CREATIVE THOUGHT AT WORK
Forging ties to connect but not bind
Had Shep Murray ’93 not woken up
one day and put on the same suit and tie as his boss at a New York City ad agency, the fashion and marketing phenomenon known as Vineyard Vines might never have come to pass. Because he and his boss happened to pull identical garb from their closets that fateful morning in 1997, Murray experienced a sartorial epiphany: Young professionals of his generation needed neckties that were unique, classy, and fun.
The story of how Murray and his brother Ian came up with the idea for a new company, and on the same day quit their jobs to start building it, is central in Vineyard Vines lore. The company now sells not only preppy New England–style ties but also khakis, shirts, hand- bags, flipflops, swimsuits, note- cards, and more through its catalog, Web site, and the nine stores it owns in places like Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, and Memphis, Tenn.—growth that testifies both to the power of the brand the Murrays have been developing for the last 12 years and to the engaged enthu- siasm of their customers. Like many first-year students, Murray came to Skidmore un- sure exactly what direction to pursue in life but eager to ex- plore all that the College of- fered. A talented guitarist and singer, he thought he might major in music. Then he be- came enthralled by his literature courses and decided he might major in English. Finally, his in- terests turned to management and business, starting with the introductory business-methods course MB107. That course, he recalls, “gave students the chance to work together as a team and come up with a solu- tion for a real-life company, which is what you do in the
real business world. It gave me an oppor- tunity to roll up my sleeves and think outside the box.”
Outside the box is the only place Mur- ray and his brother could have found the essential idea that led to Vineyard Vines’ founding in 1998. Both brothers wanted to escape New York City advertis- ing jobs they hated. Both wanted to spend more time on Martha’s Vineyard, where they had vacationed throughout child- hood. And both hated wearing ties— especially boring ties. During a vacation in the West Indies, the path out of this predicament became clear: They would
quit their jobs and start selling a new kind of tie, patterned with designs to sig- nify the good life, on Martha’s Vineyard that very next summer. The rest is history. “We never went out there just to make
“BEING ETHICAL, VALUING
PARTNERSHIPS, AND GIVING BACK
ARE HUGE PARTS OF WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED.”
money,” says Murray, recalling the in - fluence of James Settel, Skidmore’s Harder Professor of Business Adminis- tration in the early
1990s. “He stressed the importance of being ethical and honest. And that’s the way we’ve done it from the start. Being ethical, treating our employees well, treating our customers well, valuing part- nerships, and giving back are huge parts of what we’ve accomplished.” Vineyard Vines’ Facebook page, which has more than 12,000 fans, reveals not only the cheerful rapport that the Murrays have established with their customers, but also their commitment to worthy causes. In their new “Tied to a Cause” program, for example, they pro- duce custom ties, tote bags, and other items for their favorite charities and donate all pro- ceeds from the sale of those items. Their first partner in this is the Waterkeeper Alliance founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to protect water from pol- luters.
CREATIVE HABERDASHERY IS A WINNING FORMULA FOR SHEP MURRAY ’93 AND HIS VINEYARD VINES TEAM.
“It really has been reward- ing,” says Murray, who resides with wife Margo and three chil- dren in Stamford, Conn., when not on the Vineyard. “I get to wake up every morning, drive my kids to school, and create a product that people love. I work with great people, we have great customers, and it’s awesome to be able to make people happy.” —DF
SPRING 2010 SCOPE 29
SCOTT MULLIN
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