Ben McGuire was looking for a men’s clothing store with big city merchandise when he moved to
East Lansing from Chicago two years ago.
“I saw the billboards for
Kositchek’s and it just seemed like a place that specifically targeted quality menswear and business clothing,” says McGuire, a self-avowed wearer of suits for his post in state government. “My suspicions were confirmed the moment I stepped in the store.”
What McGuire found was a store that’s not afraid to step forward while staying firmly rooted in tradition. Just a block from the state Capitol on North Washington Square, Kositchek’s occupies the same modest storefront it has since the Civil War era.
And that, says owner David Kositchek, isn’t as much of a challenge as it seems.
“I probably have the nicest people in the world to work with me,” says Kositchek, who employs a half dozen staff, with tenures ranging from six to 35 years. “We really enjoy what we do and have fun with it.”
A Place to Call HomeOn a typical weekday, Kositchek’s opens onto a sidewalk filled with
Downtown workers. Some passers-by window shop, gazing at the well-appointed window displays beneath the mid-century façade.
Inside, the store assumes a living room atmosphere. A tiny plaid dog bed is wedged beneath a table of shirts and ties.
“That’s Austin’s,” says a store associate from behind a softly-lit concierge desk. “He’s out for the day.”
Austin is Kositchek’s 12-year-old miniature schnauzer. He’s often in the store to greet customers. And many bring him gifts, as evidenced by the fleece chew toy at the side of his bed.
The store is a carefully tended garden of attire. To the right is the largest selection of tailored suits in the state. To the left are circular racks of high-end and casual sportswear. Nearly 2,000 ties take center stage in a dazzle of color and pattern, making neckwear one of the store’s signature items.
Customers browse specialty areas for a complete shopping experience. East Coast shoe retailer
Johnston & Murphy leases space adjacent to Kositchek’s own full-service hair salon. And in the fall of 2008, Leon G. Jewelers moved from
Downtown East Lansing to set up shop between the casual and formal wear.
“It’s like being in a mini-department store,” says Gary Geisen, proprietor of Leon G Jewelers. “There’s such a wide base of customers who come here. It’s been a natural fit.”
Fine LinesKositchek’s strength rests in attention to detail, exceptional service and merchandise.
Fine clothing lines include
Canali,
Hart Schaffner & Marx,
Jack Victor,
Coppley and
Jhane Barnes. Jhane Barnes also crosses into the casual lines to join names like
Robert Graham,
Duchamp,
Eton,
Gardeur, Etro,
Bogosse and Agave. Other classic and casual badges on the racks are Peter Millar, Canali, St. Croix, Robert Talbott, Tommy Bahama, Nat Nast, Bills Khakis, Seven for Mankind and Jack of Spades.
That’s why, Kositchek says, a large percent of his customers drive in from across Michigan, or venture across state lines. Many, too, are individuals in early stages of their careers, looking for those first-impression interview suits, or for high-quality office wear.
“One of our growth areas is our Career Maker collection,” Kositcheck says. “We have a whole division dedicated to suits that a younger clientele can buy or afford.”
Career Maker lines start at $350, which includes tailoring. Other suits may start at more than $500, up to $1,000. And like all types of clothing carried in the store, Kositchek’s guarantees comfort with an exceptional fit.
“Custom-tailoring is a key element of our business,” says Kositchek. “A lot of gentlemen request custom-made suits and dress shirts. You pick out the fabric, we style it, we design it with you. In as little as 14 days, you can have it made for you.”
Kositchek says he and his staff constantly undergo education and training to stay up on clothing trends, styles and quality. Several times a year his team travels to New York and Chicago to select merchandise. They’re always on the lookout, he says, for the best quality at the best price.
“We edit the market for our customers, and put it all under one roof,” says Kosticheck, who attests his store will continue to have fresh, new, younger clothing. “We live and breathe our businesses on a daily basis.”
Family TraditionThat daily business has gone on for generations at the store, and for the 50-something Kositchek, since high school.
Kositchek grew up in the store. He and several members of his sales team worked side-by-side with his late grandfather, Louis, as well as his late father, Richard. His great grandfather, Henry Kositchek, immigrated to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia in the mid-1800s, setting up a merchant business in Eaton Rapids, Mich.
In 1865, the first generation Kositchek moved his store to its current location, and resided just around the corner on Capitol Ave., in a home built by Lansing architect Darius Moon.
As Kositchek reminisces, team member Matt McLeod points to a couple of family portraits and well-preserved articles and ads from times gone by. He pulls a framed black and white picture from a dressing room, and speculates on the age of the facade.
“We’ve grown up together,” says Kositchek, as he looks at the picture with McLeod. “It makes for a wonderful life.”
Lori Froh thinks so, too. She manages of the six-chair Johnston & Murphy area, right next to an in-store shoe shine stand. And she’s done so for 25 years.
“I fit shoes, I don’t sell shoes,” says Froh, who runs the only leased Johnston & Murphy shop in the United States. “And our service continues after the fit.”
Froh says it’s not unusual for her to fit shoes for the son or daughter of a previous customer.
“When you’re in one place for so long, you get to know your customers,” she says.
Smiling, Froh pulls out a pair of two-toned Italian Ferragamo shoes from behind the counter. She says they belonged to David’s dad, and that the family passed them on to her when he died. “They’re a perfect fit, just like everything here,” she says. “I guess you could say I’m walking in their shoes.”
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Ann Kammerer is an East Lansing-based freelance writer.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
Kositchek's downtown store and David Kositchek (lft) & Matt McLeod
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie