| Born in Portsmouth, Virginia to a middle-class family, | | | | classic in appearance and style. This collection was |
| Perry Edwin Ellis is one of the most successful | | | | followed by other successful launches; now featuring |
| fashion designers in today's modern age. He was born | | | | shoes, furs, accessories, and fragrances. |
| on March 3, 1940 and was raised comfortably by his | | | | Perry Ellis International continued to expand |
| family with the support of their own fuel company. | | | | throughout the 1980s. A number of labels were then |
| He studied in Williamsburg, Virginia taking up a degree | | | | released, including the Perry Ellis Collection and the |
| in Business Administration, which he later used in | | | | Perry Ellis Portfolio. In 1984, the company formed a |
| managing his own fashion business. | | | | cooperation with Levi Strauss. The Portfolio line was |
| Perry Ellis' interest for fashion first came out while he | | | | revised one year after, and in 1986 the company |
| was running his own department store retailing in | | | | saw a rise of about $250 million in their product |
| Virginia. He established that firm to gain experience in | | | | revenues. |
| the world of fashion simply as a merchandiser and | | | | The House of Perry Ellis was transferred to a new |
| buyer. | | | | management headed by Robert L. McDonald, Ellis' |
| In his search for the ultimate experience, he joined | | | | close friend, in 1986 after Perry's unexpected death. |
| the sportswear company owned by John Meyer in | | | | Marc Jacobs then took the role of Perry Ellis as a |
| New York. The Vera Companies approached him in | | | | fashion designer for the company, who at that time |
| the 1970s for one purpose - to make designs for the | | | | was a fresh graduate. Jacobs started his own labels |
| Vera itself. It was only in 1976 when Perry Ellis | | | | just in 1993, and it was him who became the head of |
| decided to create his own line of women's | | | | the House of Louis Vuitton in Paris. |
| sportswear he called the Portfolio. | | | | Perry Ellis International has undergone several other |
| Since the introduction of the Portfolio, critics and | | | | changes in the company management. Manhattan |
| consumers of fashion products praised Perry Ellis as | | | | Industries was traded to a licensee of Perry Ellis, the |
| one of the most outstanding designers of | | | | Salant. It was from them where a Miami based textile |
| sportswear. Particularly the women love him for one | | | | company acquired the Ellis House in 1999. The |
| reason - Ellis creates his own designs, each boasting a | | | | corporation also acquired several other companies, |
| clean cut casual style. He established his own fashion | | | | including the Original Penguin and the Ping collection of |
| house with the help of The Vera Companies, and | | | | the golf brand, both acquired early in the year 2003. |
| named it Perry Ellis International. His showroom was | | | | Today, the House of Perry Ellis is continually |
| first opened on Seventh Avenue in New York City. | | | | producing all the fashion products it is known for. |
| Months after the release of Ellis' casual styled | | | | Massive expansions are expected to occur with more |
| sportswear, he came up with a menswear collection | | | | and more consumers becoming interested to Perry |
| which was introduced successfully in the world | | | | Ellis' great collections. |
| market. Critics considered this product line as modern | | | | |