Jordan Louis’ Meteoric Success

Achieving market recognition is an oversaturated market is a Herculean achievement in its own right. However, taking a start-up in less than two years from obscurity to accounts at Scoop and 75 specialty boutiques is nearly impossible. But it can be done, and Kimberly Sherer, creative director of Jordan Louis, has done just that.

Jordan Louis is not your average flash-in-the-pan, zoom-to-the-top clothing brand that uses simple silhouettes, cheap gimmicks and catchy campaigns that tickle the ear and loosen undiscerning shopper’s pocketbooks.  Not at all!! For Kimberly Sherer is it all about quality, innovative design and understanding the market. “I categorize Jordan Louis as luxury casual. There are pieces that are comfortable and modern, but the fit is classic. The fabrics and finishing are luxury. It is more how people dress today … it is about classic, timeless pieces that fit a variety of body types and span a wide demographic,” explains Sherer.

Perhaps, the brand’s success also stems from Sherer’s tenure at some of the fashion industry’s top clothing lines. “I started right out of school working as a technical designer at Polo Jeans so I have a real background in learning how to fit clothes properly … from there I moved on to Nautica Jeans, John Varvatos had just left Polo and we were helping to launch Nautica Jeans. John taught me a lot about color and knowing which colors actually look good on people … Later, I was at Elie Tahari for seven years where I was the director of women’s wovens.  I feel I learned the most there because I learned about clothing as a lifestyle, about every piece expressing what the brand is about, with every piece in its own way being a work of art … After working all those years for those brands, I really had a lot of practical knowledge of how to run my own business,” details Sherer.

And true to Sherer’s skill set, Jordan Louis is becoming known for its fit, quality fabrics and attention to detail. “At the end of the day the consumer speaks. Right away consumers understood our design aesthetic, and love the fit of our clothing.  We also believe the key to our success is that we use quality fabrics. Consumers love the feel and touch of our fabric choices.”

This attention to detail is evident in the brand’s pre-fall 2014 and fall/winter 2014 collections. Collections inspired by an interesting mélange of religious rituals and military-like uniforms. “The inspiration for the collection started with some religious inspiration ranging from Jewish Orthodox to some Catholic symbolism with some military-inspired pieces, as well. When I began to dig deeper, I learned how to use the tassels you might find in the Jewish Orthodox  clothes and add an avant-garde, more modern approach to that symbolism. I also found a way to evolve this point of view into uniforms of all kinds. So this collection is about uniforms, war and religion and how these rigid garments take away one’s individualism, but at the core is the essence of one’s beliefs.”

Still, the pre-fall and fall/winter 2014 collections speak for themselves. Sherer has done a masterful job of referencing religious rituals and ceremony, but not allowing those inspirations to overpower the collections. Though the layering that is so often a part of religious garb is evident in these collections, Sherer has found an ingenious way of modernizing these looks, continuing to speak in a fashion-forward parlance that appeals to consumers.

Though Jordan Louis is experiencing a monumental retail surge in a short span of time, Kimberley Sherer still faces the challenges that young brands face when dealing with major retail stores. “Fashion never stops so you have to get on to the next thing fast. It really is part of the business now. It is a little extreme what retail stores expect and demand because you may be overdeveloping your company past its means. I would rather do less and make it special. But, at the same time you need to be shipping to the stores each month to have a business. The stores need merchandise each month to make a profit. I don’t see that ever changing. If there is a demand for more collections each year, I hope that is translating in customer demand for more clothes.”

That said; right now it is all blue skies for Jordan Louis. And if sales continue on an upward trajectory, there shouldn’t be any  grey skies in Jordan Louis’ future for a long time. Let the sunshine continue!!

—William S. Gooch