Edward P Foy Jr. is named as a finalist on the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award. Each year Ernst and Young recognize entrepreneur excellence. This year eFashionSolutions CEO was one of those recognized Entrepreneurs for the Retail and Consumer Services sector. Ed says, "As a finalist I feel honored and proud of the accomplishments of our team and all the people that drive to make eFashionSolutions the success that it is today."
Sean John, celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary, announces the launch of its new e-commerce site www.seanjohn.com. To create this incredible and experiential site, Sean John partnered with industry leader, eFashionSolutions, LLC who will manage and build the branded online store.
eFashionSolutions co-founders, Edward P. Foy, Jr. and Jennifer Silano-Foy, have been named individually on the 2008 NJ Biz Forty Under Forty list. This awards program recognizes young high-achievers who have chosen to build their careers in our state, where an entrepreneurial spirit pervades the business community.
eFashionSolutions has partnered with New Era Cap Company, Inc. to manage the US online store located at www.neweracap.com. With the new launch, visitors can expect to see a fresh design that incorporates interactive features as well as updated navigation designed to enhance the online customer experience.
eFashionSolutions has partnered for a fourth time with Kellwood to launch and manage the online store for contemporary fashion clothing brand Vince at www.vinceusa.com. eFashionSolutions is the e-commerce power behind the successful online operations of Baby Phat.
eFashionStudio & eFashionInteractive, divisions of eFashionSolutions, invite online merchants to share their insight about the use of rich media on their eCommerce site to enhance the online shopping experience and maximize sales. Merchants that take part in the survey will receive a summary of the findings and the opportunity to take advantage of a special discount to one of the online branded stores managed by eFashionSolutions.
eFashionSolutions, LLC (www.efashionsolutions.com) today announced that the company will be exhibiting at the Shop.org Annual Summit in Las Vegas September 15-17, 2008. eFashionSolutions, a leading provider of comprehensive eCommerce services and technology targeted to apparel, accessories, lifestyle and entertainment brands, will be unveiling new interactive and creative services, enhancements to its internal photography studio, eFashionStudio as well as a sneak preview of its next generation eCommerce platform.
August 28, 2008 -Luxury lingerie brand Myla, today announced that they have selected eFashionSolutions -the leading full-service eCommerce provider behind brands such as Playboy, DKNY, Ben Sherman, Baby Phat and Rocawear - to re-launch their US eCommerce business at www.myla.com.
In the midst of heightened competition and economic uncertainties, identifying and recognizing the best customers – and delivering an experience that exceeds expectations –can go a long way toward encouraging retention, loyalty, and increased sales. However, with the rapid adoption of Web 2.0 technologies, enabling customers to become more engaged and sometimes add value without even making a purchase, the definition of the Best Customer is changing. This paper describes how Web 2.0 has changed the playing field, offers suggestions for identifying and calculating the value of “best customers”; and shares best practices for promoting loyalty.
Secaucus, NJ. July 28, 2008 – eFashionSolutions, LLC (www.efashionsolutions.com) is proud to announce that co-founders and married couple, Edward & Jennifer Foy, have each been named to the 2008 NJ Biz 40 Under 40. The list recognizes New Jersey’s most dynamic business leaders under the age of 40. The 40 Under 40 awards program honors men and women who have been making headlines in their field and who share a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and to the community.
Every time customers visit your store – offline and online – they mentally “vote” on what products interest them, what they are willing to pay; and how they view the overall shopping experience. When the merchandise offered and the overall shopping experience exceeds expectations, customers tend to purchase more than originally planned and visit the store more frequently. But you can’t meet and exceed expectations – and dramatically grow your business – unless you understand your customers’ behaviors and preferences. Collecting and making sense of data is critical to success, yet many retailers struggle to take advantage of the information at their disposal.
In March 2008, Playboy completed a 55-day retrofit of its online ordering, fulfillment, reporting and customer service processes. It evolved from managing its own pick-and-pack warehouse operations and using a number of third-party vendors for order taking, customer service and reporting, to using eFashionSolutions to manage its e-commerce experience from soup to nuts. Powered by an integrated technology platform and managed from a centralized location, eFashionSolutions is prepared to take the company's two e-commerce sites, www.shopthebunny.com and www.playboystore.com to the next level.
eFashionSolutions (www.efashionsolutions.com), today announced that Co-Founder & CEO, Edward P. Foy, Jr. is a finalist for The New Jersey Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2008 Awards. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Ed Foy isn't sweating the recession. Revenues at his eFashionSolutions--which helps clothing manufacturers peddle their wares online by sprucing up their Web sites and collecting data on customer spending patterns--are on track to grow 60% this year, and another 40% in 2009. Better yet, Foy just closed on an $8 million credit line from Orix, a specialty finance firm. His plan of attack: Capture more market share by investing aggressively in better software, requiring fewer mouse clicks per purchase.
eFashionSolutions LLC, (www.efashionsolutions.com), today announced that Co-Founder & CEO, Edward P. Foy, Jr. is a finalist for The New Jersey Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2008 Awards.
Each year for the past decade a steady stream of consumers has flowed into the ranks of online shoppers, providing a natural lift for e-commerce. But that stream is slowing noticeably as the pool of consumers who have not shopped online shrinks each year, leaving online retailers with the challenge of increasing sales from existing customers.
In handling every aspect of multiple fashion designers' online businesses, eFashionSolutions makes sure that customer service is a top priority. The company's investments in customer touch points such as its call center, live chat and e-mail campaigns have helped it increase customer loyalty while building brand awareness, said CEO Ed Foy.
Playboy Enterprises last month finalized a deal for eFashionSolutions to manage the company’s catalog and e-commerce operations of its retail brands--ShopTheBunny.com and PlayboyStore.com.
Ed Foy will discuss how to identify and recognize best customer segments and increase sales on the panel "Targeting the Inner Circle with Customer-Centric Strategies".
Leveraging customer information to create targeted offers and promotions is only part of the loyalty marketing equation. The other part is to know how to prioritize customer needs based on their total value to your brand. Edward P. Foy Jr., co-founder and CEO of eFashion Solutions, has woven loyalty marketing principals into the e-commerce operations eFashionSolutions manages for the likes of DKNY, Playboy and Baby Phat. Foy discussed his approach to creating a customer-centric culture to improve customer loyalty. Joining him with additional thoughts on customer-centricity was David Rosen, Senior Vice President, Loyalty Lab.
Luxury and designer brands have woken up to the Web — and it could be a bright spot in these tough economic times. After years of ignoring e-tailing, luxury and designer brands are finally opening up shop online in sizable numbers. Recent entrants include Prada, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Boucheron, Bulgari, De Beers and jeweler Karen Karsh. In the future, expect Calvin Klein and Pucci. Already selling top-of-the-line handbags, shoes, accessories or ready-to-wear for more than a year are Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Oscar de la Renta, Judith Leiber, Christian Dior, Hermès, Burberry, Tiffany and Ralph Lauren.
Double-digit growth at Playboy's online store for women prompted the company to outsource its operation to e-Fashion Solutions, which also handles such brands as DKNY, Baby Phat and Judith Leiber.
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. announced today that it has selected eFashionSolutions to manage the catalog and e-commerce operations of its retail brands -- ShopTheBunny.com and PlayboyStore.com.
eFashionSolutions, the leading e-commerce partner for fashion brands, launches Digital Photography Division
More than digital catalogs, the best e-commerce Web sites are chock-full of engaging features and interactive tools. Here's how to transform yours into an online destination for community-driven customers.
Electronic Retailing Association's Exclusive eRetailer Summit to Reveal Latest Trends in E-Commerce, Video Advertising, Blogs, Social Networking
Former Executive Advisor, SAS Global Retail Practice Joins eFashionSolutions LLC Board of Directors
Non-profit appoints CEO of eFashionSolutions, leading e-commerce provider of luxury and designer fashion brands.
Amid Rows of designer shoes and apparel, Ed Foy Jr. walks through his warehouse and stops to pull s small box from a shelf. He unwraps a black Judith Leiber handbag dotted with sparkling, Austrian crystals. Foy is chief executive of eFashionSolutions, a Secaucus-based company that provides online customer service for luxury brands such as Judith Leiber, Oscar de la Renta and DKNY.
Retail Solutions Online recently posted an interesting PDF download called 12 Lessons Learned In Driving E-Commerce Success from eFashionSolutions.com. eFashionSolutions.com is not just another hosted e-commerce provider- they do offer a robust hosted ecommerce platform specifically focused on the fashion and entertainment industries, but they differentiate by providing marketing and online branding service.
The Indian summer that embraced the East Coast in October put smiles on the faces of many folks accustostomed to early visits by old man winter. Ed Foy wasn't among them. The chief executive of eFashionSolutions, a company that sets up web sites and manages online sales for apparel makers and distributers, watched in disbelief as the unexpected warm weather took its toll on his business.
Forget the fitting room. Consumers are trying on Giorgio Armani and Prada while seated at their computers. The fashion e-commerce sector is booming, according to research firm Forrester. Its recently published "State of Online Retailing" indicates that online fashion sales are expected to reach $22.1 billion this year, an increase of nearly 21 percent from 2006, and apparel, accessories and footwear trails only travel in terms of total online sales.
Brennan has deep roots in traditional retail. Today, however, he looks back for only one reason: to import what's relevant from that accumulated knowledge to e-commerce. And he's doing so as chairman of, advisor to and investor in e-commerce platform vendor eFashionSolutions LLC.
Among the skills young managers and entrepreneurs need to manage older workers are the ability to listen and be open-minded, says Justin Schaldone, a 25-year-old director of marketing at eFashionSolutions, an e-commerce company in Secaucus, N.J. If an older employee disagrees with your way of doing things, offer to hear the person out, he advises. Because they typically have more work experience under their belt, older workers may be more comfortable with a method they've previously used, he explains.
Ed Foy and his wife, Jennifer Silano Foy, combined technological savvy and a talent for fashion merchandising to launch an Internet business that would allow clothing designers to peddle their wares online. Today, eFashionSolutions manages e-commerce for over 25 brands, including DKNY and JLo by Jennifer Lopez.
Yesterday I listened to a terrific talk by Ed Foy, CEO of a really cool and innovative company called eFashionSolutions. They are a web designer and fulfillment company for many of the big names in fashion...Oscar de la Renta, DKNY, Lilly of France...most of the brands you know. They started out in 1999 in a 3-room apartment, using a commercial carrier, and now, partnering with the US Postal Service, they fill orders worldwide out of a 75,000 square foot warehouse.
THE FASHION WORLD isn't known for its technological savvy. That's why Jennifer Silano Foy and her husband, Edward-both former account executives at Calvin Klein Jeanswear founded eFashionSolutions in 2000 to help clothing designers peddle their wares online. Today, eFashion manages e-commerce for more than 25 brands, including DKNY, Baby Phat, and JLo by Jennifer Lopez. The company's 150 employees design the websites, hire models, photograph each item, and fulfill the orders from eFashion's 75,000-square-foot facility in Secaucus, New Jersey. In return, eFashion receives a portion of sales. In 2005, its share totaled $22.8 million.
Bernard Brennan, Chairman, Tomax and eFashionSolutions - Retailing has been in Bernard Brennan's blood for 30 years. He's a third-generation retailer: his grandfather, father and uncles also worked for Sears - a company his brother Edward once ran. At Sears, Bernie Brennan held a number of merchandising positions and served as director of management development before moving on to become chairman and CEO of cross-town rival Montgomery Ward for 11 years.
Want to make your small-business Web site sticky? Try adding video to your marketing mix. Video has become a staple of the Internet in recent years, and there are many simple, low-cost ways for entrepreneurs to hop on the bandwagon. "Tomorrow's consumers will want to read less and watch more, so you will be at a competitive disadvantage if you don't use video as part of your public face," says Peter Horan, chief executive officer of AllBusiness.com, an online media and e-commerce company based in San Francisco. "You want to ride the horse in the direction it's going."
Despite some recent hiccups, the urban apparel market is riding another wave of growth fueled by endorsements from the country's leading rap and hip-hop artists, and by a spate of retooling among the market leaders.
In the early days of online holiday retailing, shoppers discovered to their irritation that clicking on an item didn't mean it would arrive by Christmas. "In the beginning, retailers thought consumers would be forgiving toward them if somebody else screwed up [the delivery]," says Ed Foy, CEO of eFashionSolutions in Secaucus, a provider of e-commerce services to fashion apparel and accessories sellers such as Mandee and DKNY. "The backlash of that was very costly. Just because you have a tracking number that proves it shipped on time, the customer is not interested," says Foy. "They just care if they can get it on time. What was learned was more collaboration with third parties."
A fast-growing Internet-based company has fashioned an arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver all its international online sales. EFashionSolutions LLC designs and manages fulfillment for designer, luxury and celebrity-licensed brand fashion apparel. The Secaucus, NJ, company is now using the postal service's Global Shipping Solution for all orders placed through its 26 client Web sites destined overseas.
Bernie Brennan, formally the CEO of retailer Montgomery Ward, confesses he didn't know much about open source software before he took over as chairman of the board at Tomax and eFashion Solutions.
One of 25 designer, celebrity and luxury brand fashion sites managed by e-commerce site builder and manager eFashionSolutions LLC, BabyPhat.com's conversions rose 10.7% and average cart size rose 10.4% within 30 days after implementing a rules-based engine that dynamically optimizes merchandising on the site based on a visitor's behavior. During the same time, revenue per site visitor jumped 22%.
eFashionSolutions LLC was named to the 2006 Inc 500 (ranked 269) and the NJ 50 Finest Companies (ranked 20), both evidence of their dramatic growth and innovative practices.
eFashionSolutions LLC was named to the 2006 Inc 500 (ranked 269) and the NJ 50 Finest Companies (ranked 20), both evidence of their dramatic growth and innovative practices.
In addition, the company announced the hiring of fashion veteran Susan Mazawey to the corporate executive team as Vice President of Client Services. This marks Ms. Mazawey's return to the business world after a departure in 2004 where she had previously spent 7 years serving as SVP of Tommy Hilfiger Juniors Division.
Tween idols Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will open their first store on Monday and, fitting for their generation, it's an online one. The twins' company, Dualstar Entertainment Group of Culver City, Calif., is one of the largest celebrity lifestyle companies, with an estimated $1 billion in sales. Apparel makes up approximately 80 percent of revenues. The tween line, called mary-kateandashley, is sold at Wal-Mart and its British subsidiary, Asda, among other retailers worldwide.
E-commerce technology and services vendor eFashionSolutions LLC has added Oscar de la Renta to the rostrum of fashion brand name manufacturers for which it has designed, manages and hosts an online sales channel.
Undeterred by the limited number of designers who have embraced e-commerce, Oscar de la Renta has started selling directly to consumers online. Working with eFashionSolutions LLC, a Secaucus, N.J.-based firm, the designer's company has developed an e-commerce component for oscardelarenta.com.
While checking the music charts and reviews of their favorite artists at Billboard.com, fans can now search for music-related fashion apparel at Billboardfashions.com, it was announced today. BillboardFashions.com, managed by eFashions Solutions LLC, is offering apparel and accessories from brands popular with teens and young adults, including Baby Phat, Rocawear, Apple Bottoms and House of Dereon.
What's the buzz surrounding teen marketing today? Is marketing to teens as easy as simple outdoor promotions or Internet banner ads? What reaches this ever-changing demographic? With the explosive growth of social network Web sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com, teens are subjected to advertising with practically every click of the mouse. How do apparel marketers break through the clutter and create buzz amongst the new wired-from-birth generation?
Bernie Brennan, former CEO of Montgomery Ward and a board member of eFashionSolutions LLC since last November, has been named chairman of the board of eFashionSolutions, following the completion of a $17.4 million round of financing.
Secaucus-based eFashion Solutions LLC, a behind-the-scenes operator of online fashion stores, said Monday it has received $17.4 million from equity investors, primarily to build Web sites that speak Chinese, Japanese, French and German.
eFashionSolutions, LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive outsourced e-commerce systems and services to the fashion apparel and accessories as well as entertainment industries, today announced that it had completed a $17.4 million equity investment. Also today, the Company announced that Bernie Brennan, a retail industry executive with 30 years of experience in retail merchandising and related software technology, has been named Chairman of the Board of Directors.
eFashion Solutions LLC, a manager of online operations for fashion merchants such as DKNY and Lily of France, has received $17.5 million in equity funding, investments were mnade by ABS Capital Partners and three other investors- including retail industry veteran Bernie Brennan.
eFashionSolutions in Secuacus, a provider of outsourced e-commerce services for apparela and accessories, secured $17.4 million equity investment led by private equity firm ABS Capital Partners and Piper Jaffray PEP II.
While testing new software from Sento Corp., eFashionsolutions.com an umbrella company for numerous clothing-oriented e-commerce sites, has increased conversion rates between 15% and 30% among its brands.
Online sales are growing for small businesses. But that doesn't mean they should ignore their offline efforts. Indeed, by using metrics provided from online sites, retailers can improve their both sales and customer service at their brick-and-morter sites.
Online retail sales tend to show a drop-off during the summer vacation season, usually defined as Memorial Day through Labor Day. But high gas prices could change that pattern in 2006, according to Edward Foy, CEO of eFashionSolutions, a company that manages e-commerce sites for specialty retailers.
Ed Foy, CEO of eFashion Solutions, an e-commerce operations management firm that oversees online sales for brands that include Apple Bottoms, Members Only, and Baby Phat, remembers a similar instance from the 2004 holiday season. All of a sudden order numbers for a particular item shot through the roof. "We have an intelligent system that notifies us, 'Something crazy's going on here. You're selling through at 15% of inventory, and you've only had it in the warehouse for seven days.' Hello, there's an alert. We look at the Website; traffic is converting like crazy. What's going on? Then we find out that Apple Bottoms is on Oprah Winfrey's Christmas list." There was no way to meet the demand, and worse, the return rate for that item shot up because the prepack assortment hadn't included enough larger sizes.
DKNY's Web site, dkny.com, went live Monday and encompasses the brand's entire world, including home, eyewear, swimwear, jeans, kids and watches.
To deliver branded e-commerce sites for customers such as JLO by Jennisfer Lopez, Members Only, and OP, eFashion Solutions, a platform it could easily customize and enhance, without being chained to custom, homegrown code.
Donna Karan International has re-launched its DKNY.com site as an online store, featuring a selection of apparel and accessories representative of the seasonal themes of the DKNY line.
Smart growth: The term is usually reversed for city planners entrusted with balancing the growth of a local economy with quality of life issues for current residents. Their mandate is usually some variation of "Move things ahead, just not too quickly." The world of online retail is slowly waking up to the wisdom of that philosophy. During the wild, anything goes 1990s, the prevailing wisdom had the Internet taking over everything. Hundreds of firms sprang up to build online storefronts and service retailers willing to split sales to avoid the headaches of running a web site.
Secaucus-based eFashion Solutions LLC, a behind-the-scenes operator of online fashion stores, said Monday it has received $17.4 million from equity investors, primarily to build Web sites that speak Chinese, Japanese, French and German. "We are dramatically expanding our international platform," said Bernie Brennan, who is one of the lead investors and took over as chairman of the board in a restructuring announced Monday.
Taking the online apparel world by storm is eFashion Solutions, a company that manages the online operations for a large range of fashion branded manufacturers. Unique in its ability to market fashion lines from a creative and image standpoint online, eFashion Solutions essentially launches a branded web presence for its clients - from design to fulfillment. The company's 95+ employees even provide customer service.
Graceland has a whole lot of shipping going on. Graceland, a division of Elvis Presley Enterprises, wanted an international expert to handle orders for those blue suede shoes, high-heeled sneakers, and Elvis's two new jean lines. Outsourcing turned out to be an angel, not a devil in disguise.
Selling apparel online can be an expensive proposition for small businesses, but a growing number of technology providers are trying to change. Using new technologies, formats and pricing plans, Web providers are making e-commerce more accessible to small and midsize apparel companies.
Apple Bottoms is widely known for the shapely fit of its jeans, but the company now aims to be known for a host of other products, too. In the past six months, the brand, launched in 2002 by Cornelius Haynes Jr., better know as Nelly, the hip-hop artist who hails from St. Louis, has signed licensing deals to produce jewelry, handbags, footwear, and accessories such as iPod and Blackberry cases.
Ask Phat Fashions founder and CEO Russell Simmons what urban wear is, and he'll tell you he doesn't know. Ditto, Damon Dash,, co-founder of Rocawear. Ditto Daymond John, founder and CEO of FUBU. Marc Ecko, founder and CEO of Mark Ecko Enterprises, will tell you "urban" as a label no longer makes sense.
Girls just want to have fun. And it makes no difference if the girl in question is real or made out of plastic. This month, Mattel debuts a handful of familiar faces in its ever-growing line of celebrity Barbie dolls: country music artists Martina McBride and LeAnn Rimes, R&B/pop trio Destiny's Child,"I Love Lucy"-era Lucille Ball (the lines 9th "Lucy" doll) and Disney star Raven Symone.
As the online apparel retail market grows--$10.2 billion in 2004, up 24% from 2003 so do celebrity apparel brands online. "Volume-wise, its north of $30 million," says Ed Foy, CEO of eFashion Solutions, Web marketer and retailer for top hip-hop and celebrity brands such as Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, and Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons.
Rapper The Game partnered with 310 Motoring and Sketchers to create a shoe line. Nelly introduced his premium light energy drink PJ Tight. And Jacob "Jacob the Jeweler" Arabo partnered with couture sneaker company SneakerLuxe to form Jacob & Co. Footwear.
When Russell Simmons or Sean Combs makes public appearances, its almost a given that they'll be wearing their own fashion apparel lines, generating free publicity for the brand and boosting sales as fans rush to wear what they see their idols wearing. But what happens when the celebrity has been dead for 25 years?
Urban fashion is having an identity crisis. In fact, even as the market such styles tops $1 billion annually, its progenitors are searching for ways to maintain their momentum and tap into a broader market.
For Ed Foy, president/CEO of Brick, NJ-based eFashion Solutions, which represents the online operations of more than 20 apparel manufacturers, incorporating rich media onto a Website is an exercise in balancing image and product. "The fashion industry wants to look like all flash and flair, and we want it to look like Amazon -- Amazon is all about product," Foy says.
If you sell from your Web site, do you generate enough profit to make your car payment? That's the kind of question Ed Foy likes to ask when speaking to small businesses about e-commerce. That question emphasizes two of Foy's key points. First, you can start small in e-commerce and jump in without trying to take over the world. Second, you focus on measureable numbers rather than emotions.
The nation's insatiable appetite for foreign-made goods has joined energy as a brake on the economy. In the latest chapter of the trade wars, imports are surging into the US at a record rate. The Bush administration- alarmed at the flood of imports, which included everything from pillowcases to coils of steel- is looking for ways to help scores of ailing domestic industries.
Middlemen catch a bad rap. If someone's not trying to cut them out altogether, chances are they're being pinched from one end or the other. But if a middleman make the seller a ton of money and gets the buyer a product he doesn't have access to--is he really so bad?
Everyone wonders how life would be if they could only come up with that one brilliant idea that nobody else thought of. A machine that toasts your bread in seconds; a small piece of paper that you can write down notes and stick in places to remind you later; prepackaged water in a bottle; Velcro! How about an Internet company that groups together all the leading hip-hop fashion labels and makes their clothes more accessible to consumers? That's exactly what Ed Foy Jr. and his wife, Jennifer, did. The young couple saw an opportunity to bring urban fashion to the masses and they grabbed it, fed it and raised it.
ONLINE HOLIDAY SHOPPERS looking to give the gift of hip, urban fashion can choose plenty of places to buy - and all of them make Ed Foy smile. For every click of the virtual shopping cart, Ed Foy makes money - whether it's Russell Simmons' Baby Phat with its T-shirts, jeans and jackets, or JLo.com, with Jennifer Lopez's lingerie lines.
Fashion and Linux--it's not a familiar combination. You get a mental picture of an open source hacker in an extra large T-shirt and long fuzzy beard on a runway on Seventh Avenue. It's as unlikely as the fashion industry, which is slow, technologically speaking, moving away from tried and true methods of doing business. But Ed Foy of Brick, NJ, has made it his business to break all the rules. He's helping celebrities sell clothes--a lot of clothes--using Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl.
We admit it: The web site of eFashion Solutions LLC may look a little too pretty for hard-core techies. Once you download the required Macromedia Flash Player, your first impression is of color- a lot of pink and black, punched up with zippy music that you rarely hear on business-to-business sites.
eFashion Solutions CEO Ed Foy believes strongly in the business adage, "we cant sell anything of its all flash." It just so happens that Foy's company, a provider of customized online retail websites, has a roster of flashy customers-JLo by Jennifer Lopez, Shady by Eminem, Rocawear by Jay-Z, Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons , Apple Bottoms by Nelly and recent addition Phat Farm.
In the dotcom heyday, Edward Foy and fellow Calvin Klein Jeanswear sales account executive Jennifer Silano thought more clothing manufacturers should use the internet as an added revenue stream. Launching eFashion Solutions in 2000, they took their business model to fashion trade shows, where they touted their turnkey package: eFashion Solutions would design the signature website, manage the customer call center, handle fulfillment, and even provide reverse logistics. The couple, who also married that year, kept working toward their dream, even while credit card debt mounted.
Ed Foy, CEO of web retailer eFashion Solutions and self-described "hick from the sticks" was lingering near the display booth for Rocawear, rapper Jay-Z's apparel line, at a fashion trade show in Las Vegas in February. Suddenly hip-hop impresario Damon Dash, who is Rocawear's celebrity CEO and Jay-Z's longtime business partner, grabbed Foy's hand and leaned his shoulder against Foy's "a half a hug," Foy calls it. "eFashion Solutions. Nice," a smiling Dash told Foy. "Real nice." Dash dished out "props" for good reason: powered by eFashion's Web design and marketing, Rocawear is on pace to nearly triple its online sales this year. There was only one problem with the cozy encounter: Foy thought he was hugging some web geek; he had no clue what Dash looked like.