This week’s study tour took us to Ports 1961. Housed in port 601, the design house sits amongst other famous brands such as Club Monaco and Hugo Boss.

Launched in Canada in 1961, the brand is prominent in Asia, Russia, the Middle East, Germany and North America. It recently moved from a contemporary to a luxury price point in the North American market. Located in specialty stores in NYC and its own boutiques in the city, the line is also featured in retailers such as Barneys.

The head office moved to Milan last November, as most of its resources are drawn from Italy. 42 people work in the Milan office, and 15 work in the NYC office. All its fashion shows are out of Milan.

The NYC staff was nice enough to explain each level of the brand’s operations to our class. From PR, retail operations, wholesale, showroom operations to finances, we learned so much from the wonderful staff.