Varvatos, John

(1955- )

   Born in Detroit, Michigan, Varvatos was born to a Greek American father and an Italian American mother. He began his design career in 1983 working for Polo Ralph Lauren. He left Lauren in 1990 to become the head of menswear design at the Calvin Klein Collection and later helped launch the CK line. In 1994, he returned to Ralph Lauren as vice president of menswear design for all Ralph Lauren brands (he launched Polo Jeans) until 2000 when he partnered with Nautica to open his own menswear collection. Varvatos is known for his luxurious fabrics, mixed in an eclectic way, for the casual modern man. He is a three-time winner of the coveted Council of Fashion Designers of America Perry Ellis Award for Menswear (2000) and Menswear Designer of the Year Award (2000 and 2005). His men's collection is a favorite among Hollywood celebrities including Tom Cruise, Adrien Brody, Brad Pitt, and Bruce Springsteen. In 2004, he launched a women's line, just as Nautica was sold to the VF Corporation (2003). In 2005, VF agreed to form John Varvatos Enterprises, with Varvatos maintaining a 20 percent stake in the company. The same year, he partnered with Converse and debuted his laceless Chuck Taylor sneakers. Adding to his popular John Varvatos fragrance (launched in 2004), he created a line of men's skin care called Skin and a new fragrance, Vintage, both launched in 2006. In addition to his skin care, fragrance, and menswear collection, Varvatos operates five retail stores and manages an eyewear license.