Ellis, Perry, 1940-1986 (1940-1986)

Dates

• Existence: 1940-1986

Biography

Perry Ellis was born in Churchland, Virginia in 1940. He received a bachelors in Business from Williams and Mary and a masters in Retailing from New York University. The department store Miller and Rhoads hired Ellis to work as a sportswear buyer. Ellis joined the sportswear manufacturing firm John Meyer in 1967. At John Meyer, Ellis worked as a merchandiser, which helped him learn how to select fabrics, construct patterns, and sketch. In 1974, Ellis left John Meyer for Manhattan Industries, where he merchandised the Vera sportswear collection and designed the Portfolio line. Manhattan Industries organized Perry Ellis Sportswear in 1976, with Ellis acting as chairman and head designer. His elevated, all-American sportswear was a hit with both buyers and the fashion elite from the minute his first collection debuted in 1976. His "slouch look" was nonchalant and casual but still looked stylish. In 1984, Levi Strauss & Company hired Ellis to design sportswear for men, women, and children. Ellis received his first of nine Coty Awards in 1979, and was named CFDA Designer of the Year Award in three years later. In 1984, he was named President of the CFDA. Perry Ellis passed away in 1986 due to AIDS-related complications.

Found in 40 Collections and/or Records: