The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1546512
out onto the ledge, something new. Even though Ferragamo was an incredible footwear brand, it was an Italian brand that had only been primarily distributed in Italy and the United States, hadn't gone as global as they are today. ey had three retail stores when I joined. ey had 36 or 40 retail stores when I le. Same type of thing going from that to premium luggage at Tumi. It felt less linear, it was different, but it was that same foundation of great products. ere were people that worked in the company who were passionate about the brand, but it was at that inflection point of changing from being a wholesaler to a retailer; we added 50, 60 retail stores while I was there. And again, a reinvention at Tourneau. Here at Tilebar, we're taking a business that was built tremendously, but it started out as a digital brand, essentially a very tactile product, being sold digitally that moved into the trade business, and now is moving into a really direct-to-consumer showroom experience as well. VUE: You've spent so much of your career with different luxury brands. What made Tilebar the opportunity that excited you personally? Ira: A couple of things. One, I think our founder, Eli Ecklowitz, really created something that didn't exist in this industry. People talk about being a disruptor; he was a disruptor. He brought a digital experience to an item that people thought you had to buy in person only. I think that the entrepreneurial foundation he started was very unique for an industry that hadn't evolved as others had evolved. Again, there was a foundational item in the business concept—great product. Tilebar has products that people are passionate about. As I met with architects and designers and owners, people's eyes would light up. ere'd be an extra pep in their step, and they'd want to talk about Tilebar. It was something different than they had been used to in a typical tile- shopping experience before. e people in this company are passionate, they're entrepreneurial, the pride of association is high. Pair all those things together, and I felt I could be a part of something that really differentiates an industry, and I think we're doing that already today. ira melnitsky VUE ON | HOME & DESIGN 78 V U E H A M P TO N S . C O M