Perry Ellis

Perry Ellis began in 1976, when its namesake designer introduced an American sportswear label built around ease and an independent approach to getting dressed. Ellis brought a playful sensibility to clothes that could be mixed and worn in daily life, loosening the formality associated with designer fashion.

That outlook became particularly useful in menswear. Soft tailoring and textured knitwear offered an alternative to rigid business dressing, with proportion and fabric doing much of the work. The wardrobe could move between a suit and casual separates while maintaining the same relaxed character. It was an approach to American style in which comfort had a place alongside appearance.

After the founder’s death in 1986, successive designers interpreted the name across different parts of the business. Marc Jacobs led womenswear from 1988 to 1993, producing the much-discussed spring 1993 grunge collection. In menswear, Michael Maccari later developed the label’s runway collections, bringing a sharper fashion perspective to its sportswear foundations.

Michael Miille became creative director in 2024. Based in Miami, the brand encompasses tailored clothing and casualwear, with accessories and fragrance extending its reach. Its continuing identity rests on a wardrobe that allows men to move between dressed-up and everyday settings, retaining the founder’s preference for clothes with some personality and room to live.