By Craig Patterson

German fashion brand JOOP! (pronounced ‘Yope’) has launched its menswear lines in Canada with distribution in 20 retailers nationally. Five Harry Rosen stores are among the 30 locations carrying the men’s collection for FW 2018/SS 2019 — and that number could increase if sales take off. JOOP! womenswear is planned to follow for Canada in 2020.

JOOP! GmbH was founded by German fashion designer Wolfgang Joop in Hamburg Germany in 1987 and the brand quickly took off and expanded into upscale womenswear, menswear, accessories and home furnishings. Wolfgang added an exclamation point to the end of the brand’s name to distinguish it from himself as an artist, and the exclamation point has become a defining element of JOOP!, which launched a popular fragrance that also helped grow the brand globally.

In 1986, JOOP! launched ‘JOOP! Jeans’, a unique denim driven casualwear collection, and JOOP! Living, a complete home furnishings and décor company was added in 2000.

*Joop Villa in Hamburg, Germany. Photo supplied*

In 2008, Swiss-based conglomerate Holy Fashion Group acquired the JOOP! brand’s fashion business (Coty Inc. of New York owns the fragrance division), and the brand is making a comeback in a big way. Holy Fashion Group, whose owners are descendants and former owners of Hugo Boss, also own popular menswear brand Strellson which has a retail and wholesale presence in Canada. Holy Fashion Group also acquired the Art Nouveau villa in Hamburg where Wolfgang Joop began designing his collections and remains the main showroom for the World of JOOP!

The new men’s collection offers a diverse range of looks that are contemporary and luxurious, and its designs are wearable for various body types. A recent presentation in Toronto showcased the brand’s JOOP! and JOOP! Jeans collections, and accessories and footwear are also on the way in the coming season.

JOOP!’s prices are a step below luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani and Zegna, making it accessible to a wider market while also offering top quality, fabrics and design.

Craig Patterson, now based in Toronto, is the founder and Editor-in-Chief Retail Insider. He's also a retail and real estate consultant, retail tour guide and public speaker.

Follow him on Twitter @RetailInsider_, LinkedIn at Craig Patterson, or email him at: craig@retail-insider.com.

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