Father and daughter well ‘suited’ to run long-time Hollywood business together
Ronni Coaches’ first day in June of 1974 at the Irving Berlin Casuals men’s clothing store on Hollywood Boulevard was a perfect fit. After all, she was practically raised at the store, which her father Lew Cohen opened in 1953.
“It wasn’t my intention to find a career here,” explained Ronni, sitting at a comfortable meeting table amid the racks of fine slacks and shirts. “I grew up as a little kid running around here with my sister, Shelley. On Father’s Day in 1974, that’s when I filled in for a guy who didn’t show up for work. I was living in Hollywood and had a commute to Miami working as an interior designer.”
That first day was magical. “I didn’t feel any anxiety, and by osmosis I had a natural affinity for the business,” said Ronni, 57. “And now, more than 30 years later, we rarely have disagreements or negative situations. Most of it is appealing and fun, and we socialize with our customers.”
Lew Cohen, 85, taught his daughter as much as he could over the last 30 years, and “now she’s pretty much teaching me,” Lew said with a laugh. “She is very dependable, knowledgeable and has an excellent reputation in the industry. My daughter does all the buying and directs the day-to-day business.”
The name Irving Berlin is quite recognizable, but there is no connection between the composer, Irving Berlin, and the South Florida clothier, Irving Berlin. The composer’s birth name was Israel Isidore Baline and he was born in Belarus in 1888, and died in 1962.
Irving Berlin, the clothing store owner, had a single Miami Beach location in the 1940s. Lew, who grew up in Philadelphia, joined the Navy in 1942 at the age of 20 and went to gunnery training near Hollywood. He served on a ship in the Mediterranean during World War II, and after the war came to Miami Beach for a vacation in September of 1946. He met a fellow who worked at the Irvin Berlin store, and soon after found a job.
“As a high school student I was a good dresser and liked the clothing business,” Cohen said. “The first store was on Lincoln Road and we had the best of everything. We opened this store in 1953 and it’s the only Irving Berlin store left. We’ve remodeled it twice since then, the last time about seven years ago. Back then a decent upscale suit cost $150. Now it’s $1,500.”
Cohen and Cohen still go on a buying excursion together, a once-a-year trip to Las Vegas. Ronni attends all the other shows in New York and in Europe, but says her father is still very much in tune with the business.
“Our clientele comes from as far away as South Africa and Australia, and every major city in the United States,” Ronni said. “We maintain correspondence with them and my father is very good at keeping up with the phone calls. His mind is sharp as a tack. He’s going to keep going like an Ever-Ready battery. He just got back from a trip to Buenos Aries with his girlfriend.” Lew went on the trip with Stephie, whom he lives with in Aventura. His wife and Ronni’s mother Arline died in 1988.
Treating customers with honesty and respect is a cornerstone of the Irving Berlin store. “You must retain customers have a business like an upscale men’s clothing store,” Ronni said. “My father is very honest and I’m very honest. I learned that from him. He also cares about people. You can’t give out bad advice. If a shirt or suit doesn’t work, you have to help the customer and get them into what works.”
Helping customers—and people in general—is a hallmark of the store. Ronni tells the story of a homeless man who was using outside water hose to clean up in the back lot of the store. “We told my dad and he said, ‘OK, I’ll take care of it,’ “ Ronni said. “He brought out soap, a towel and a clean shirt. That’s just his nature, very caring and considerate of others.”
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