Kaiser, whose illustrious career spanned decades, died suddenly on Friday.
Brooks Brothers Latest Retailer To File Chapter 11
The 202-year-old company, known for its classic suits, owns the Alexis Bittar and Carolee jewelry brands.

New York—Long hurt by Casual Fridays and hampered by COVID-19 in its efforts to find a buyer, Brooks Brothers and its fashion jewelry subsidiary have filed for bankruptcy protection.
The 202-year-old company, known for its stylish suits and preppy casuals, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, with the goals of obtaining new financing and quickly finding a buyer.
“Like countless other retail companies, Brooks Brothers’ business has been impacted by significant operational and manufacturing challenges, as well as shifting retail industry trends in recent years,” said the retailer’s Chief Restructuring Officer Stephen Marotta of Ankura Consulting Group LLC in an affidavit filed Wednesday.
In 2019, Brooks Brothers began looking for a buyer or a merger opportunity but the onset of COVID-19 derailed that effort, making the storied-but-struggling retailer the latest to seek protection under Chapter 11.
“Our priority is to start this important chapter with a new owner that has appreciation for the Brooks Brothers legacy, a vision for its future, and aligns with our core values and culture,” Chairman and CEO Claudio Del Vecchio said in a company statement.
“Seeking protection to facilitate an efficient sale of the business is the best next step for the company to achieve its goals, over any other alternative.”
Brooks Brothers said it has secured commitments from investment company WHP Global for $75 million in debtor-in-possession financing, a type of financing extended to companies in distress overseen by the lender and subject to court approval.
The financing together with cash flows from ongoing operations will support it through the sale process, said the company.
The retailer is going to hold an auction where parties can submit qualified bids, and said it expects to complete the sale process in the next few months, pending court approval.
To our loyal customers. pic.twitter.com/OcAqFbu8v2
— Brooks Brothers (@BrooksBrothers) July 8, 2020
Filing alongside Brooks Brothers Group Inc. was jewelry subsidiary Deconic Group LLC, which manufactures, merchandises, markets, sells and licenses the Alexis Bittar and Carolee fashion jewelry brands.
The brands are sold online, at stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, and through nine retail stores located in the Northeast, Midwest and in California. Deconic also leases an office and manufacturing facility in Brooklyn’s Industry City development and a showroom in Manhattan.
Brooks Brothers acquired Carolee LLC in 2001 and, under Carolee, Alexis Bittar in 2016. It overhauled its fashion jewelry business in 2017, relaunching as Deconic.
Deconic brought in approximately $15 million in
Asked about the future of Deconic, a company spokesperson noted the bankruptcy filing is “a sale process, not a liquidation of Brooks Brothers or Deconic’s brands.”
“Deconic will continue to do business as usual for the time being [and] we do not expect this to interrupt our ability to deliver the brands Alexis Bittar and Carolee,” the spokesperson said.
RELATED CONTENT: The Latest on the Neiman Marcus, JC Penney Bankruptcies
Founded in 1818 as H. & D.H. Brooks & Co. in New York, Brooks Brothers is the oldest apparel company in the United States, it noted in the bankruptcy filing.
The company operates about 425 retail and factory outlet stores worldwide, including 236 in the United States.
Like so many retailers, it closed nearly all of its stores when the pandemic hit and furloughed 2,900 of its 4,025 employees worldwide.
It said Wednesday that 51 of its 236 U.S. stores, or 22 percent, have closed or are in the process of closing permanently, while the others will reopen “as local and state public health and government officials allow and as it is economical to do so.”
The Latest

The family-owned jeweler is relocating its Braintree, Massachusetts, store to a new space.

He will step into the retailer’s newly created role of chief development officer.

When it comes to knowing the identity and quality of your pearls, count on GIA as your independent pearl experts.

GemIntro is meant to give a broad introduction to gems and gemology.


Three industry experts discuss “recycled” gold vs. mined, their challenges and benefits, and how jewelers can navigate the area.

Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Buccellati put on stellar performances.

Advanced technology levels the playing field, helping jewelers give customers what they want.

The New York jeweler made this incredible, colorful Art Deco bracelet featuring tropical birds in 1927.

From a slowdown in sales growth to rising costs, Fruchtman Marketing outlines its expectations for the second half of the year.

One analyst cited rising diamond prices and the sanctions on Alrosa as contributing factors.

The two have partnered on a capsule collection.

The retailer also said demand for Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet watches continues to exceed its supply.

The auction house’s upcoming sale also includes collections from American heiresses.

The Connecticut jeweler reflected on five decades in the industry and what the future holds for the family business.

The chapter has organized a day trip to the Sterling Hill Mine and Museum in Ogdensburg on Saturday, May 21.

The stones come from a deposit close to Mahenge and have been on the market for several months.

The jewelry designer is partnering with popcorn brand Angie’s Boomchickapop on a whimsical diamond cut.

In the latest article from The Smart Lab, Emmanuel Raheb outlines the website changes jewelers can expect with this new software.

The new app allows salespeople to quickly and easily access a lot of inventory.

Following its Paris debut, “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” has landed at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The fine jewelry brand expects to open 17 new locations, mostly in North America.

The Kansas retailer is aiming for a fall 2023 opening.

It will be located in Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province, and construction is slated to start early next year.

It’s full of hundreds of contacts for jewelry-making supplies and services.

The company is feeling the impact of the uncertain geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, said CEO Beth Gerstein.

It became the most valuable vintage Audemars Piguet watch ever sold at auction, according to Sotheby’s.