|
|
Article: NEW OWNER ILYSE WILPON, ALONG WITH A SMALL BUT LOYAL TEAM, HOPES TO TURN BLUE DRAGON, A ONCE AILING PAJAMA AND SLIPPER COMPANY, INTO A SERIOUS FASHION PLAYER.
- Article from:
- Footwear News
- Article date:
- July 28, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Conde Nast Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
In January 2002, Ilyse Wilpon walked into Blue Dragon's shabby office on New York's Third Avenue. The carpet was stained, the paint was peeling and the 300-sq.-ft. space was crammed with Mandarin silk pajamas and slipper-like shoes. It was the shoes that caught Wilpon's attention.
"They had immensely attractive, intricate work, and I said, `This is the business. Get rid of the clothing,' " Wilpon said. She had been looking to buy a distressed company in 2002, when her friend, Richard Ortoli, told her about the financial problems he was having with Blue Dragon, a small apparel and accessories company he had started in 2000.
One month after Wilpon stepped ...