“There is very little clothing that hasn’t been done before. It’s the little extras that make them special,” Perry Ellis told WWD in 1976. He proved this with cool, casual designs that refined American style, blending tradition with creative vision — and fun. Ellis’ collections offered a framework for the next wave of American design and the global acceptance of American sportswear .

In this article, taken from the pages of WWD, on March 21, 1978, Ellis expanded on his vision for the Perry Ellis brand.

NEW YORK — Perry Ellis’ office in 1411 Broadway is in the state of frenzy that usually precedes the opening of a fall collection. Telephones ring, questions are shouted over partitions and assistants rush in and out of the room. A multicolored clutter of sketches, jars of paint, swa

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