Behind the scenes at iconic retailers like Nordstrom and Anthropologie is the work of Bagatelle International Inc., a multi-faceted design and manufacturing company with a global presence that delivers retailers long-term success built on the foundation of an over-50-year history. With offices in the United States, Canada and China, and employees and partners spanning borders from Italy, India and Bangladesh, Bagatelle International is a powerhouse revolutionizing fashion around the world.
The legacy behind the company, which has consistently provided fresh designs and high-quality products for top-tier retailers across North America, begins with one man:
The late Michael Litvack.
In 1968, Bagatelle International was founded in Montreal, Canada. However, it wasn’t until 1989 that Litvack made his initial imprint on the company, joining the team as a sales manager. Litvack quickly started buying up shares and through his innovative spirit and ever-evolving devotion to Bagatelle’s growth, and he eventually became the sole owner of the company. Litvack was more than a CEO; he was an innovative leader who immediately recognized that the apparel industry is a fast-paced, ever-changing beast. If you don’t change with the times, you will be forgotten.
In Litvack’s early years, Bagatelle International was a premier design house and manufacturer of genuine women’s leather apparel. Fast forward 50 years later and the company expanded from genuine leather to a strong portfolio of global brands covering every apparel category from knit and woven sportswear, and outerwear to denim and dresses.
To this day, the company remains family-owned under the leadership of Bagatelle International’s President, Jamie Litvack, son of the late Michael Litvack who took the reins of his father’s company in 2021 with the same ambition; To meet and beat customers’ expectations every day.
“Since I joined the company in 2010, my initiative was to drive the company’s transformation by expanding our product categories and growing our portfolio of brands,” explained Litvack. “This included Bagatelle taking on well-known licenses and acquiring different brands.”
Jamie Litvack credits his late father for just about everything he knows in the industry. “That includes everything in fashion and garment-making, but also operations, expectations and maintaining a high level of standard,” Litvack explained. “My father’s famous quote was always that we want to meet and beat our customer’s expectations. That’s what we do here day in and day out.”
Since the early days of his career, Jamie Litvack has demonstrated a strong understanding of the retail landscape and a vision for brand building. “What I quickly recognized is that there’s only so much leather that you could sell to department stores within a collection,” he said. “You have to think of how she dresses; she’s going to wear a T-shirt and jeans and maybe a leather jacket, but it’s hard to only wear head-to-toe leather.”
While head-to-toe leather is a major trend today, Litvack maintains a pulse of realism on what Bagatelle International’s demographic wears on the daily. Litvack’s vision was to build a portfolio of brands, each with its own DNA and unique identity, which can be curated to fill the white space of different departments and retailers.
“Bagatelle’s product categories are so wide that it offers the possibility for each retailer to carve out their own assortment and specifically talk to their consumers with products that are appealing to them.”
This strategy borrowed from direct-to-consumer businesses is responsible for the expansion of Bagatelle International, delivering the kind of brand growth Litvack envisioned back in 2010. Instrumental to Litvack’s overall growth vision are CFO Teddy Miller, COO Ramit Shakdher and EVP Adam Litvack, who spearhead strategic planning and the execution of long-term business goals.
Other key players are VP of Production Diane Eng, who has been with the company for over 25 years and is responsible for production and supply chain management. VP of Sales Liza Diamond is responsible for growth and business expansion.
Just as the late Michael Litvack envisioned, the Bagatelle International of today is still a family business with a strong executive team that Jamie Litvack counts on to support his vision and the significant growth Bagatelle International has seen post-pandemic. Litvack’s brother, Adam, is the EVP of e-commerce and marketing and spearheads the digital transformation of the company as a whole. Adam Litvack and his team exceed the needs of Bagatelle International’s online retailers by managing e-commerce, high-volume dropship fulfillment and logistics. He also overviews all digital marketing initiatives with Bagatelle International’s retail partners like Macy’s and Nordstrom, as well as our social media strategies working with influencers like Hannah Godwin, Nicole Williams and top models like Coco Rocha and Katrina Rusakova.
The beating heart of Bagatelle International is its New York City showroom. Here, design directors bustle from room to room, rack to rack and collaborate side-by-side with retail executives. Mannequins flaunt a rainbow array of leather coats from Avec Les Filles. Bagatelle Collection adorns walls with racks of on-trend jackets and elevated bottoms in any array of fabrications. Fashion buyers will walk in for a concept meeting, but a sparkle from the corner of the room will catch their eye…and what was originally supposed to be a concept meeting becomes a conversation about sequin jackets or metallic-sheened dresses that opens an entirely new horizon for the client. Fabrics are pulled, samples are touched and tried on and the buyers see with their own eyes what it looks like when a concept transforms from a sketch to the retail floor.
“They’re a kid in a candy shop,” Litvack said. “We develop and sample so much that every time they come back every four to six weeks, the showroom looks completely new and fresh, and there is a ton of excitement every time they come in.”
Under Litvack and VP of Operations Marie Josee Roy, who manages Product Development and Design, all Operations and HR, Bagatelle International’s creative team designs a product with lightning-swift turnaround time: in just two to three weeks, the team starts at the raw material itself. From there, they cultivate the product from scratch until the final, unique product stands on the showroom floor awaiting a customer presentation.
Ever in growth mode, the showroom is currently undergoing a full renovation process that will expand to different floors in the building. Each additional floor will be dedicated to a department and will support the specific services it offers for its roster of brands. Whether it’s a floor for the design team or a space devoted to production and fittings, organization in a dedicated workspace is key.
“We support our partners from the early stages of product development to the sales on their retail floor. Our job is not done until we make sure our goods are selling and our partners are successful. This is how we have been able to grow with each of our retailers season over season. We pride ourselves on that level of service and involvement.”
For a label like Avec Les Filles, brand identity is at the heart of the targeted consumers. Meaning “with the girls” in French, Avec Les Filles is all about women empowerment that will, according to their website, “strengthen the bonds between all women.” Self-expression through fun and contemporary garments blends sophistication into everyday style. Avec Les Filles’ Co-creative Directors, Sofia Wahlberg and Bradley Mounce are leading design initiatives from outerwear and sportswear to denim and the latest dress collection. Avec Les Filles is popular with influencers and gained a huge following amongst fashionistas who are looking for that “je ne sais quoi” retro vibe mixed with runway street style.
Bagatelle Collection also features even more categories with a modern twist for every fashion-minded career woman. What used to be a jacket label is now a full-scale sportswear brand that can be found at Bloomingdale’s, offering a range of sizes, styles and materials. From vegan leathers to mixed knits, cotton and tweeds, Bagatelle Collection blends practicality with style and embraces the many categories that Bagatelle International is known for.
Kathy Ireland, Bagatelle International’s latest luxury licensing partnership, collaborates with the company on the label in women’s apparel, coats, dresses and denim. Not only does Bagatelle have the license to Kathy Ireland’s brand, a self-made model-turned-billionaire mogul, but based on the huge success of the collection at HSN, they also have plans to bring her to all brick-and-mortar department stores and retailers in North America. It’s an exciting partnership that will open even more doors for Bagatelle’s network.
In the future, Litvack’s focus is on expanding the brands within existing product categories. In terms of new collaborations, a lot of conversation circulates around the licensing of Avec Les Filles for footwear and swimwear. In addition, Litvack and his team are starting a venture into a brand new category: menswear. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next move is.
For now, Bagatelle continues to be the powerhouse behind major, iconic retailers and brands across the country and, indeed, the world itself. With Michael Litvack’s legacy still leading the day-to-day, continued success, quality of service and innovation are guaranteed for any retailer seeking the Bagatelle experience.
Here’s to another 50 years.
