1994

Robert relocated to New York City as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hugo Boss brand and was charged with positioning the new label as the younger, hipper brother to the established mega-brand. Robert conceived and executed the first Hugo Boss fashion event in The Hamptons and created a temporary showroom for the label, exhibiting his remarkable ability to create a memorable and successful brand experience.

1998-2002

Robert spearheaded the Hugo Boss Latin America and Caribbean operation, growing the business by 60% before joining American leather designer Robert Comstock as Senior VP of Sales and Marketing to help launch their luxury sportswear line for men. He successfully opened Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Neiman Marcus and Stanley Korshak and was also responsible for merchandising and licensing.

2002

Robert joined Marzotto USA, serving as Director of Sales and Marketing for the fashion forward sportswear collection, Marzotto Lab. Shortly thereafter, Marzotto acquired Valentino and Robert was appointed to the identical role at Valentino Men’s. Charged with creating a major business for the line, which was not widely available, Robert used his innate understanding of “cool” and its currency to reposition Valentino Men’s as a modern sartorial brand, rather than a classic men’s brand as it was originally perceived. Valentino Men’s is now sold in all major department and specialty stores.

Robert is well known in Manhattan’s prominent nightlife and entertainment circles for his unique ability to merge glamour and prestige, which creates buzz and ultimately benefits the brand. It was this kind of natural intuition that led him to outfit a then unknown John Legend in Valentino Men’s for all his performances and appearances after listening to an advance copy of his debut CD, Get Lifted.

The record went multi-platinum and John Legend, now an international superstar, went on to win three Grammy Awards. Valentino Men’s is now a red-carpet staple and continues to push boundaries for sophisticated menswear. For the launch of Valentino RED, a label for men with an edgier fashion style, Robert conceptualized a rock concert at the Bergdorf Goodman Flagship Men’s Store. Being literally and figuratively off the charts, the event elevated the usual in-store evening event to something memorable and new.

With a networking acumen that fuels his ability to create boundary-breaking relationships across categories, Robert was tapped to utilize this skill for the entire Valentino operation. He developed a series of luxury-marketing programs with appropriately high-end businesses like the Cornelia Day Spa and The Four Seasons.