Neil Cole, a veteran of the fashion industry, entered the business in 1977 when he joined El Greco, Inc., a footwear company founded by his father, Charles Cole. While working in the family business, Mr. Cole attended Hofstra Law School and graduated in 1982. El Greco was a $3 million manufacturing company, but in 1979 it became one of the hottest junior shoe companies in the country after introducing a brand called Candie’s®. After law school, Mr. Cole contributed to the company’s increasing success through marketing and licensing, and eventually took the helm as president in 1983. By 1984, sales had grown to $130 million.

In 1985, Mr. Cole left El Greco to start his own business; a licensing company called New Retail Concepts. Using the Candie’s brand as a blueprint, Mr. Cole created the No Excuses brand to be licensed to jeanswear, footwear and accessories manufacturers. He created an off-beat advertising campaign that featured notorious personalities including Donna Rice and Marla Maples, and began to grow sales. By 1991, No Excuses had sales of over $100 million.