TAKING THE REINS: Former Barneys executive John Totolis has acquired DLS Apparel Group, one of the menswear industry’s last remaining buying offices.
The announcement was made Sunday morning during the group’s meeting at the Chicago Collective trade show.
DLS Apparel Group was founded as DLS Outfitters in 1980 by Fred Derring, Virginia Sandquist-Wenzel and Lee Leonard with 25 specialty store members. Leonard died in 2023.
Derring and Sandquist-Wenzel continued owning the business until the sale to Totolis, who joined the company nearly three years ago. Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.
Derring said he will remain with DLS through the end of the year to help with the transition and then will work directly with brands to help them establish themselves in the market. “I’m not retiring,” he said.
Derring said he told Totolis when he joined the company that if it was a fit, he would eventually sell it to the merchant.
“It’s been in the works a while,” Totolis said. His goals for the future include continuing to find “great product at great deals” for the company’s 76 retail members and “help vendors get their product into stores.”
He continued: “I’ve always worked for big stores but independents are thriving now.” As the head of DLS, Totolis said he will help these retailers strategize their buy and navigate through the large number of vendors available in the market.
“There are a lot of things out there to help make retailers’ lives easier and I’ll help direct their energies where they need to be,” he said.
Totolis will also explore potentially adding women’s to the mix as well as international members. “But for the short term, I want to concentrate on the group we have,” he said.
In addition to Barneys, Totolis also worked for Zegna, Polo Ralph Lauren and Gap.
