Todd Snyder to Converse With Fern Mallis at 92NY
From the gridiron in Ames, Iowa, to the catwalk in Florence, Todd Snyder is ready to talk about his path to becoming a major presence in American menswear.
On March 19, the designer will talk about his journey to success during a conversation with Fern Mallis at 92NY as part of its Fashion Icons program. The event, which starts at 7:30 p.m., can be attended in person or online.
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Since launching his eponymous brand in 2011, Snyder has built a $100 million business with 15 stores around the U.S. and five others in the works for later this year. Known for his modern take on classic American menswear, his collection has become a favorite of celebrities including Ryan Reynolds, Sterling K. Brown, Jake Gyllenhaal, LeBron James, Dwayne Johnson, Tom Alex Rodriguez and others.
The former high school football player first learned the art of cutting and sewing suits at the Des Moines haberdashery, Badowers, while studying at Iowa State University. After graduating, he moved to New York in the early ‘90s and joined Polo Ralph Lauren as a designer before moving to The Gap, where he served as director of menswear, followed by J.Crew where he was senior vice president of menswear. Four years after launching his line, the company was purchased by American Eagle Outfitters for $11 million.
Initially, the Todd Snyder collection was carried in high-end stores globally, but in recent years it has been sold only in the company’s stores and online. He was one of the few menswear staples at New York Fashion Week, but decided to forego showing after his focus became direct-to-consumer. That changed in January, however, when he made a return to the runway as a featured designer at the Pitti Uomo show in Florence. The show, not only marked the company’s return to the wholesale market, it also served to introduce pieces from his first collection as creative director of Woolrich Black Label.
Since creating his own collection, Snyder has been selected as one of GQ’s Best New Designers in America, one of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists and he was nominated four times as a CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year.
“This is absolutely Todd Snyder’s moment,” Mallis said. “He’s been a dominant force in the men’s fashion business for many years and the time has come to spotlight him as the menswear fashion icon that he is. I haven’t interviewed many menswear designers for the series and I look forward to an exceptional conversation as his influence continues to expand globally.”
“It is a huge honor to be invited to the Fashion Icons series by someone who is herself an icon,” Snyder said. “From her interviews at the 92nd Street Y to her founding of New York Fashion Week, Fern has played an important role in making the New York Fashion Industry what it is today. Some of my most favorite and most quintessential New York evenings have been spent in the audience as she dished with industry leaders and other designers whose work I admire. Being asked to join Fern on stage is incredibly meaningful as she has been a champion of my brand since I went out on my own over 10 years ago.”
Mallis, the creator of fashion week in New York and elsewhere, is a former senior vice president of IMG Fashion and executive director of CFDA. She is also the author of “Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons With Fern Mallis,” featuring interviews and photographs of Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson and others. She is the president of Fern Mallis LLC, a fashion and design consultancy business.
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