Fossil, Inc.

Company logo
Type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: FOSL
Industry	Recreational Goods
Founded	1984
Founder(s)	Tom Kartsotis[1]
Headquarters	Richardson, Texas, United States
Number of locations	364[2]
Key people	Tom Kartsotis, Chairman Kosta N. Kartsotis, CEO Michael Barnes , COO
Products	Watches, Jewelry, Clothing, Wallets,
Revenue	$1.0 billion USD (2005)[3]
Employees	10,500 (2010)[4]
Website	fossil.com

Fossil, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) is an American designer and manufacturer of clothing and accessories, primarily watches and jewelry, but also sunglasses, wallets, handbags, belts, shoes and clothing, based in Richardson, Texas, United States. Their brands include Fossil, Relic, Abacus, Burberry, Emporio Armani, Michele Watch, Karl Lagerfeld^[5], and Zodiac Watches.

Two brothers, Tom Kartsotis and Kosta Kartsotis, own approximately 30% of Fossil stock. The company name represents the nickname the brothers had for their father.^[6]

Company history[link]

Fossil was founded in 1984 as Overseas Products International by Tom Kartsotis, a former Texas A&M University student living in Dallas from a suggestion by his older brother, Kosta Kartsotis, a merchandising executive at Sanger Harris. Kosta told his younger brother about the potential large profits that could be made in importing retail goods made in the Far East, specifically in importing moderately-priced fashion watches.^[1] Their main product was fashion watches with a retro look. In 1990, they introduced leather goods under the Fossil brand, and the Relic line of watches.

Fossil had an IPO in 1993.^[1][7]

Zodiac was a Swiss brand that had been operating since 1882 when Fossil acquired it from Genender International in 2001 for $4.7 million.^[8] Fossil's desire to establish a Swiss presence led to the purchase of the Zodiac Watch brand and a complete retooling of that line to reflect a retro modern 1970s style in a higher end watch. The 2004 purchase of Michele Watch completed the cycle by offering a high-end Swiss watch with a designer flair.

In September 2007, Fossil was accused of infringing a patent owned by Financial Innovations Systems, LLC, in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount and dismissed shortly thereafter.^[9]

Fossil has manufacturing facilities in China and Switzerland and distribution centers in Dallas, Germany, and Asia.^[10]

In 2012 Fossil, Inc. agreed to purchase Skagen Designs, Ltd. and some of its partners for approximately $225 million in cash and 150,000 Fossil shares. The total value paid by Fossil would be approximately $236.8 million.^[11][5]

License business[link]

Fossil has financial success with its own brands and this success has led a number of deals for licensed watch lines. In 2001, Fossil collaborated with designer Philippe Starck to create the Starck with Fossil watch collection. The collection features ultra-modern designs and unique movement. Other licensed watch lines that Fossil designs, manufactures, and distributes include Burberry, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Columbia Sportswear, Diesel, Frank Gehry, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, Callaway Golf, Davis Cup, Marc Jacobs and Adidas. When referencing Fossil's watch lines, they are generally regarded as a "manufacturer"; Fossil also designs and manufacture their own movements under the Fossil Twist Line.^[12]

Special products[link]

The Fossil Wrist PDA released in 2003, which runs Palm OS.

In addition, the company produces collectibles, some of which are based on popular films or pop culture characters. Previous designs include: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Elvis Presley, "Pirates of the Caribbean", Flash, Green Lantern, Snoopy, Pokémon, Star Wars, "Chronicles of Narnia" and Disney's "Cars".

In 2003, the company released the "Fossil Wrist PDA" wristwatch computer which is a tiny Palm OS-based PDA worn like a watch. In 2006, Fossil released a Caller ID watch.^[13]

In 2006, Fossil teamed up with the NFL to make the official watch collection for each team.^[14] Fossil also caters to special markets that seek to customize products.^[15]

Awards[link]

Fossil won awards for "Most Effective Use of Online Creative" and "Best of Show" awards for the 6th Annual DFWIMA Excellence in Interactive Marketing (in 2006).^[16]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "50 WEALTHIEST GREEKS IN AMERICA: 26 -- KOSTA & TOM KARTSOTIS -- $400 MILLION -- WATCHES & LEATHER ACCESSORIES", The National Herald, February 19, 2011
• Barrett, William P., "Selling Nostalgia and Whimsy", Forbes, November 8, 1993, p. 224.
• Meadus, Amanda, "Fossil Falters but Watches Tick On", WWD, December 11, 1995, p. 8.
• Strandberg, Keith W., "Fossil, the Great American Watch Company", Europa Star, 3 February 2005

External links[link]

• Company Profile

Coordinates: 32°58′47″N 96°42′09″W / 32.9798°N 96.7025°W / 32.9798; -96.7025

Inc. may refer to:

• Incorporation (business), an abbreviation of Incorporated, a suffix indicating a corporation
• Inc. (magazine), an American business magazine
• Incoming
• Include, included, or including

Inc may refer to:

• Increment, a short form in computer programming languages, particularly assembler mnemonics

See also[link]

• INC (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

Michael Kors
Michael Kors Photo: Ed Kavishe, Fashion Wire Press
Born	(1959-08-09) August 9, 1959 (age 52) Long Island, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Education	Fashion Institute of Technology
Occupation	Fashion designer
Spouse	Lance LePere (since 2011)[1]
Awards	1999 CFDA award for womenswear designer of the year 2003 CFDA award for menswear designer of the year
Labels	Michael Kors

Michael Kors (born Karl Anderson, Jr.; August 9, 1959)^[2] is an American fashion designer. He is best known for designing classic American sportswear for women.

Personal life[link]

Kors was born Karl Anderson, Jr.^[3] on Long Island, New York, the son of Joan Hamburger, a former model, and her first husband, Karl Anderson, a college student.^[4][5] When his mother remarried when he was five, he was told he could change his name, and he chose to become Michael David Kors.^[6] He grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York. Kors' mother is Jewish and his father was of Swedish descent.^[3][7][8][9] Kors currently resides in New York City and married his longtime partner Lance LePere in Southampton, New York on August 16, 2011.^[1]

Career[link]

Michael Kors began designing clothes at the age of 19 and studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.^[10] In 1981, Kors launched the Michael Kors womenswear line at Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Building on his success, Kors was named the first ever women's ready-to-wear designer and creative director for the French fashion house Celine in 1997. In his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house around with blockbuster accessories and a critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line. Kors left Celine in October 2003 to concentrate on his own brand. Kors launched his menswear line in 2002.

In addition to the Michael Kors runway collection, the MICHAEL Michael Kors and KORS Michael Kors lines were launched in 2004. KORS is considered the mid-tier line, between the runway and MICHAEL collections. The MICHAEL line includes women's handbags and shoes as well as women's ready-to-wear apparel. The KORS line contains footwear and Jeans. Currently, Kors has full collection boutiques in New York, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Manhasset, and Chicago. This year, Michael Kors celebrates 30 years in business.

A dress by Michael Kors, 2010

Among the celebrities who have worn Michael Kors' designs are Jennifer Lopez, Rachel McAdams, Michelle Obama, Elissa, Heidi Klum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.^{[citation needed]} Joan Allen wore his gown when she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the The Contender. In addition, Jennifer Garner wore a custom creation as an Academy Award presenter in 2006. As Creative Director of Celine, Michael Kors designed many outfits for actresses to wear on screen. Gwyneth Paltrow wore Kors' designs in the movie Possession. Cate Blanchett also wore his clothes in the movie Bandits. In addition, he outfitted Rene Russo's character in the 1999 hit remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Elissa wore his dress in the World Music Awards 2005. The ad campaigns for Michael Kors often reflects the jet-set sportswear that Kors fans are fond of. Previous campaigns include the model Carmen Kass on the tarmac of an airport, on a safari in Africa, and relaxing on a yacht.

Kors is a judge on the Emmy-nominated reality television program Project Runway, which aired on Bravo for five seasons; subsequent seasons aired on Lifetime.

Other honors[link]

In 2010, Kors received the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research, an annual honor bestowed by the Cancer Research Institute, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing immune system-based treatments for cancer. He received the honor at a black-tie ceremony held June 16, 2010 at The Mandarin Oriental in New York City. In June 2010, Kors was the youngest recipient ever of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA and received the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Legal issues[link]

In January 2009, the estate of artist/designer Tony Duquette sued Kors for trademark infringement after Kors allegedly used Duquette's name and images in promoting Kors' 2009 resortwear collection.^[11]

Pop culture trivia[link]

Michael Kors was referenced in the film 'The Devil Wears Prada' by Meryl Streep's character, Miranda Priestly. In the scene, Miranda sweeps into her office and gives a list of instructions to her personal assistant (Emily Blunt). Miranda commands Emily: "RSVP 'yes' to Michael Kors' party and I want the driver drop to me off at 930 and pick me up at 945 sharp."

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Stern, Gary M., "Kors' Design Leads To More Outlets, Overseas Growth", Investor's Business Daily, May 25, 2012

External links[link]

• Michael Kors biography, Michael Kors Biography
• MichaelKors.com, Michael Kors Official Website
  • Company Mission Statement, Mission Statement
• Michael Kors designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• Project Runway Season 5
• File:MICHAEL KORS 221.jpg#filelinks, Michael Kors dress

This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (April 2011)

Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren in his office 1979 by Edgar de Evia
Born	Ralph Lifshitz (1939-10-14) October 14, 1939 (age 72) Bronx, New York
Nationality	American
Education	Baruch College, City University of New York
Occupation	Fashion designer
Spouse	Ricky Anne Low-Beer (1964-present)
Children	3
Awards	Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
Labels	Polo Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz, October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.

Early life[link]

Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, New York, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, from Pinsk, Belarus:^[1] Fraydl (née Kotlar) and Frank Lifshitz, a house painter.^[2]

Ralph attended the Salanter Academy Jewish Day School followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.^[3][4] In MTA Lauren was known by his classmates for selling ties to his fellow students. In a moment of spontaneity, when asked what he wanted to do in^[5] his Clinton yearbook he stated under his picture that he wanted to be a millionaire.^[6] During the summer, Ralph attended Camp Roosevelt (Monticello).^[7]

At the age of 16, Ralph's brother Jerry (who was his guardian) changed their last name to Lauren to avoid the unfortunate obscenity reference Lifshitz has in English (although Ralph's brother Lenny retained the name). Apparently Ralph was teased about it in school.^[8] “My given name has the word shit in it,” he told Oprah Winfrey. “When I was a kid, the other kids would make a lot of fun of me. It was a tough name. That's why I decided to change it. Then people said, "Did you change your name because you don't want to be Jewish?" I said, "Absolutely not. That's not what it's about. My cousins who lived in California had changed their last name to Lawrence. So I just thought, "I'm going to pick a nice last name"—it wasn't particularly connected to anything or anyone."^[9]

He went to Baruch College where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years. From 1962 to 1964 he served in the United States Army.^{[citation needed]} He did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman. In 1967, with the financial backing of Manhattan clothing manufacturer Norman Hilton, Lauren opened a necktie store where he also sold ties of his own design, under the label "Polo."^[10] He later received the rights to use the trademark Polo from Brooks Brothers.

Personal life[link]

On December 20, 1964, he married Ricky Anne Low-Beer in New York City. The two met six months earlier, in an eye doctor's office where Ricky was working as a receptionist.^[11] They have three children: Dylan, David and Andrew.

The Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store occupying the Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City

In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the COTY Award for his menswear line. Around that same time he released a line of women's suits that were tailored in a classic men's style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women's suit. Ralph Lauren released Polo's famous short sleeve mesh shirt with the Polo logo in 1972. It came out in 24 colors and soon became a classic.^[12] He also gained recognition for his design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby.

A Polo Ralph Lauren store on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

In 1984, he transformed the Rhinelander Mansion, former home of the photographer Edgar de Evia and Robert Denning, into the flagship store for Polo Ralph Lauren. This same year de Evia photographed the cover feature story for House & Garden on the Lauren home Round Hill in Jamaica,^[13] which had formerly been the home of Babe and Bill Paley.^[14] On June 11, 1997, Polo Ralph Lauren became a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RL.

By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in the United States. There were 23 locations that carried Ralph Lauren Purple Label, including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, DC, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Manhasset, New York, Palm Beach, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Short Hills, and Troy.^{[citation needed]} The Financial Times reported in its edition of January 2–3, 2010 that the firm had revenues of $5 billion for the fiscal year 2009. The article addresses succession plans and the future of the overall business.

In 2010, Ralph Lauren was decorated Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in Paris

Surgery[link]

Sometime in early 1987, he was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. In April 1987 he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and made a full recovery.^[15]

Net worth[link]

As of September 2011, Forbes estimates his wealth at $6.1 billion dollars which would make Ralph Lauren the 173rd richest person in the world.^[16]

Automobile Collection[link]

Ralph Lauren with his Porsche GT3 RS (2010)

Ralph Lauren is also well known as a collector of automobiles, some of which are extremely rare. A large portion of his over 70 automobiles are held in his estate in Katonah, New York. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas, three 1996 McLaren F1s (one of them an ultra-rare F1 LM), a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a 1929 Blower Bentley, one Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, a Porsche 997 GT3 RS, a Bugatti Veyron, a 1930 Mercedes-Benz CountTrossi SSK (aka "The Black Prince") a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia.^[17], a Lamborghini Reventón and the rare Reventón Roadster. His cars have won "best in show" at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance multiple times. In 2005 his collection was displayed at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.^[18] In 2011 17 prime members of his collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.^[19]

Controversies[link]

In 2009, Ralph Lauren apologized^[20] for digitally retouching a photograph of model Filippa Hamilton to make her look thinner. Hamilton also claims that she was fired by Ralph Lauren a few days later.^[21] Another model's photo was also digitally retouched^[22] adding to the row.

See also[link]

• List of swimwear brands

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Gross, Michael: Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren. Harper, New York 2003.
• Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A.: Ralph Lauren: The Man behind the Mystique. Little, Brown and Company New York 1981.
• McDowell, Colin: Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style. Rizzoli, New York 2002.

External links[link]

• Ralph Lauren Web Site
• Ralph Lauren designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• Ralph Lauren at the Internet Movie Database
• Ralph Lauren collections at style.com
• Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention
• Men's Vogue profile of Ralph Lauren
• Ralph Lauren Auto Collection
• WIRED Magazine celebrates the Ralph Lauren Classic Automobile Collection