Form Meets Style: A Spirited Conversation with Wingtip CEO, Ami Arad

Walking into the beautiful Wingtip store located in downtown San Francisco was like stepping into a dream world. Ami Arad, CEO and founder of Wingtip has created a "luxury consumer retail meets social club" like no other. I had a special opportunity to spend quality time with Ami and learn about his journey from a digital retail presence to the unique brick and mortar experience he has built.

Wingtip is a "one-stop shop" for the modern gentleman. Housed in a historic Bank of Italy building, the store features a custom clothing department, professional & casual clothing, cufflinks, pens, leather goods, downtown's best selection of wines & spirits, cigars, a barbershop, and a fly fishing shop. And that's just the store.

The Club at Wingtip, where the Spirited Conversation segment was filmed,  offers members a bar and restaurant,  private parlor rooms, a boardroom, billiards room, golf simulator, a wine cave, roof deck, and beautiful views of the San Francisco skyline.

And speaking of spirits, the Bank of Wine and Spirits, has one of the best whiskey collections in the world – 450 to be exact – as well as 850+ spirits and 350+ wines.

We are very grateful to Ami and his team for allowing us to film the first episode of Spirited Conversation with designer Rubin Singer.  Part of me is secretly planning to spend another day in the leather luxury that harkens to an earlier style of masculine bonding.  It was truly the perfect setting in every way.   Be sure to check out their website

 

Looking Fabulous!: A Spirited Conversation with Fashion Designer, Rubin Singer

My introduction to Rubin Singer came through my Chief Communication Officer, and business partner, Roxanne. She met Rubin at a Neiman Marcus annual meeting in Dallas. She saw his collection and was instantly hooked. Roxanne set out to get his collection into Neiman Marcus and, with the help of a grassroots campaign to present him to decision-makers, as well as her own massively successful Rubin Singer trunk show, Neiman Marcus expanded their buy significantly and rolled his line out to several new doors the following season. 

Fast forward to a dinner with Rubin and Roxanne at the beautiful Rosewood in Palo Alto, California.  I couldn’t believe the story Rubin laid out. A family history that stretched back to World War II Russia, people determined to provide a better life for their family, and a journey that brought the family name to New York. Rubin was born into and raised in the fashion business; he was destined to make his own mark on the world. 

So I was ecstatic that Rubin gave me a few moments for a fascinating tête-à-tête and to share a special spirit at Wingtip in San Francisco. I was eager to pick up where we had left off at Rosewood, and to ask him a few questions about his meteoric success - not just as a designer but as the head of a major design house.

To kick things off, I paired Rubin with a 17-yr Nikka Taketsuru Japanese whisky. I chose the Nikka because of the unique story of Masataka Taketsuru – a man who came from a rich tradition of sake makers but who loved whisky and wanted to craft a traditional Scottish blend out of Japan.   The determination to craft something perfect, well-balanced, and elegant is a direct reflection of Rubin’s approach to design, family history and power.  The sip was incredible; you get a well-balanced feel highlighted with plum notes but not overpowering on the sweet. Extremely tight and well structured. Click here for more tasting notes from the Whisky Shop.

Rubin’s growth strategy, like many start-ups, was built on sacrifice. He not only has to come up with new designs four times a year to meet the rigorous and competitive fashion industry deadlines; he also had to learn how to scale a business. Rubin has had his challenges and after lots of preparation and several setbacks, he got his big break with the 2013 Superbowl halftime show highlighted by Beyoncé. Rubin styled her, and the entire entourage, with a result of never-before-seen success. Check out the show here.   

When you experience a massive shift in your business comparable to Rubin's, knowing how to handle the new paradigm of normal can be overwhelming. Yes, there were orders from major luxury retailers, but the Beyoncé effect turned his world upside down overnight. Not only did he have to re-think his operations model, but he had to quickly make some hard decisions as he experienced this huge growth phase in his business.

Rubin continues to introduce bold designs and differentiate himself from the competition. Rubin has definitely exercised his business muscle while maintaining his creative prowess.  He is a fantastic example of how form combines with fashion to craft a successful business and unique customer experience. 

Watch my full interview with Rubin Singer below.
 

Global Fashion Designer and entrepreneur Rubin Singer speaks with Tony Deblauwe, host and Chief Libation Officer of Spirited Conversation. Rubin talks about his journey of building his brand from Beyonce and beyond. Filmed at the beautiful Wingtip store in San Francisco, they will kick off the conversation by sharing a special Japanese whisky.