September 24th, 2004
The Record
By JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER
verdon@northjersey.com

Younger Line Suits Clothier

Teaneck partner taking off with fine fashions for boys

Robert Ayaz was happily selling stylish men's suits and blazers when one of his young nephews inspired him to steer his business in a new direction.
The nephew said, "I want to dress like Uncle Robert," so Ayaz ordered miniature suits for his five nephews. Each featured the same tailoring and fabrics as the men's fashions sold by Ayaz in his Teaneck store. The nephews wore them to a holiday celebration, and the suits were such a hit that Ayaz decided there was a market for stylish but stull affordable, dress clothes for young boys.

Ayaz, 34, this year launched a boys suit line called Joseph Robert.
Joseph Robert displayed their suits at their first trade show in March. Since then, they've received orders from more than 60 customers accross the country, and one order from Africa - a store in Ghana. We're hoping to be selling Joseph Robert all over Europe soon too," Ayaz said.

"There are very few manufacturers specializing in suits for boys," Ayaz said. "I think there's a big market for it, and we're out to grab that market." Family celebrations involving children become fancier, and have fueled demand for dress clothes for kids, he said.
What we're doing is taking the men's clothing and shrinking it down to kid-size," he said. "The great thing right now is we're growing faster than expected."
The New Milford resident, who is married and has a young daughter, inherited his love of finely tailored suits from his father. Melek Ayaz owned clothing stores in Minnesota during the 1980's, before moving to Bergen County and becoming a custom tailor for made-to-measure clients like Eddie Murphy and George Benson. In 1998, the senior Ayaz opened a tailoring shop on Cedar Lane in Teaneck; in 2000, his son remodeled the store and added a men's ready-to-wear shop.
Melek Ayaz's men's business operates from a new location up the block. And Robert Ayaz has refilled the initial space with boys suits, blazers, trousers, and shirts, sizes 4 to 20.
Most of the orders for the line are coming from high-end children's boutiques, but the company has landed some department store accounts in the West.
The company will be showing its spring line at the ENK Children's Club trade show in New York, in October. Robert Ayaz hopes the same boys who sold him on his new business idea will help sell the line. We want to have my nephews there, dressed in our suits," Ayaz said.

 

The Record - September 24th 2004
by Joan Verdon
verdon@northjersey.com