Interview: Tremaine Romeo, Head Of Retail At 242 Mulberry
"In basketball, there are five people on the court, and always the fan is the sixth player and that’s how I see the store, it’s also an employee.."
Brooklyn-born Tremaine Romeo may not have a splashy profile but within New York menswear, anyone who’s anyone knows him and his influence on shop culture is irrefutable. Now the head of retail and a partner at new New York menswear store 242 Mulberry, Romeo is a husband, father of three, a DJ (since age 13, vinyl only!), a film director and a lover of basketball, in other words, a thoroughly New York vibe.
Romeo got his start in retail in the stockroom at New York’s famed Paragon Sports at the age of 14. (“The big sneaker at the time was the Nike Agassi.”) His resume also includes Levi and Miu Miu’s stores in SoHo, followed by J.Crew where from 2009-2013 he hit his stride with a store that became famous not just for then C.E.O. Mickey Drexler’s frequent hangs there, but also creating an environment that served as an incubator of sorts for a crew of people who would go on to make their own marks in menswear.
Romeo then clocked four years at Louis Vuitton’s 5th Avenue store and subsequently landed at Todd Snyder where he was head of stores and staff recruiting for eight years.
Romeo was recruited to head retail at 242 Mulberry by founder and friend Chris Echevarria, who he met—of course—when they were both working at J.Crew in SoHo. Echevarria also operates Blackstock & Weber, the men’s shoe brand carried in the store, alongside Academy, his apparel label. (You can read about opening night at 242 Mulberry here.)
I interviewed “Tre” in two parts, first on the phone and then at the store. When I arrived at 242 Mulberry, the ever friendly and energetic Romeo and Blackstock & Weber eccomerce dictor Ellis Wilder were chatting about his set list for a DJ gig in Harlem that night. Romeo also helped me procure my first pair of Blackstock & Weber loafers (which I love!).
Check out our exchange below.
242 Mulberry has been open about six months. What type of person is shopping there and what are they buying?
Tremaine Romeo: “What we’re noticing is it’s a little bit eclectic. We have older clients coming from Canada, the kid who shops at [Aimé Leon Dore] and Noah also shops with us. Shoes are bringing them in. We don’t have a type, we also have women coming in. It’s a younger client, between the ages of 20-30. And they’re fashion forward.”
What is your role at the store?
Tremaine Romeo: “Bring the atmosphere, hire and train staff and create the brand’s physical identity. Atmosphere is a lot of it, making it a special place to be.”
What are the big trends in men’s fashion among your customer?
Tremaine Romeo: “I think generally when you have that kind of fear of a looming recession, it’s like eating comfort food, you go to comfort fashion like workwear and prep. Everyone is jumping toward the comfortable feeling of prep but they’ve been wearing streetwear so long so they’re combining them together. A lot of people are wearing loafers and combining them with mesh shorts and a hoodie or a rugby or a polo and also you’re seeing people spending money on specific things they know will last.”
What’s up with all the white t-shirts?
Tremaine Romeo: “Everyone is buying Merz b. t-shirts. They’re buying it because of The Bear but also because people want to wear loop wheel t-shirts. They stand for quality and longevity, things that people can have for a long time.
“It used to be older people that cared about that but now the client is younger and becoming more aware of what quality looks like and they’re also sick and tired of wearing what everyone else is wearing. They’re not wearing Nike or Louis Vuitton anymore. People are aiming for individuality. You’re seeing a move to quality and also vintage, which goes back to clothes that last. Both my sons are going vintage shopping. And it’s very specific. One of them was very excited to get a pair of French chore pants.”
Is interest in men’s fashion at an all time high, post peak or still on its way up?
Tremaine Romeo: “I think it’s having a resurgence, it died off for a little bit and people got bored with everything looking the same, the whole Hypebeast look. Now you’re seeing this new influx of young kids understanding Japanese denim, kids are coming in wearing a wool hat.”
You’re famous for managing J.Crew’s store on Broadway in SoHo in the early aughts, a time when then CEO Mickey Drexler would stop by to hang out. How does this era remind you of that era?
Tremaine Romeo: “Everywhere I go I try to recreate that feeling—to be exited about going to the shop. There was a point in time it wasn’t retail, it was the shop, a different way of being and moving that goes back to the environment and I always try to push the pendulum back to that.
“How do I recreate that? A place you want to go to people watch, where you don’t feel you’re being rushed out, everyone knows who you are. We are very big on, ‘I would love you to purchase and tell your friends but don’t just run out of the store.’ I love the linger. When they linger it’s because the environment is keeping them there.
“In basketball, there are five people on the court, and always the fan is the sixth player and that’s how I see the store, it’s also an employee. That J.Crew in SoHo was different because of the space itself. People would go in there and stay there, the same thing with the original ALD, Noah and Brooklyn Circus.”
What about people who over hang?
Tremaine Romeo: “It can happen, but in a really good environment, the associate isn’t afraid to tell the client, ‘Give me one moment.’ The client knows the vibe, they understand that it’s this other person’s turn to get this energy. And that only comes with how comfortable you’ve made the environment. A good environment, a comfortable environment is one that allows the staff to relax. Some stores are so transactional that no one is relaxed. When the customer and client is relaxed, the client understands, ‘Let me let you do your job.’
“It’s such an easy process when you value interaction. We have a little tiny space so we introduce ourselves to everyone who walks in the space. Hopefully the conversation occurs among the clients. Yesterday, we had a salesperson from Bottega Veneta who came over to eat his lunch. A couple came in, and while the husband was buying shoes, the wife is talking to the guy from Bottega, and that creates the energy in the space. The guy goes, ‘You guys are making me want to hop on a plan to just come down here and relax.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
You were in charge of recruiting staff at Todd Snyder. What’s are some qualities that make you want to hire a person immediately?
Tremaine Romeo: “What I like is how engaging the person is in the interview. One thing that gets me is when someone listens and hears me and they’re making quick decisions in their answers. I like people who are organic and who value interaction and engagement. Engagement matters in every field there’s a client. I look at people and see how they value engagement. Be your colleague’s favorite colleague, be consistently who you are. If I meet a very engaging person who can keep conversation going, everything else can be taught.”
How do you manage talent? For example, someone who’s fantastic at his job but persistently 20 minutes late?
Tremain Romeo: “(Laughs) That’s all the time, with the most talented that’s always the case. The idea is to manage up not out. Managing out means you have a talented employee, you see they’re coming in late, you write them up, and manage them out of the business. Managing up is, let me have a conversation and ask, ‘Why are you always late?’ And then it’s 101: Let’s work around your schedule, let’s see if we can it work.”
How long do you “manage up” for?
Tremaine Romeo: “I’m not going to waste energy on one person because I have other people to grow. At some point you have to make a determination if the person is worth it. Some problems are fixable and some are not. Coming in late is a time management thing, then you have people who have social issues, they don’t know how to speak to people, they don’t have the tender loving care you expect with employees, and you have to ask, is that something you want to foster. It all depends on the environment you want to create. It’s okay to let them go. If that person doesn’t get it, you have to cut bait.”
Todd Snyder is owned by American Eagle. What is one thing that large chains get wrong about staffing?
Tremaine Romeo: “They create a very transactional retail environment and that’s two different worlds from a sales environment. One thing I’ve learned since being here is that people are starving for the old school shop. I didn’t know people would want to hang and chill. We shake everyone’s hand that walks in. This store is a second home for the staff and the whole block.”
What do you recommended as a starter shoe for someone new to wearing loafers?
Tremaine Romeo (with input from Ellis Wilder): The Ellis Onyx loafer in black with a Vibram sole. Then move on to a leather sole, then you become addicted. You wear the Vibram soles with jeans and the leather bottoms with wool trousers with a single break. The idea is to keep it simple with straight pants, so you look like a regular, properly dressed, chill person.”
Where do you want the store to be one year from now?
Tremaine Romeo: “For this store I just want it to become more of a community space, a destination you have to go to. On their list of places they have to visit. They have to visit Kith, they have to visit ALD and they have to visit 242.”
Fantastic work as always Queen Snobette
Omg! Hi tre! Congrats! 🎉