Next Life: Vineyard Vines’ Ethnic WASP Clothing

Considering they were raised in Greenwich, Conn., and summered on Martha’s Vineyard, it’s not surprising that Shep and Ian Murray viewed advertising and PR careers as less fulfilling than, say, sewing patterns of golf clubs, whales, and other Waspy images onto their neckties. So in 1998, Shep, now 40, and Ian, 36, decided to take an $8,000 credit-card cash advance and time off from their Manhattan careers to design a full line of ties. Then they went to the Vineyard. “We started selling ties like guys selling T-shirts at a concert,” remembers Shep. After the first 800 sold out in a week, the brothers Murray promptly quit their jobs, and Vineyard Vines was born.

There was one problem. “We didn’t know anything about fashion or the business,” says Ian. As they searched for a manufacturer to create another bulk order, they received some important advice from former Bergdorf Goodman Chief Executive Officer Ira Neimark, an early adviser. He told them to stick with one product while they grew. After their second line of ties became a hit, the Murrays started making women’s tote bags in 2001. In 2005 they began selling clothing online and in boutiques. By 2007, Vineyard Vines had revenue of $37 million.