016, the NPD Group ranked NYDJ "the number-one women's denim brand at department stores in the United States" by dollar volume, a ranking it has maintained since 2011.[1] With celebrities such as Helena Christensen,[8] Christie Brinkley,[9] Ashley Graham,[10] Lana Ogilvie,[1] and Bridget Moynahan having served as spokespeople for the brand,[11] NYDJ markets its jeans as fitting "all ages, shapes and sizes."[12]

History

Origin and founding (2004)

The clothing company Not Your Daughter’s Jeans was initially established in Los Angeles, California[1] in 2004.[4] Founder Lisa Sandel-Rudes[13] had developed the idea for NYDJ after struggling to find stylish blue jeans in a high-end department store that flattered her exact figure.[2][4] Sandel-Rudes, who along with her sister Leslie had a history in the garment business,[13] brought in her sister and their father George Rudes as the startup venture's cofounders.[13] George Rudes had been in the clothing business since 1950,[13] and had later founded the company St. Germain to focus on women's sportswear.[4] With a startup investment of $250,000, initially the company sold jeans under the NYDJ label[4] designed "for women who were not being paid attention to."[4]

First slimming jeans (2005-2007)

In April 2005 the company debuted its Tummy Tuck jean line,[4] with the New York Times explaining that the slimming jeans had "special, non-stretch weaving and slimming panels" to help women "look and feel one size smaller."[14] The company dubbed the product the "original slimming fit jeans" through the use of "Lift Tuck Technology,"[15][16] and although the jeans initially sold slowly, they gained in popularity after being featured in magazines such as In Style and on the Oprah Winfrey Show.[13] As of 2006, the company was manufacturing jeans in the industrial city of Vernon, California. The company had also branched beyond blue jeans and was offering "Tummy Tuck skirts in brown corduroy," with Tummy Tuck jeans retailing at 1,000 specialty stores and department outlets such as Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Macy’s and ​​Bloomingdales. After sales of $7 million in 2005, in 2006 the company's sales were around $40 million,[4] and by May 2007 the Tummy Tuck line was the company's "biggest seller." That year, the company made around $55 million in sales.[13]


Ownership changes (2008-2014)

In 2008 the company became owned by Falconhead Capital LLC, a New York-based private equity firm.[16][5] Falconhead brought in exeuctive Edwin Lewis, previously of Ralph Lauren and Mossimo, to run NYDJ as CEO.[5] In 2011, Not Your Daughter's Jeans became the "top-selling women's denim brand at US department stores."[15] The company was headquartered in Vernon, California by 2013,[16] and it products were sold in around 30 countries largely through department stores.[15] That summer Women's Wear Daily reported that The NPD Group had again "identified [NYDJ] as the largest women’s jeans brand in the department store channel."[16]

The brand transitioned its name to the acronym NYDJ in 2013 to "reflect an ageless consumer mindset,"[2][1] also expanding its product lines to include sportswear,[2] "other fashion bottoms," and tops.[1] Under chairman and CEO Edwin Lewis,[16][8] NYDJ had annual revenues of over $200 million in 2013.[16][2] In January 2014, Crestview Partners and Maybrook Capital Partners[17] acquired NYDJ Apparel LC from its founders and Falconhead Partners[18][1] for $385 million.[2] Falconhead reportedly generated a return of three times its invested capital from 2008.[18][5] As part of the acquisition, Mackey McDonald was appointed NYDJ chairman,[19] and in January 2014, Robert C. Skinner, Jr. was appointed NYDJ's president and CEO.[1] Skinner had previously led the Kellwood Company.[2]

Recent developments (2015-2016)

In March 2016, the NPD Group ranked NYDJ "the number-one women's denim brand at department stores in the United States" by dollar volume,[1] a ranking it had maintained since 2011.[1] On June 13, 2016, it was announced that Lisa Collier had been appointed NYDJ CEO and president.[1] Collier had previously worked with Levi Strauss & Co. and Dockers.[2] Crestview Partners remained NYDJ’s majority owner, with Mackey McDonald remaining chairman of the NYDJ board.[1][2]

By the summer of 2016, the NYDJ brand was available at 7,000 retail locations, largely through department stores[1][2] and some factory stores.[3] The company also sold products online,[5] and had opened branded NYDJ retail outlets carrying items such as jeans, skirts, and pants.[17] NYDJ opened its first two freestanding retail stores in July 2016,[20] the first in Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona[21] and the second in Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York.[20] NYDJ is currently sold internationally in Japan,[6] Canada,[7] Europe, Australia and New Zealand.[3]

Products and design

NYDJ Apparel, LLC designs, finishes, and ships its own clothing designs[4] for women's denim and apparel, with a focus on jeans[1] but also non-denim pants, tops,[1] skirts,[5] dresses, shorts, shirts, blouses, sweaters, jackets, jumpsuits, and loungewear.[3] Targeting women over 20 years of age,[5] the brand carries clothing sizes ranging from very petite to plus sized, as well as tall and maternity sizes.[22] As of 2016, fabric types for denim included Premium Lightweight, Future Fit, Cool Embrace, Shape 360, Spotless Reputation, Sure Stretch, and Super Sculpting.[23]

All of the company's jeans and pants feature its "Lift Tuck Technology," which is designed to shape and slim the female form in both the front and back.[1] Founder George Rudes explained in 2006 that “we put in [stitched fabric] panels to [The Tummy Tuck line to] reinforce the tummy, but we use stretch fabric so there is give in the thighs. This jean is made for women with curves.”[13] The Los Angeles Times explains further that "the pockets are stitched to create a horizontal band across the front that reduces the stretch in that area."[13]

Marketing

In July 2013, NYDJ enlisted supermodel Helena Christensen to be the center of its fall marketing campaign. The campaign was NYDJ's first to feature a celebrity spokesperson, and was also the first to include television advertising.[16] Dubbed "Walk in Beauty" as a reference to the "She Walks in Beauty" poem by Lord Byron, the campaign was shot by Alexi Lubomirski and featured jeans, tops, slacks, and other outerwear.[16][24] Beyond television spots, print ads for the campaign appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Elle, Real Simple, and other publications.[16] A video premiered exlusively on Elle.com as well.[8]

Actress Bridget Moynahan become the face of the brand in the fall of 2014,[11] and remained with the company through 2015[25][26][10] and into 2016.[9] With Moynahan continuing to serve as brand ambassador,[9] in January 2016[10] NYDJ debuted its "Fit to Be" campaign,[1] which was meant to "demonstrate that NYDJ jeans fit all ages, shapes and sizes."[12] It featured models such as Christie Brinkley, Ashley Graham, Moynahan, and Lana Ogilvie[1][10][26] modeling denim, pants, dresses, and tops.[10] The ads were featured at retail locations and on social media and in newspapers.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "NYDJ Taps Levi Strauss & Co Executive Lisa Collier As President & CEO". NYDJ press release. June 13, 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Belgum, Deborah (June 13, 2016). "New CEO Appointed at NYDJ Apparel". Apparel News. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Company Overview of NYDJ Apparel, LLC". Bloomberg. 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Flanigan, James (September 21, 2006). "When Jeans Don't Fit a Woman Past Adolescence, a Business Is Born". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Collins, Allison (January 6, 2014). "Falconhead Sells Denim Label NYDJ to Crestview and Maybrook". The Middle Market. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  6. 1 2 "ITOCHU Announces Acquisition of Exclusive Import/Distribution and Master License Rights of NYDJ Brand". Itochu. February 26, 2015. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  7. 1 2 "NYDJ". The Bay. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  8. 1 2 3 Rodulfo, Kristina (July 24, 2013). "Exclusive Video: Behind the Scenes with Helena Christensen for NYDJ". Elle. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  9. 1 2 3 Kinonen, Sarah (January 29, 2016). "Christie Brinkley's Supermodel Advice Is Invaluable (Just Ask Ashley Graham) - See Her Sweet and Sexy New Ads!". People. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zaczkiewicz, Arthur (January 27, 2016). "NYDJ's 2016 Campaign Taps Christie Brinkley, Ashley Graham and Lana Ogilvie". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  11. 1 2 Shanahan, Mark (July 17, 2014). "Slim pickings for Bridget Moynahan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  12. 1 2 Friedman, Arthur (August 25, 2016). "NYDJ's Fit To Be Campaign Goes to Video". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Earnest, Leslie (May 2, 2007). "A kick in the pants for boomers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  14. ↑ Tabuchi, Hiroko (April 25, 2015). "Spanx Tries to Loosen Up Its Image". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  15. 1 2 3 Alcala, Natalie (April 3, 2013). "The Story Behind Denim Label NYDJ's Department Store Success". Racked Los Angeles. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 J. Karr, Arnold (July 23, 2013). "NYDJ Enlists Helena Christensen, Heads to TV". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  17. 1 2 Nguyen, Hang (August 21, 2013). "7 store openings at outlet shopping centers". The Orange County Register.
  18. 1 2 Primack, Dan (January 7, 2014). "Deals of the Day". Fortune. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  19. ↑ Karr, Arnold J. (December 16, 2013). "Crestview Partners Buys NYDJ". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  20. 1 2 Friedman, Arthur (July 20, 2016). "NYDJ Set to Open First Two Freestanding Stores". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  21. ↑ Totten, Steven (July 28, 2016). "Fashion Square gets the first-ever standalone store for this denim maker". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  22. ↑ "Plus sizes". NYDJ. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  23. ↑ "Denim - Shop By Fabric". NYDJ. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  24. ↑ Karr, Arnold J. (July 23, 2013). "NYDJ Enlists Helena Christensen, Heads to TV". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  25. ↑ Ogunnaike, Nikki (March 5, 2015). "The Jeans This Actress Turns to When She Wants to Look One Size Smaller". Glamour. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  26. 1 2 Ogunnaike, Nikki (January 28, 2016). "Ashley Graham Hates the Phrase "Real Women". Elle. Retrieved 2016-12-03.

Further reading

External links

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