Brooks Brothers now generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue across more than 600 doors, its president and chief executive Ken Ohashi told FashionUnited in an interview published on 16 September 2026. The brand is opening nine new stores in 2026, and Ohashi said he expects about 40 more in the United States over the next five years.
The figure marks a turnaround for a business that was losing money and had just been through Chapter 11 when Ohashi was named president in September 2020. He added the chief executive title in early 2021. Brooks Brothers is owned by Catalyst Brands, the group formed in January 2025 when Sparc Group merged with JCPenney, and Ohashi said the brand keeps a great deal of autonomy inside it. In January 2026 he also took charge of Nautica, another Catalyst brand.
Suits as a choice, not a uniform
Ohashi said his first task was to reset what he called the brand's North Star, because Brooks Brothers had become narrowly tied to suits and ties. The company hired the designer Michael Bastian as creative director to build a broader lifestyle brand. Sportswear now accounts for nearly a third of sales. Ohashi described suiting as an intentional fashion choice for younger shoppers, and said the average customer age has fallen by about five years.
“We're not trying to invent a new Brooks Brothers.”
Ken Ohashi, president and chief executive, Brooks Brothers
Marketing has followed the same line. In March 2026 the brand launched a campaign called Make It Yours that featured tailored suits and oxford button-down shirts and cast figures including the actor Leslie Bibb, the comedian Alex Edelman and Nick Wooster. Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer at Catalyst Brands, told Retail Dive that women make up about 30% of the customer base and that the women's business had grown for five consecutive years.
Back on the runway
In September 2026 Brooks Brothers returned to New York Fashion Week for the first time since 2018. Its spring/summer 2027 show at Radio Park drew on archive pieces such as the oxford button-down and seersucker, and included a capsule made with the upcycling artist Jack Wooster.
The store network has also been reworked. The long-time flagship at 346 Madison Avenue closed during Ohashi's first year, and in 2025 the brand opened a new global flagship at 195 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Ohashi said the company would not open stores simply to reach a target number.
Other business lines
Brooks Brothers also runs a uniform business. United Airlines has put more than 54,000 employees in Brooks Brothers uniforms, according to FashionUnited. Ohashi named e-commerce and the loyalty program as future growth priorities.
What it means for tailoring buyers
The brand's growth has come from widening its range beyond suits rather than from suits alone, and its own figures show sportswear at close to a third of sales. Tailoring still leads its marketing, with the company pitching the suit to younger customers as something chosen rather than required. For buyers comparing American ready-to-wear with custom options, our guides to how a suit should fit and to English, Italian and American tailoring set out what to look for.
