John Varvatos is a famous fashion designer and founder of the design company “John Varvatos” which specializes in menswear.

The Varvatos family is originally from the village of Poulata on the Greek island of Kefalonia. The Greek designer was born in Detroit and grew up in Allen Park.

In 1983, J. Varvatos began working at Polo Ralph Lauren. In 1990, he joined Calvin Klein as the head of department for menswear and managed the launch of men’s line. Five years later, he returned to Ralph Lauren as the design head for menswear for all the brands of the company and introduced the Polo Jeans line. His success led him to new positions inside the company.

In 1999, John Varvatos founded his own company and debuted his first apparel line in New York at the end of 2000. The same year, he opened his first store in SoHo, a New York City neighborhood. In his own words, he designs the line for “a guy who appreciates beautiful fabrics and great details, without being too over-the-top. My philosophy is about reaching back to move forward. I have something different to say with a sensibility that is both old and new”.

Shortly after launching his collection, John Varvatos receives the Council of Fashion Designers of America Perry Ellis Award for New Menswear Designer.

For the second year in a row, in 2001, J. Varvatos is presented with an award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, this time for Menswear Designer of the Year.

In September 2001, Varvatos’ collaboration with Converse gets off to a wildly successful start. The collection respects Converse’s century-long heritage but is totally transformed by Varvatos’ unique vision and urban-rocker sensibility.
In March 2004, he launched his first fragrance for men. The cologne was called “John Varvatos Classic”. The fragrance collection has since grown to include “Vintage”, “Artisan”, “Artisan Black” and the “10th Anniversary Limited Edition”.
A year later, in 2005, the Greek designer received a second Council of Fashion Designers of America “Menswear Designer of the Year Award”, and in 2007 in GQ’s “Men of the Year” issue, John Varvatos is named Designer of the Year.