Jeffrey Kalinsky

Jeffrey Kalinsky was born in 1962 in Charleston, South Carolina into a retail family. He started working at the family shoe store, Bob Ellis, after school and in the summer practically as soon as he could walk. After graduating from George Washington University, Jeffrey started his retail career as shoe manager of a Bonwit Teller outside of Philadelphia. After moving to New York City he worked at Donna Karan and Barney’s New York as a shoe buyer. In 1990 he moved to Atlanta to partner with his father and open a Bob Ellis shoe store. In 1994 Jeffrey expanded, opening Jeffrey, his multi designer boutique, followed by a Jil Sander store. He trains his employees in the art of personal service and requires them to attend Saturday-morning style clinics at the store, complete with a makeshift runway and models. After establishing Jeffrey Atlanta he moved to New York in 1999 and opened Jeffrey New York in the Meatpacking District in August 1999. Jeffrey New York was one of the first specialty stores to open in the rather isolated neighborhood on the lower west side of Manhattan. In August 2005 Kalinsky announced that Nordstrom had purchased 51% of his 2 door retail operation. Kalinsky was then appointed director of designer merchandising for Nordstrom which enables him to take his amazing talent to a whole new level. Both retailers are committed to making customer service a key selling point.