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A spokesman for Sean John declined to comment. Attempts to reach Wichser were unsuccessful.
Wichser is believed to be the lead contender among a handful of candidates under
consideration, but no contract has been signed and a deal could still fall through,
sources said.
The position's exact title is unclear, since Combs is currently the founder and
chief executive. But Sean John is looking for a CEO-type, a position that
carries broader responsibilities than those held by Tweedy.
Since its 1998 launch, Sean John has grown from a T-shirts & jeans urban label
to a producer of highly regarded designer casual, luxury, and sportswear.
Combs was crowned men's designer of the year last June by the Council of Fashion
Designers of America, and plans a much anticipated launch of a women's clothing
line this winter.
Wichser is best known for running JA Apparel, which makes clothes under the Joseph
Abboud name, and for sparring with that company's founding designer. The designer,
Joseph Abboud, sued Wichser and former parent RCS MediaGroup for fraud and breach of
contract, but dropped the lawsuits when JA Apparel was sold last year to the private
equity firm J.W. Childs and Marty Staff, an apparel executive, who replaced Wichser
as chief executive.
Abboud last week said that he planned to resign from JA Apparel when his contract
expires in July.
Wichser's experience at Joseph Abboud, a maker of upscale men's apparel, is in line with
Sean John's new focus on blazers and button down shirts, as opposed to the baggy jeans
and sweatshirts that were once its hallmark.
In a sign of the new upscale image, Combs had initially tapped Max Wilson, who had overseen
the women's designer collection at Polo Ralph Lauren, to create the new line of women's
clothes for his company. Wilson resigned in April for health-related reasons, and was
replaced by Jenny La Fata, formerly creative director at La Rok, an apparel line owned
by Koral Industries.
Contract negotiations haven't always gone smoothly at Sean John. Last Spring, Combs was
set to appoint Susan Sokol head of it's women's apparel division, but the deal unraveled
at the last minute.
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