DAME'S NOT JAY-Z

LESSON : BE HUMBLE-












The way you treat people is the way you get treated.Nobody is checking for Dame

LESS THAN DASH-ING
FAILED VENTURES NOT FASHIONING DAMON IN MOGUL STYLE
By SUZANNE KAPNER


April 26, 2007 -- Would-be mogul Damon Dash is struggling to remake his business empire a year and a half after splitting with former Rocawear partner Jay-Z.
An analysis of Dash's various holdings, which range from fashion to entertainment, turns up more misses than hits.
Dash's CEO clothing line has yet to take off, reality TV show "Ultimate Hustler" aired for one season and bombed in the ratings, and his foray into Hollywood with the movies "State Property" and "The Woodsman" has not produced box office hits, though DVD sales have fared better.
Meanwhile, Dash has pulled the plug on his State Property sportswear line and fledgling record label Damon Dash Music Group, according to spokeswoman Amanda Silverman. "Music is not where the money is," she said.
While a line of designer clothing by wife Rachel Roy has garnered critical acclaim, and a higher profile after Roy appeared on "Oprah," it has yet to turn a profit.
Dash's biggest win so far has been Pro-Keds, a sneaker brand he licensed from Stride Rite in 2004 and which, according to industry estimates, has more than doubled sales in the past year to exceed $22 million.
"It's not that easy to hit a home run every time," said Izzy Ezrailson, a friend of Dash's, who operates a chain of specialty stores.
For someone who has prided himself on a lavish lifestyle that includes private jets and personal chefs, Dash's return to the "trenches," as one associate put it, is a dressing down of sorts.
Not that Dash is in the poor house - owning homes in New York and Los Angeles - but he is "flying first class these days, not by private plane," one friend said.
Even such a small degree of belt tightening as flying commercial must grate on Dash given the continued success of former partner Jay-Z, who recently sold the Rocawear clothing company to the Iconix Brand Group for $204 million and remains president of the successful Def Jam Recordings.
Nevertheless, those who know Dash say they are not counting him out. "I think he'll come back strong," said Billy Rudnick, of the Dr. Jay's retail chain, which is considering buying the CEO line, but waiting for Dash to make some adjustments, such as shrinking the logos "so they are not so in your face." Other retailers also said they are holding off on carrying the line to see how it evolves.
Marianne Tessler, whose resume includes stints at Nike and Givenchy, and who now oversees the apparel ventures as president of Damon Dash Enterprises, insists that all is going according to plan.
"When you launch, you have to adapt, but there are no disappointments," she said.
Tessler added that even though the CEO line is not expected to make money until the end of next year, Rachel Roy's collection should be profitable before then, and the Pro-Keds business is expected to continue growing with the addition of apparel this fall.
Dash, who once said his goal was to amass $1 billion, still has a way to go.

mixi.jp/home.pl
peacedenimco.com
peacedenimco.blogspot.com
us.cyworld.com/peacedenimco