The Carlisle Collection is a
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
fashion design company founded in 1981 by
William Rondina, to offer elegant classic clothing and accessories for women by private appointment. Based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the firm has an extensive network of sales consultants in over 500 cities and upscale suburbs throughout the United States. The company's offices are located in mid-town
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
The Carlisle representatives, called
consultants
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
, are well-connected socially, draw from their friends and acquaintances, and build a loyal following. As
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
reported in 2002 in
Ginia Bellafante
Ginia Bellafante (born March 31, 1965) is an American critic and columnist for ''The New York Times''.
Career
Bellafante worked at ''Time'', as a senior reporter covering fashion, until 1999. She then joined ''The New York Times'' as a fashio ...
's article "Clothes That Whisper, I Belong to the Club," the company is predicated on the idea that the sales staff will inspire loyalty from the clients because the sellers come from the same socioeconomic class they do."
On an annual basis, the Carlisle design team creates a unique silk scarf that benefits the
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States.
Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...
foundation. Since 1998, Carlisle's Fabric of Hope annual scarf program has raised over $1.5 Billion for the foundation's effort to help save lives and end breast cancer forever.
History
On February 9, 2012, The Connaught Group, parent company to Carlisle Collection, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and made plans to sell the company at auction. On April 5, 2012, women’s wear direct-seller The Connaught Group was sold for $22 million to a joint venture between Tennessee-based and Hong Kong’s Royal Spirit Group, following an April 5 bankruptcy auction in New York. The new parent company "Carlisle Etcetera LLC" assumed control of the Carlisle Collection and the related direct sales fashion line Etcetera. The purchase price consisted of $20 million in cash and the assumption of the lease for Connaught’s midtown Manhattan office spaces. Royal Spirit Group, a clothing manufacturer that was Connaught’s largest creditor, also waived its $5.4 million general unsecured claim.
As of April 2013, it was reported by Carlisle Etcetera LLC - CEO that the new company has turned a profit in their first calendar year since assuming control.
In 2015, Hong Kong’s Royal Spirit Group acquired CARLISLE from founding parent company, The Connaught Group.
CARLISLE made its runway debut at NYFW in February 2018 featuring its Fall 2018 collection designed by Fred Tutino and styled by celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
Clothing brands of the United States
Companies based in New York City
Clothing companies established in 1981
1981 establishments in New York City