Damat
Anyone visiting Turkey would be hard-pressed not to get exposed to Damat.
The Istanbul-based company, which is part of Orka Holdings, was established in 2002 and now operates about 128 monobrand stores in 35 countries. Its claim to fame is its sharply priced menswear collections that run the gamut from traditional tailored clothing to sportswear, outerwear and furnishings.
With its base firmly established overseas, Damat has now set its sights on the U.S. and the brand will be showing its clothing, woven shirts, knitwear and topcoats at the Chicago Collective as part of the Stylistico multibrand showroom.
Damat prides itself on offering garments made from high-quality fabrics sourced from some of the world’s best mills including Loro Piana, Reda and Zegna. But its made-in-Turkey collection boasts a much lower price than many competitors with suits opening at around $895 and averaging around $1,000. Tuxedos retail for about $695 and fashion sport coats sell for $395, positioning Damat squarely in the opening price point luxury range.
A look from Damat.
Courtesy of Damat
The sharp pricing is made possible in part because in 2004, it opened its own factory, where it is able to manufacture 1,100 suits, 1,500 trousers and 4,500 shirts a day.
In addition to the Damat line, the company has Tween, a collection targeted to a younger, more-contemporary customer.
Jack Victor
Michael Handis has a rich legacy in menswear designer. Over the course of his career the designer, stylist and archivist has worked for brands including Kent & Curwen, Tommy Hilfiger, Simon Spurr Collections, Seven for All Mankind and Isaia.
Now Handis has quietly taken the reins as creative director of Jack Victor’s sportswear line, succeeding James Watson, who exited the brand in late 2024.
Although the 113-year-old Montreal-based Jack Victor is best known for its tailored clothing, its luxury sportswear has become a popular complement to the dressier offering. Handis said when joining last spring, he was tasked with “finding the correct voice for the sportswear division and how it can work in tandem with the tailoring. The true identity of this brand is sartorial, but a lot of the times, it’s the job of the sportswear and the brushstrokes that come from those garments that create the personality. We say often that the tailoring holds the sportswear up, but at the same time, the sportswear really can bring the tailoring into its next phase.”
Handis worked closely with the head of the company’s tailored clothing division to “extract” the colors and ideas from the suits and sport coats and apply it to the more-casual offering. And he also drew on the history of Jack Victor for inspiration.
The Jack Victor sportswear is designed to complement the tailored clothing.
Michael Handis
The company’s heritage working with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the country’s naval forces as well as the family’s ties to McGill University translated into pieces with military and uniform references. For example, there are merino wool knits with Milano stitching based on skiwear from the 1960s and ‘70s that can be worn under a jacket. And wool-cashmere sweatshirts based on military pieces from the ‘30s and ‘40s are also in the collection.
Since Jack Victor is leaning heavily into soft jersey jackets, the sportswear is intended to be a “soft component” to complement those pieces. “Not everyone wants to wear a poplin or traditional dress shirt underneath,” Handis said. “They love to wear something in merino or wool-silk with collars that can stand up to the lapels.”
Denim is also in the line, but in an elevated way such as a pintucked chambray tuxedo shirt or a cotton-cashmere shirt in a classic denim weave, along with a shawl cardigan that can double as a bomber jacket. Throughout the line, a V, intended as a nod to the company’s last name, is used as an accent on many of the pieces.
Kiwad
Aditi Tewari and Anurag Shrivastava are bringing a little taste of India to the U.S.
The founders of Kiwad, a Hindi word meaning ancient door, are introducing a collection intended to symbolize a passage into the traditional crafts of their home country. The duo, both of whom have engineering backgrounds, also creates Niiyaa women’s scarves, a line they launched in 2022.
Kiwad, their first foray into menswear, features handwoven cotton, wools, and linens crafted by artisans across India, where weaving is not just an occupation, but a way of life passed from generation to generation. Each piece is cut, stitched and embroidered by hand.
Kiwad’s menswear is produced by Indian artisans.
Courtesy of Kiwad
The fall collection includes long-sleeve cotton shirts that retail starting at $185, along with chore jackets and shirt jackets beginning at $465.
“We are committed to responsible luxury — working with natural, breathable fabrics and collaborating with artisans who are paid fair wages. Our processes minimize water, chemical, and carbon footprints, ensuring that what looks good also does good,” said Shrivastava.
The brand, which is based in Bangalore, is represented in the U.S. by Leary Forteau Agency. “The fall/winter 2026 collection positions Kiwad as a strong fit for premium independent menswear stores and select specialty retailers — particularly those seeking emerging brands with a distinct point of view grounded in authenticity, thoughtful construction and enduring relevance,” Forteau said.
A shirt from Kiwad.
Courtesy of Kiwad
Turtelson
Greg Oakley has always been an entrepreneur at heart. That was one of the reasons that he and his lifelong friend Chet Sikorsky decided to partner with Chris Knott on his fledgling cashmere sweater line 25 years ago. That single product ultimately grew to become the upscale lifestyle brand Peter Millar.
Over the years, Peter Millar became a fixture within the golf and luxury performance sportswear world, attracting the notice of Compagnie Financiere Richemont, which acquired the business in 2012.
By that time, Oakley and Sikorsky had exited, and once their non-competes expired, they decided to partner on a new golf lifestyle brand that they named Turtleson. Oakley had long been fascinated with turtles — known for their longevity and perseverance — and knew he wanted the reptile to represent this new brand.
They launched Turtleson in Bristol, Tenn., in 2012, and today, the brand offers a range of men’s and women’s polos, sport shirts, Ts, shorts, pants, hoodies, quarter-zips, sweaters, jackets, vests, coats, hats and bags that can be worn on the links or out to dinner.
Fresh off their visit at the PGA Show in Florida, the Turtleson team are hitting the Chicago Collective to showcase the more-lifestyle component of their brand. Chris Warren, the company’s vice president of sales and merchandising, said the theme of the fall season is to be “relaxed and refined at the same time.”
A look from Turtleson.
robert king photo
For Turtleson, that translates into a 100 percent merino wool sweater program that ranges from basics to more-fashion styles, along with 100 percent cashmere sweaters. Sport shirts in brushed cotton and twills in a rainbow of colors, quarter-zips, hoodies and crewnecks in a blend of natural and performance fabrics are also key to the assortment along with outerwear.
Warren said the outerwear pieces are built on the success of the company’s quilted vests and include quilted jackets as well as hybrid models that blend a polyester finish on the body with merino sleeves. Many of the pieces are water resistant or waterproof including an all-weather commuter model as well as car coats. Suede vests are also offered.
Turtleson also sells golf clothing.
robert king photo
Prices for the layering pieces range from $136 to $160, merino sweaters are $175 to $225, cashmeres start at $345 and outerwear opens at $175 and goes up to $895 for suede.
Citizens of Humanity
Best known as a premium women’s brand with its roots in denim, Citizens of Humanity has offered menswear since it was founded in 2003. But it wasn’t until recently that the Los Angeles-based company started to put a real spotlight on the guys.
Under chief executive officer Amy Williams, Citizens has significantly expanded its men’s offering for both its core label as well as its Agolde fashion brand. The menswear got a boost two years ago when Laura Pendergast, formerly with Off-White and Yeezy, joined Citizens to oversee and help accelerate the men’s business.
Online men’s sales increased nearly 40 percent last year, but “there are not as many points of sale as we would like,” Williams said. So the company will bring its core Citizens collection to the Chicago Collective in hopes of increasing its foothold among the specialty store community.
Citizens of Humanity is putting more of a focus on menswear.
Courtesy of Citizens of Humanity
Although jeans continue to be the anchor of the brand, the line has also increased its focus on sportswear in the fall season. Among the highlights are a suede jacket lined in shearling, lightweight plaid shirts, carpenter style shirt jackets, utility jackets with side entry pockets, fleece with polo-style collars and a range of rugby shirts.
A key fabric for the Citizens assortment is a cashmere denim that provides a soft hand and is used in a wide range of tops and bottoms. The cashmere is sourced from Mongolia and features 5.5 percent cashmere woven into the weft.
In jeans, a range of fits and washes is available including relaxed straight, models with workwear influences, and even a tropical denim for international customers and stores in warm-weather climates. The collection also features micro cord pants, an assortment of sateen pants and the Hopper denim jacket with a quilted lining and a corduroy collar.
Oncept
Created in 2021 at the height of the pandemic as a women’s shoe brand, Oncept quickly expanded into men’s sneakers and later women’s apparel.
New for fall 2026, Oncept is set to give buyers the first look at its debut men’s apparel range at the Chicago Collective this week. Core items in the range include several pairs of trousers in both wide-wale corduroy models and Japanese cotton as well as cashmere knits. Other standouts include Italian silk and cotton tailored shirts for a slightly more dressed-up look. Retail prices will range between $330 and $450.
According to Nick Lucio, who cofounded the brand with Megan Key Campos, the new men’s apparel offering is slightly more sophisticated than Oncept’s sportier women’s range.
A look at the debut men’s apparel collection from Oncept.
EVGENY POPOV
“We’re staying away from printed T-shirts and pieces that are too casual,” said Lucio, who also founded the footwear label Dolce Vita in 2001. “We are using mostly Japanese and Italian fabrics and are positioning the apparel as clothing that can be worn at the office, on a date or a weekend excursion. These types of versatile categories are what we really like.”
As for the footwear range, Lucio noted there will be colorway updates to the brand’s bestselling Fez and Toronto sneaker models, as well as its Phoenix and Osaka styles.
Oncept’s Fuji sneaker.
EVGENY POPOV
What’s more, the executive added that there are four new men’s shoe styles making their debut at Chicago. Among them are a low-profile sneaker with a crepe outsole, a soccer cleat-inspired sneaker, and a Western-inspired urban boot — the brand’s first foray into men’s boots. Retails range between $300 and $550.
Looking ahead, Lucio is optimistic about the brand’s growth trajectory. “We’re very fortunate,” he said. “We have incredible growth over the last year. As of now, Oncept is available in over 700 points of distribution across the United States, with a focus on boutiques, and we are working on expanding into Europe and Asia with some distributors in those regions.”
