Peter Koral tells Michelle Rivera how this company has taken denim to a whole new level.

Seven For All Mankind is truly in a world of its own. Launched in 2000 by founder Peter Koral, chairman and president, the company has become one of the biggest names in the premium denim market. Worn by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Gwen Stefani, Will Smith, Cameron Diaz, and Beyonce Knowles, the denim brand has expanded to include men’s and children’s collections.

Wash and learn
Seven For All Mankind products are sold at high-end stores—including Barneys, Ron Herman, and Neiman Marcus—and in specialty boutiques in more than 80 countries. Seven For All Mankind has had continued success with retailers since its inception. Its men’s business is experiencing a 50% increase in sales this year, tripling in SKUs.

Optimistic for 2007, Koral created an extreme line for spring: Emerald Rice. “This line pushes the limits in denim and design and introduces something fresh and uncompromising to the marketplace. The construction of Emerald Rice includes acute attention to detail as well as the use of rare fabrics, heavy over-dyes, and distressing processes to create just the right amount of wear,” Koral explained.

Seven For All Mankind is constantly working to invent and stay ahead of other brands by creating innovate washes. “We’re the leaders in this category,” said Koral. With a laundry facility adjacent to its headquarters, the company focuses on new washes. Designers go to the laundries on a daily basis to experiment with new washes with new processes and fabrics. According to Koral, the process of coming up with a new wash is time consuming.

“It takes weeks to create a new wash. We come up with two to three washes every month. There’s a constant amount of new product going into the washes, and that’s how we stay fresh and alive.” In the Emerald Rice collection, the denim comes in a variety of washes, such as chambray tint, camouflage, and vintage blue.

Continued success
Seven For All Mankind has been extremely busy preparing the brand for 2007. “Our spring offering will have the most comprehensive kid’s collection to date, including tops and bottoms,” explained Koral. He also plans to launch a line of handbags in the spring and footwear collection for men and women in the fall.

“Our five core initiatives for future growth are to grow our core business, expand into additional product categories, direct-to-consumer sales (online and retail sales), and international and licensing,” Koral said. He also plans to further continue international expansion, adding 10 to 12 Asian distributors by the end of 2006 and opening five retail stores in the second half of 2007.

“When I started the company, I had a jump on everyone, and after all these years, everyone is still trying to play catch up. When you start something, you’re always ahead of the game. Seven For All Mankind has its formula, and it’s working. Because of that, I anticipate we’ll grow 20% to 40% in sales over the next two years,” he concluded.