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Hirshleifer's: A Stylish Century

November 29, 2011

Marci, Lillian, Caryn, Lori, and Shelley Hirshleifer at the 100th anniversary event

	Humble roots: Hirshleifer’s in 1940

With its current generation, the key to Hirshleifer’s success is collaboration, says Caryn Hirshleifer, whose family’s Gold Coast namesake store recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. “The store is run by my sisters and me, with some guidance from our mother, and we operate by consensus. We each come with a different background and have our own areas of expertise.” Lauding each woman’s distinctive talents, Caryn, a former attorney, equally divides responsibilities with her sisters Lori, the Hirshleifer’s buyer and merchandiser, and Shelley, manager of operations.

Timed with the brand’s centennial, they launched Why Fashion Matters, a charitable initiative to give back to the community. “The milestone, to me, represents the triumph of industriousness, honesty, creativity, and decency in an industry that sometimes lacks those elements,” says Caryn. “I am proud of what we have accomplished and in the way we have conducted ourselves and our business.”

The store, originally opened by Jacob Hirshleifer as a fur salon at 25 Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn, is today operated by the family’s fifth generation. They have no plans of slowing down, with a 3,000-squarefoot expansion on the horizon for 2012. “We are always looking, thinking, analyzing, and planning,” says Caryn. “It is a never-ending labor of love.” Americana Manhasset, 2060 Northern Blvd., 516-627-3566

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC DIMOV/PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM (HIRSHLEIFER FAMILY)