{"73086":{"#nid":"73086","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumni Spotlight:  Evan Toporek, a third-generation apparel executive, is CEO of Alternative Apparel","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA\nthird-generation apparel executive, Evan Toporek, 1993 IE, is the CEO, partner,\nand member of the Board of Directors for Alternative Apparel, a leading\nlifestyle apparel brand that specializes in casual clothing for young men and\nwomen.\u0026nbsp; At Alternative Apparel, Toporek is responsible for establishing the\ncompany\u2019s long-term business strategy and overseeing the execution of its core\nbusiness functions including marketing, global distribution, customer service,\nand information systems. Since joining Alternative in 1998, he has led the\ncompany through aggressive revenue earnings and employee growth while\nmaintaining a focus on his core values: \u201cTreat everyone with respect. Don\u2019t cut\ncorners. And keep things in perspective.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToporek has worked hard to propel the company from a blank tee shirt\nmanufacturer to one of the world\u2019s fastest growing young contemporary lifestyle\nbrands, with a growing roster of retailers in over 120 countries.\u0026nbsp; Under\nToporek\u2019s leadership, Alternative has garnered recognition from Inc. magazine\nas one of the \u201c500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America,\u201d received a\nprestigious 2009 Apparel All-Star Award and, most recently, was named one of\nGeorgia\u2019s \u201c20 Fastest-Growing Mid-Market Companies\u201d by Georgia Trend magazine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: How did you end up in the fashion\nindustry?\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: My father and grandfather were in the industry, but I didn\u2019t necessarily\nsee myself following suit.\u0026nbsp; I worked for Andersen Consulting for five\nyears after graduating and learned a great deal.\u0026nbsp; In my heart, though, I\nwas more of an entrepreneur.\u0026nbsp; So I left to buy into Alternative and\npartner with the founder who had started the brand a year or so earlier.\u0026nbsp;\nWe were introduced by a mutual friend.\u0026nbsp; At the time, 1998, all of the\nother entrepreneurs were seemingly starting or joining startup \u201c.coms.\u201d\u0026nbsp; I\nwas old school, I guess.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to make and sell something\ntangible.\u0026nbsp; Something you could try on and get immediate\nsatisfaction.\u0026nbsp; Something accessible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: How would you describe your sense\nof style?\u0026nbsp; How would you describe Alternative Apparel\u2019s sense of style?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: I\u2019m casual.\u0026nbsp; I\u2019m not a very corporate person and I don\u2019t dress\ncorporately.\u0026nbsp; I own a suit or two, but reserve those for funerals and\nreally, really special occasions.\u0026nbsp; I\u2019m no fashionista but I appreciate\nquality, something that fits right, feels good, and looks a little different.\u0026nbsp;\nI don\u2019t believe cloning is a good thing when it comes to fashion.\u0026nbsp;\nAlternative is a casual, fashion basics line.\u0026nbsp; I think our greatest\nproduct quality is softness.\u0026nbsp; Everything we make is washed and softened so\nthat it feels like you\u2019ve owned it for many years.\u0026nbsp; It\u2019s vintage\ninspired.\u0026nbsp; We draw inspiration from styles that were cool years ago and\nbring them back to life.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: Tell me about Alternative\nApparel\u2019s sustainability mission.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Around forty percent of our products fall under a sub brand called\nAlternative Earth, our eco-friendly line.\u0026nbsp; We broke down the manufacturing\nprocess and made small changes that we feel make a big difference in protecting\nour environment.\u0026nbsp; We use organic cotton, recycled polyester, low impact\ngarment dyes, we re-use water in the washing process, but it still has a great\nwide color assortment and feels as soft as everything else we sell.\u0026nbsp; Our\neco-friendly garments are certified as such and we perform random audits of our\nfactories to guarantee this.\u0026nbsp; In our offices, showrooms, and our store, we\nuse found objects from flea markets and bring them back to life as fixtures and\ninterior decoration.\u0026nbsp; Someone else\u2019s trash is our treasure.\u0026nbsp; These\nare small things that can make a big difference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: How do you apply your industrial\nengineering skills to your role at Alternative Apparel?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Specifically, I can certainly handle the details of any conversation\nrelated to warehousing, supply chain management, and information systems.\u0026nbsp;\nI\u2019m not using the formulas I learned, but Tech taught me how to solve problems\nand I use that skill every single day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: Do you think your IE degree has\ncontributed to your success?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Without question.\u0026nbsp; Not because of the formulas that I learned, but\nbecause of the problem solving skills that became ingrained and second nature\nto me.\u0026nbsp; Most entrepreneurs live and die by what I call \u201csticky note\u201d\nsolutions.\u0026nbsp; They might get you through the day or week but you\u2019ll be\nripping another sticky note off the pad sooner than later.\u0026nbsp; I think the\ntraining I got at Tech has helped me create solutions in all areas of our\ncompany, from end to end, that are far longer lasting.\u0026nbsp; And most of them\ntie back to systems.\u0026nbsp; Tech introduced me to the power of information\nsystems.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nISyE: What prompted you to get a degree in industrial engineering?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: It was an engineering degree which I coveted, and a degree in industrial\nengineering was open ended and was applicable to many roles in many\nindustries.\u0026nbsp; Heck, there are plenty of doctors and lawyers out there with\nIE degrees.\u0026nbsp; It established the foundation but didn\u2019t pigeon hole\nme.\u0026nbsp; It got me ready for the real world, but allowed me to defer the\ndecision of choosing what I wanted to do next.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to get out and\nwork and I didn\u2019t want to go to graduate school.\u0026nbsp; I\u2019m not sure there is another\ndegree at any other institution that prepares you better to enter the workforce\nstraight out of college.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: What advice do you have for\nstudents of ISyE?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Try to relate your class work to real life experience.\u0026nbsp; I worked in a\nwarehouse every summer in high school and got to know the business pretty\nwell.\u0026nbsp; I always tried to relate my IE class work back to that business the\nbest I could.\u0026nbsp; Connecting book examples to real world examples helped me\ngrasp the concepts.\u0026nbsp; Take advantage of the Senior Design projects, Co-op,\nand summer internships to match class work with job work where you can.\u0026nbsp;\nAlso, take a sales job at some point in school.\u0026nbsp; Sell something door to\ndoor.\u0026nbsp; Wrapping paper.\u0026nbsp; Tee shirts.\u0026nbsp; Whatever.\u0026nbsp; Sales -\nit\u2019s the one skill that I don\u2019t think can be learned in a class, but it is\nabsolutely critical in work.\u0026nbsp; Whether you are selling your products to a\ncustomer, or selling an idea to a co-worker or a boss, it\u2019s as important as any\nother skill you can acquire.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: What is the most important thing\nyou learned while at ISyE?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003EET: I learned that there is a science involved in decision making.\u0026nbsp; I\nlearned that you can make smarter decisions with factual evidence when it\u2019s\navailable.\u0026nbsp; I learned how to get to that evidence in school.\u0026nbsp; I use\nthat skill every day.\u0026nbsp; Trusting your gut is important when no information\nis available, but confirming your gut feel with information gives you a far\nbetter chance of doing something right.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: Is there any one person who has\nbeen an inspiration to you?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Not one person in particular.\u0026nbsp; I try to take a little bit of what I\nlike from many people and use it myself.\u0026nbsp; I draw inspiration from my\nfamily though.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; My wife, my parents, my siblings\u2026they all give me\nfar more confidence than I would have on my own.\u0026nbsp; In many ways, my drive has\ncome from wanting to make those I\u2019m closest with proud of me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: What is the best advice you have\nreceived?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Customer experience is just as important as product differentiation. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: Can you tell us one interesting\nthing about yourself, that you don\u2019t mind me sharing with the rest of the\nworld?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: I eat a mountain of ice cream every night\u2026every single night.\u0026nbsp; I\u2019m\nconvinced it keeps me thin.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps I should start a new diet craze?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: What is your favorite flavor?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Edy\u2019s Grand Rocky Road.\u0026nbsp; Definitely.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE: What would you be doing if you weren\u2019t\ndoing what you are doing?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nET: Something in Sports Management.\u0026nbsp; D-Rad, keep me in mind one day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about\nAlternative Apparel, visit their website at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.alternativeapparel.com\/\u0022\u003Ewww.alternativeapparel.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Follow them on Facebook at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alternativeapparel\u0022\u003Ewww.facebook.com\/alternativeapparel\u003C\/a\u003E\nand on Twitter at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/alternativeapp\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/alternativeapp\u003C\/a\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEvan Toporek, 1993 IE, is the CEO, partner,\nand member of the Board of Directors for Alternative Apparel, a leading\nlifestyle apparel brand that specializes in casual clothing for young men and\nwomen.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27511","created_gmt":"2011-11-29 09:29:09","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:42","author":"Ashley Daniel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73087":{"id":"73087","type":"image","title":"Evan Toporek, CEO of Alternative Apparel","body":null,"created":"1449177979","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:26:19","changed":"1475894671","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:31","alt":"Evan Toporek, CEO of Alternative Apparel","file":{"fid":"193728","name":"evan2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/evan2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/evan2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5914163,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/evan2_0.jpg?itok=GKREdgoj"}}},"media_ids":["73087"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"15167","name":"Alternative Apparel"},{"id":"15166","name":"Evan Toporek"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"1202","name":"H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:barbara.christopher@isye.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBarbara Christopher\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIndustrial and Systems Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404.385.3102\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}