Walk into Next at Beachwood Place any time of the day, any day of the week, and there is always a frenetic and vibrant energy swirling around the ever-present clusters of customers. These customers are not hurried or frazzled. Instead, they seem to be a part of the vibe and scene of the store itself, a place where service staff, clients and merchandise all co-exist in a separate world, tuned into a higher frequency of freshness and a lower temperature of cool.
Founded by Rob Rosenthal and Steve Silver 15 years ago, Next originally focused on the urban wear market, featuring brands like Sean John, Akademiks and Phat Farm. Chain stores targeting a younger demographic were closing. Rosenthal and Silver identified an opportunity in the market as well as the chance to work with an audience receptive to creativity.
“The first store was chaos,” says Rosenthal. “You can do a tremendous amount of planning, but there is no substitute for experience. Every day was a new challenge every problem was something that we never experienced. It was a real exploration of the unknown and we were just stupid enough to get through it.”
Citing the phrase “know what you do not know and then find those who do," Rosenthal and Silver played to their individual strengths and leveraged the expertise of those around them.
As the store and the streetwear movement evolved, skate wear-inspired fashion weaved its way into Next’s aesthetic. In their words, Next transformed from “urban to urbane” with a more stylish, refined and edgy look. 2006 saw the introduction of Billionaire Boys Club, Stussy, Prps, The Hundreds, 10 Deep and Crooks and Castle filling the shelves of Next Beachwood. And in 2009, Next opened its Coventry location.
Understanding its audience, update to the minute fashion and culture updates can be found at ruleofnext.com.
When ask how the industry has evolved for Next, Rosenthal explains, “the fashion business is a revolution. The only constant is change. Our mission is simple - reinvention is more important than success. That's how we approach every day and look at every opportunity.”
This principle has proven successful for Next stores and should guide them well as they embark on their next 15 years of “[putting] a fresh tee on everyone’s back and a crisp sneaker on everyone’s foot.”
To celebrate 15 years of keeping Cleveland on the cutting edge of street fashion, Next is running sales promotions November 8 through November 14. Nudie Denim, Diesel, G Star, Levi’s, Nike, Timberland, Penfield and others will be on sale all week long. Every $100 spent will receive a $15 gift card to use on a later purchase.
The highlight of the week is the party on Friday, November 12. Held at Club Fortress, DJ Steph Floss will provide the soundtrack to the festivities. Entry fee is $5 with all proceeds going to Cleveland Public Schools. Additional donations will be made based on turnout.
