Donny Borsack: How one family introduced luxury to Las Vegas
Editor’s Note: Robin Leach is working from the cooler climes of La Jolla near San Diego for the remainder of this hot and thunderstorm-ing month in advance of our newly designed website launching shortly. We’ll continue with our guest columnists until his return for Labor Day Weekend.
Today, one of our guest columns is by Donny Borsack about Thursday’s launch of his family’s Alex and Ani at Fashion Show mall. Alex and Ani creates meaningful, eco-conscious jewelry to empower and connect humanity and has raised more than $34 million through their collection Charity by Design.
The opening will permit guests to shop for a cause, with proceeds benefiting Grant a Gift for Autism. Chef Johnny Church will provide local farm-to-table hors d’oeuvres. Donny’s family has been involved in the Las Vegas retail industry since 1936 when his grandparents opened an electronics and appliance store Downtown.
Our other guest column is by another longtime Las Vegas resident, Tim Haughinberry, who runs Back Bar USA. First up is Donny, Bribor LLC managing partner:
By Donny Borsack
My family has seen the Las Vegas community grow before our eyes. Buildings have gone up, come down, and in that same space, a new concept is born. So many changes have happened through the years, but the spirit of this city is just as remarkable as the day my grandparents arrived in 1910.
They opened an appliance and electronics store in 1936 off Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. It was next to El Portal Theater, which was the first air-conditioned building in Las Vegas. Their business started off well, but during World War II, different metals and materials became scarce. In an effort to diversify selections and offerings, my grandmother would travel to California to get leather goods and trunks, and thus El Portal Group was born.
Transitioning into the luggage business, we quickly noticed that people would shop only once every seven years. We had to do something to drive more frequency and female shoppers into our stores, so I persuaded my father to hire a handbag buyer. My father’s creative vision took it one step further, and he created “shop in shops” and boutiques under one roof.
Some of the luxury brands we introduced to the Las Vegas market included Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, Fendi and Polo Ralph Lauren, among others. My father, “Mr. B.,” used to tell me, “one handbag or piece of jewelry sold by someone else is one less that you will sell.” I’ve carried this with me because it’s kept me always thinking competitively.
The way I see it, Las Vegas retailers are like no other. We have to be as diverse as the community in which we reside. We are not just in the retail industry; we also are in entertainment. We have to outshine the competition from gaming, shows, restaurants, clubs, sinking ships, volcanoes and other tourist attractions. No other street in the world has as many options as we do in three to four lineal miles like Las Vegas Boulevard.
In 2000, I sold El Portal Group and started Bribor LLC. The lessons and work ethic instilled by my family led me to own and operate three national brands: Pandora, Alex and Ani and Brighton Collectibles. There are eight Pandora stores, five Alex and Ani stores and 10 Brighton stores in the Las Vegas market.
Pandora came to the United States as a small Danish jewelry company and is now the largest jewelry brand in the world known for high standards, craftsmanship, quality and design. We introduced Pandora to Las Vegas and the western U.S., as its affordable luxury filled a perfect niche in the jewelry market. Pandora’s customizable charm bracelets and matching line of rings, earrings and necklaces are all handcrafted from 14-karat gold and sterling silver.
Alex and Ani is a great eco-conscious brand made in the U.S. with appealing price points, meaningful designs and a committed clientele base. Much like my own personal passion, their goal is to empower individuals to strive for the well-being of our planet and communities and their individual paths.
Be sure to check out our other guest column today from Las Vegas resident Tim Haughinberry, who runs the successful Back Bar USA operation. Robin also has an eye-popping look at superstar singer Mariah Carey’s new photos for her return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.