Bruce Pask, Chore Coat Aficionado and Men’s Fashion Director at Neiman Marcus

Bruce Pask’s name is synonymous with menswear, and I never consider there is a particular person in the field who couldn’t sketch his signature smirk from memory on a bar napkin. Bruce has worked in vogue for 30-moreover several years, however he carries with him with none of the pomp or pretension you may hope from an individual with a profession as storied as his. I have taken numerous avenue design images of Pask over the a long time and even though I’ve hardly ever really known him, he’s normally greeted me with kindness in excess of the training course of my individual menswear tenure. These days he is the men’s style director of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, lending his immense skills to two legendary firms. When he is not in Manhattan or abroad dictating trends and purchaser wants, he spends his downtime in a wonderfully up-to-date and nicely-liked cottage in the charming town of Bellport, NY, in which we photographed this piece collectively.

Below, Bruce and I go over the numerous positions he held across the style field, working closely with Annie Leibovitz, how he handles the dense histories of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and updates them to fit the fashionable man, his B. Store and its wares, touring to Copenhagen for fashion week, and loads far more.

Can you stroll me through your vocation, from your foundations all the way to what you do at the moment?

I labored numerous retail work escalating up and though in faculty, and began my profession in journalism and magazine trend editorial shortly out of school as a fashion assistant at GQ magazine exactly where I labored for about ten a long time, in the long run serving as associate style director. I still left to go after freelance styling and costume design and style, wanting to see and function with fashion in a distinct way, with a different position of view. I was launched to photographer Annie Leibovitz and worked with her on most of her editorials and addresses for Vanity Truthful and business tasks like styling and costuming campaigns for The Sopranos and American Express for about 3 many years. I then rejoined Conde Nast as the vogue director for the start of Cargo, a men’s browsing magazine. We experienced a good but temporary run immediately after which I joined T Journal and The New York Periods to operate beneath Stefano Tonchi as men’s fashion director.

I have specialised in menswear for most of my occupation and found the possibility to acquire that experience and shift from the context from journalism to retail when I was hired as the men’s trend director for Bergdorf Goodman and subsequently Neiman Marcus, exactly where I have now labored for about 8 decades. I enjoy the retail world and staying capable to employ my experience in a very different atmosphere, bringing an editorial place of check out to my perform in a multi-brand name luxurious retailer, seeing the merchants and on-line as venues for each material and curation.

Bergdorf Goodman was established in 1899 and Neiman Marcus in 1907. I’m curious what the function of Vogue Director involves for you, and if you acquire the shops’ histories into account when updating them with clothes designed for the fashionable period?

I am pushed by curiosity and am generally on the hunt for new and building brands that I experience will resonate with and excite our buyers. A major aim for me is the curation and manufacturer assortments in the suppliers, as perfectly as performing with all of the merchant groups on their respective buys—helping to guidebook them in accordance to establishing important things and trends, the shifting behaviors and pursuits reflected in our customers’ wants, and more clarifying our brand name place of see and style management throughout the firm. Each Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman are distinct brand names with identities and histories that advise shop presentation, brands, and buyers, and we are viewing additional and a lot more buyer intersection and alignment in just the Neiman Marcus Team as a full. With Bergdorf Goodman in New York City and Neiman Marcus shops throughout the country, we curate distinctive details of check out, environments, and merchandise assortments that very best reflect the local consumer and their lifestyles and pursuits.

What is B. Store, and what will make it particular in the context of men’s retail? What are some of your most loved pieces this time in the shop?

The B. Store is a multi-brand name, blended-products store thought that I arrived up with to meet a need that I saw for a style-driven, wardrobe-centered specialty menswear presentation that focuses on elevated and interesting informal get the job done- and weekend-wear. I vacation very a bit and discovered quite a few brands specializing in an item or style, as nicely as some smaller sized designer models that I felt could be supplied this means and great importance when offered collectively, merchandised sort of as a person would prepare a closet. The arrangement helps tutorial prospects by producing their own appears and assists them obtain new favored parts. We’re in our 3rd yr in the retail outlet and continue on to have a sturdy presence on the internet. I interact in a ton of dialogue with buyers and followers on Instagram, so the on the internet shop is a good way to be capable to serve prospects all in excess of. I did a software of softly tie-dyed linen shirts, shorts, and chore jackets in shades of blue from Altea, a fantastic Italian manufacturer. I also just did a collaboration with Herschel Supply Co. on a line of six canvas and leather vacation pieces that I truly like a large amount. We normally get some terrific artisanal parts from Bode and a brand name called Write-up-Imperial that is built in Nigeria that are colorful, graphic, and truly enjoyable for the spring.

What do you look for in sourcing a new model for a keep? What do you glimpse for in paying for a new merchandise of outfits for by yourself?

I scour the marketplace frequently for items that I discover appealing, interesting, and refreshing and normally with an eye on our customers and their points of see, needs, and wishes. I have been in the menswear enterprise for really a extended time, so I believe in my instincts and intuition when I see a manufacturer or designer that sparks my desire. We are in these an expansively creative time in menswear, with so lots of fantastic collections to decide on from. For myself, I absolutely subscribe to the concept of acquiring a uniform, a signature design and style if you will. I have core pieces—certainly the chore jacket in all materials is in major rotation—that I blend and match routinely while also injecting new parts regularly to continue to keep items attention-grabbing. When seeing so significantly good menswear throughout our merchants it is extremely quick to embrace new parts to hold issues enjoyable and refreshing.

My model has certainly evolved over time. I totally have a uniform that is type of centered on a harmony of dressed-up and relaxed parts. I just about generally have on some sort of jacket, a button-front shirt, and broader legged khakis or denim. I like pieces that insert a small character to my instead standard combinations a shirt which is a bit outsized, a jacket with a element or refined style and design.

What are some things you can’t reside without? What are some wardrobe necessities just about every person really should have in his closet?

I have a deep appreciate for Italian foods so am normally making an attempt to manage my pasta consumption. I appreciate a chore jacket so really don’t truly truly feel total devoid of a person on most times. As significantly as wardrobe essentials, I am all for self-resolve, for carrying regardless of what would make 1 sense very best, most comfortable—whatever one’s drive is.

You’re just about to vacation for market place and vogue weeks abroad. Do you have a preferred position to vacation to?

I enjoy Copenhagen and am extremely thrilled to return in August. It’s an totally stunning city on the drinking water with incredible restaurants, variety and generous people, and every person bikes just about everywhere. It is often a wonderful encounter and I’ll be attending their vogue and marketplace months. At Neiman Marcus, we consistently glimpse to determine and cultivate associations with rising designers. We normally glimpse ahead to dealing with the creativeness, curating the very best of what we see and introducing new models to our clients.

Are there traits you’re seeing that display a change from pre-pandemic to the place we are now? In the wake of almost everything from economic downturn, to war, to business office needs, what are your predictions for exactly where men’s style is heading?

There has genuinely been a change with the return to in-shop procuring, with a aim on luxurious and dressing up, which include a spotlight on customized evening-don. At Neiman Marcus, we proceed to see strength in men’s, especially in our all set-to-dress in assortment and sneakers, which can be attributed to the return to in man or woman celebrations, functions, and journey. For these situations, buyers have a want to specific their personal fashion with new types. I absolutely see this desire to dress up to stick all over. Even as perform and workplace apparel keep on to chill out, we imagine there is a increasing want to dress in tailoring and accommodate separates basically because it feels superior.