Johnny Schwartz has fashion in his blood.
His father is the founder of ABS by Allen Schwartz, the womenswear brand that he founded in 1982 and sold to an investment firm last year. And his paternal grandmother operated The Town Shop on New York’s Long Island.
After graduating from Boston University with a degree in advertising, Johnny Schwartz cut his teeth at ABS as marketing director for four years. But it was during the pandemic that the Los Angeles native decided to branch out on his own and created Yony, a menswear brand that offers an updated take on classic American styles produced using sustainable materials and processes whenever possible.
As the brand explains on its website: “Yony exists to shift menswear to a more sophisticated look while creating the most transparent and ethical supply chain possible. Our clothing represents a refined take on Americana. Inspired by the ‘50s, we create clothing to modernize a look that is long lost. We challenge ourselves to design pieces that will last for years to come.”
The collection is cut, sewn, washed and dyed in L.A. from traceable fabrics that include organic cotton, twill, denim and wool.
Now in its third season, Yony, an English derivation of Schwartz’s first name in Hebrew, offers a wide assortment of styles and silhouettes such as an oversize wool herringbone coat that “screams old school,” he said, as well as a patchwork chore shirt, tailored flannels, suede shirt-jackets and cowboy embroidery. He also offered traditional suits for the first time this fall in a herringbone pattern with fully lined trousers.
Other key pieces include a British wool bomber with an elastic waistband and ribbed cuff, structured salvage denim jeans and a pintuck corduroy double-pleated pants and chore jacket that “you can beat the hell out of,” he said. There are also oversize waffle knit thermals, camp collar shirts, traditional oxford shirts with covered buttons, and jacquard cardigans that look like a grandfather would wear.
And then there’s what Schwartz calls the “showstopper,” matching ‘50s-inspired jacket and pants embellished with 46 patches inspired by Western movies.
Prices range from $55 for T-shirts and $175 to $315 for shirts, $275 to $325 for pants, $650 per piece for the patched Western-inspired pants and shirt and $1,350 for the herringbone overcoat.
The brand started out as direct-to-consumer only but it operates a store at 118 South La Brea Avenue in L.A. Schwartz said he initially took the space as a three-month pop-up, but it was so successful that it’s remained for more than two years.
Last fall, Saks Fifth Avenue and Farfetch picked up the collection as well, marking Yony’s entry into wholesale.
Going forward, Schwartz said he hopes to get his brand picked up by “top-tier e-commerce sites, sprinkled with the best stores in the country.” He believes that success will come from a two-pronged strategy of selling both wholesale and direct-to-consumer “so you’re not dependent on any one thing.”
Beyond that, he hopes to continue growing the brand organically and slowly expand its reach. “We’re going to keep telling our story — we don’t pay influencers or celebrities to wear our brand.”
He also has hopes of one day collaborating with some of the brands he most admires such as Ralph Lauren and Converse, “two staples of American fashion,” he said. And as an avid tennis player, he’d also like to one day work with Wilson. “I think that would be cool.”