Former Burberry, Lacoste Senior Executive Joins Innovative Sportswear Brand
(Markham, Ontario) – Leading men’s sportswear brand Dunning has hired Mike Dwyer – former Senior Director of Menswear at Burberry Ltd. and Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at Lacoste US – as its Head of Menswear.
Effective immediately, Dwyer will assume primary responsibility for growing the brand’s account base among better department stores and specialty retailers while enhancing relationships within existing Dunning retail channels. He will also oversee the company’s presence at upcoming apparel industry events, including MRket, The Collective and regional trade shows in Charlotte, Chicago and Dallas.
Dwyer’s 35 years of high-level experience includes building Burberry’s North American men’s collection, outerwear and golf businesses. From 2002 to 2008, he managed a diverse account base for the company, highlighted by Nieman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew, as well as better specialty stores, green grass accounts and resorts.
Prior to joining Burberry, Dwyer also re-launched and rebuilt the Lacoste men’s, women’s and children’s brands in the U.S. He directed the company’s national sales force from 1995 to 2001, increasing volume from zero to $24 million, while developing concept shop programs in key department and specialty stores throughout North America. The 57-year-old has also held key apparel sales and marketing positions with Victorinox, Timberland and Izod Lacoste.
“Mike is a highly-disciplined sales and marketing executive with a proven record of building global brands,” says Ralph Dunning, founder of Dunning Sportswear. “He is a leader and team builder who helps maximize new opportunities through his impeccable retail connections and keen understanding of multiple distribution channels.”
Dunning’s premium sportswear collection features a broad range of staples, such as cotton pique polos, performance woven button downs, extra fine Merino wool sweaters, Pima cotton pullovers, vintage varsity tops and traditional rugby polos, as well as cotton-Coolmax® blended pants and shorts. Showcasing clean silhouettes, the richest fabrics and finest tailoring, the collection is made to the highest production standards, ensuring complete consistency of quality and fit.
“Retailers are looking for new, authentic brands with a distinct twist and Dunning provides that with proprietary performance fabric blends incorporated into classic prep designs,” says Dwyer. “This is truly unique and fits perfectly with the company’s heritage creating premium technical garments for the golf and endurance sports markets. It creates a tremendous opportunity to engage a broad customer base that includes everyone from university students and young professionals to corporate executives and country club members.”
About Dunning
A 42-year-old Ontario native and lifelong athlete, Ralph Dunning continues a family tradition of fine tailoring dating back to the first half of the twentieth century, when his father worked on London’s Savile Row.
A former IRONMAN competitor and marathoner who boasts a 17-year heritage on the leading-edge of performance apparel design, his eponymous golf line is sold at marquee clubs and resorts throughout North America and worn in competition by scores of PGA Tour stars, including 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson.
Dunning first garnered widespread acclaim in the 1990s for his Rip n’ Hammer line of premium technical clothing for triathletes and cyclists. He also drew praise for work on behalf of some of the world’s largest and most authentic sports brands, including Saucony, Reebok and Cervelo Cycles.
Working with only the best mills and manufacturing using ISO 9001 facilities allows Dunning to provide discerning consumers with a complete quality assurance. The company also engineers many of its fabrics from the yarn up, meaning performance is built-in and won’t wash- or wear-out after repeated use.
For more information, please visit www.dunningsportswear.com or call 800.955.6528
Contact:
David Griffith
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3391
dgriffith@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
