News From Vineyard Vines, Willy Chavarria, Randa and Garden & Gun

Vineyard Vines Unveils New Store Format

Vineyard Vines has revamped its store at The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey with a design intended to better tell the brand story and offer an easier shopping experience. This marks the first time in nearly 20 years that the store concept has been changed dramatically.

The 5,937-square-foot store features multiple fitting rooms, a lounge and a clearly defined men’s, women’s and kids’ sections. It features a women’s boutique for the first time and the men’s department includes a dedicated pant shop, a surf shop with T-shirts, terry and denim and a “Put-Together” shop for more dressy pieces.

The finishes in the store were inspired by the homes of the brothers and founders, Shep and Ian Murray, with light oak, chrome accents and nautical rope finishes that speak to a coastal lifestyle feeling. There is rattan wallpaper and the cash wrap was designed to resemble a beach bar, complete with a vintage maritime American flag handpicked by Shep Murray.

Throughout the space, there are catalogues and images pulled from the brand’s archives, along with photos of the brothers’ travels over the years.

“We are excited for our new store in Short Hills and the evolution of the store design,” said Ian Murray, co-chief executive officer. “What will remain consistent with this store experience is our team and our emphasis on providing an exceptional customer experience. We have always felt our stores, this one included, build upon that notion of gathering places for our customers. In Short Hills, many of our team members have been in place for over a decade, and they know our customers by name. Building relationships and designing clothes for our customers to live that ‘Every Day Should Feel This Good’ lifestyle is what Vineyard Vines is all about. We believe this updated store format can deliver on our brand promise better than ever before.”

The company operates 126 stores.

Willy Creates Sweatshirt for Dance Company

Willy Chavarria is one busy guy. Despite working to build his own company while collaborating with Adidas and other brands, he still finds time to champion causes that mean something to him.

One of those is A.I.M, a contemporary dance company created by his friend Kyle Abraham that is rooted in Black and queer history. To help Abraham commemorate the troupe’s 20th anniversary, Chavarria collaborated with dancer and choreographer to design a limited-edition sweatshirt. The piece features a silhouetted image of Abraham from his 2010 piece, “Radio Show.”

“Willy is one of the most iconic and influential designers of our time,” said Abraham. “His aesthetic is deeply connected to how he sees the world. As a choreographer and artistic director of the A.I.M dance company, I’m deeply inspired by his sense of style and personal mission. Since meeting Willy a few years back, I’m consistently humbled and grateful for the myriad ways he’s supported me and my company.” 

The Willy Chavarria x AIM sweatshirt retails for $200 and is available on the A.I.M website. All proceeds from the sales go directly to fund the dance company, which is an acronym for Abraham in Motion.

NRF Honors Randa’s David Katz

David Katz, longtime executive vice president and global chief marketing officer of Randa Apparel & Accessories, has been named to the 2026 class of Retail Voices by the National Retail Federation. The recognition from NRF and its partner Rethink Retail acknowledges retail’s most influential thinkers and innovators.

Katz is one of 50 people selected for this year’s award and was chosen from more than 400 nominations.

“For over a decade, David has been an inspirational leader here at Randa, playing a critical role in the growth and transformation of our business,” said Justin Spiegel, president of Randa. “As one of our industry’s true experts in marketing, brand building and licensing, we at Randa are thrilled that his leadership is being recognized by NRF this year.”

“Retail is being redrawn in real time; you can’t navigate a new landscape with old maps,” said Katz. “Reinvention isn’t optional; it’s the cost of staying relevant. I’m honored to represent Randa as one of the Retail Voices by NRF to help chart what comes next for our industry.”

Katz, along with the other 49 honorees, which include Sneha Narahalli, head of product for Sephora; Alex Richardson, chief technology officer of Khaite, and Sabu Thomas, senior director of digital engineering for BJ’s Wholesale Club, will be recognized by the industry at the NRF’s annual convention in New York in January.

Garden & Gun’s Wedding Magazine

Garden & Gun, a favorite publication and lifestyle brand of Southern men, has launched its first wedding-specific magazine.

Called G&G Weddings, the 134-page winter issue features an in-depth look at everything from specialty cocktails and bachelor parties to blush or gold timepieces to help grooms get to the church on time.

Although the magazine is not targeted to men specifically, more than half of the 400,000 readers of its bi-monthly Garden & Gun magazine are male, according to David DiBenedetto, editor in chief. But both the flagship publication and the wedding book are focused on “everything to love about the South,” he said. “Food, booze, fashion, travel, pop culture.”

DiBenedetto said among his favorite features in G&G Weddings is the piece about bourbon, a spirit that is a perennial favorite of grooms and their groomsmen. For couples looking for a unique wedding favor, they can select and bottle bourbon from their own barrel and send their guests home with a bottle customized with their name, wedding date and other details about their big day.

“Nobody loves to party more than a Southerner,” said DiBenedetto. “And couples today want their ceremony to resonate.”

The plan is to have a G&G Wedding issue at least once a year going forward. “We’re getting great reception, so we plan to do it next year, too,” he said.