By this time the company had expanded its product line under several different labels to include pants, blouses, and skirts. These different divisions of the company were soon reorganized and consolidated, and Plain Jane was renamed Esprit de Corp. The company's trademark loose-fitting casual designs in bold colors caught on, and Esprit rapidly evolved into one of the most popular clothing companies among to year-old women.
During the early s Esprit swiftly expanded and distinguished itself in the business community through both its sales and the way in which it reflected the eclectic tastes of Susie and Doug Tompkins.
An art and architecture enthusiast, Doug Tompkins spent a great deal of time and money to renovate the San Francisco winery that would become the company's new headquarters. Featuring skylights, wood floors, and Amish quilts on the walls, the brick building gained national recognition among architects and interior designers.
Seeking to create an enjoyable work atmosphere to match the spirit of Esprit clothing, the Tompkinses encouraged employees to dress fashionably yet casually; high heels were not permitted on the easily scuffed wood floors of the headquarters building. Furthermore, the Tompkinses offered a unique benefits package. In addition to a 52 percent discount on Esprit clothing, employees received subsidized tickets to the theater, ballet, and opera, as well as free vacations in the mountains and foreign language lessons.
Employees came to refer to their workplace as "Camp Esprit" and "Little Utopia. As design director, Susie approved all drawings and fabrics, while Doug held the titles of president and "image director. Catalogs also served as an important marketing strategy in the early s. Oversized, glossy booklets featured pictures of employees and other "real people" modeling Esprit clothes, alongside written personal statements.
In an interview, Doug Tompkins asserted that the Esprit customer is of "above-average intelligence and knows the difference between 'substance and superficiality'.
Subsequent stores were established in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Aspen, Colorado, and by there were 14 Esprit retail stores nationwide. While owners of department stores that carried Esprit clothing protested that these retail outlets represented unfair competition, company executives disagreed. As Esprit grew, some critics charged that the company was overextending itself. In late and , Esprit experienced losses for the first time in its history.
Several reasons were given for the abrupt reversal. The San Francisco Examiner suggested that competitors were copying Esprit designs and offering them at lower prices and further reported that some retailers were complaining of inferior quality and design in new Esprit lines.
The Tompkinses maintained that while the company may have tried to expand too rapidly, its spring lines were selling well. They pointed to the decline of the U. Furthermore, they maintained, while international sales were escalating, Esprit's foreign operations were jointly owned with local investors so that profits were reinvested in the foreign market. Exploring ways to cut the company's costs and consolidate its operations, Federico implemented a freeze on hiring and bonuses that year.
Although employees were soon required to pay for coffee and phone calls made in the office, the Tompkinses ensured that some of the unique benefits that made up Esprit's image as a fun, creative workplace remained. The following year the Esprit work force was cut by 30 percent, and Doug Tompkins brought in experts from rival fashion companies to manage the newly consolidated divisions.
It soon became apparent, however, that Esprit's downturns were more than just temporary. Critics cited both Esprit's failure to stay abreast of fashion trends, as well as irreconcilable differences that had developed between Susie and Doug Tompkins, as reasons for the company's troubles.
Specifically, the Tompkinses had begun to argue about the direction the company should take. Susie regarded the company's image as too young, maintaining that customers were seeking a more sophisticated look. She believed Esprit's original customers had grown up, and she suggested introducing a line of corporate wear for the loyal Esprit buyer. Doug, on the other hand, argued that the company's youthful image was too important to change and that corporate women would not purchase Esprit.
While the column focused on the couple's relationship and Doug's alleged extramarital affairs with women in the company, it also reported that weak financial management and the design department's failure to note the fashion world's shift to a more traditional look were hurting business.
In addition, interviews with former Esprit employees revealed that tension in the workplace was being fostered by two factions--those who sided with Doug and those in Susie's camp. The article also revealed that Doug was seeking minority equity partners to help maintain the struggling Esprit retail stores. When Susie Tompkins petitioned a San Francisco court to appoint a third director to help run Esprit in March , a judge advised that she and her husband resolve the situation without legal intervention.
Susie and Doug Tompkins sever their last ties to Esprit. They agree to sell their interests in the worldwide sportswear company to their Hong Kong-based partner, Michael Ying. The U. Oaktree Capital Management and Cerberus Partners became controlling shareholders. Esprit de Corp. Heid, former president of Revlon International, is named chairman, ceo and president of Esprit de Corp.
Esprit Holdings Ltd. This partnership with the designer has existed since The Iconic campaign for Fall presents a new look and a charismatic face. On 15 September, Esprit announced a four-year transformation programme. By investing a total of 1. The program comprises extensive investment in stores, products and marketing.
See our privacy policy. Of course, the s were all about look-what-I-can-afford fashion statements, and Esprit made it easy to ensure that the Jones and Jennifers, and Jessicas … knew exactly where you stood. But the 80s have come and gone thank goodness —so whatever happened to 80s fashion vanguard Esprit???
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