MANUFACTURING
Thimio Sotos Leaves J Brand
After nearly four years at premium-denim brand J Brand, Thimio Sotos has left the company, where he was the executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Sotos’ last day of work was March 28, said Jeff Rudes, the company’s co-founder and chief executive.
“Thimio is taking some time off. He is such a contribution to this industry. He is looking at what is next,” Rudes said.
In recent weeks, there have been some changes in the executive ranks of the Los Angeles brand. At the beginning of March, Lynne Koplin, an industry veteran in the Los Angeles swimwear and denim business, was named president of J Brand.
Rudes said the upscale denim brand is branching out to be a lifestyle brand as well as open its own stores down the road in the United States. “We are representing the brand beyond denim,” he said. “We will be outfitting our customer from head to toe.”
J Brand has already launched many pieces for its women’s lifestyle brand, with leather jackets, sweaters and T-shirts performing well, Rudes said.
A men’s lifestyle collection will be introduced in 2015. Later, retail stores in the United States will be rolled out.
Many of these changes to the collection are being made after Rudes and Star Avenue Capital sold 80.1 percent of J Brand at the end of 2012 to Fast Retailing Co., the parent company of Uniqlo.
Prior to joining J Brand, Sotos had been the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Metropark USA, a Los Angeles–based apparel chain for the 25- to 35-year-old customer. Metropark, which had stores in 21 states, filed for bankruptcy in 2011.
Prior to Metropark, Sotos spent more than 12 years at Jones Apparel Group Inc. in various roles such as chief financial officer, treasurer and executive vice president. Sotos has a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Purdue University.
