[1] The Abbouds were a working-class Lebanese Maronite Catholic family that started out in the South End of Boston, and later moved to Roslindale.
[2] While in high school, he worked first for Thom McAn dyeing women's shoes and then the Anderson-Little men's store, where he sold suits.
[4] In 1988, JA Apparel was created as a joint venture between Abboud and GFT (Gruppo Finanziario Tessile) US.
Many of Abboud's famous friends are also his customers, including American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, author and former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw, and former Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.
[10] In 2010, Abboud became the chief creative officer of HMX, owner of the Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman brands.
[13] After getting back the legal right to his brand in 2013, Abboud set up e-commerce, opened a Madison Avenue flagship store and produced full-scale fashion shows.
In turn, Tailored Brands entered into a licensing agreement with WHP Global for the continuing rights to sell and rent Joseph Abboud apparel and selected accessories in the U.S. and Canada.
He also writes about some of the negative experiences that he has endured such as racial profiling after the September 11 attacks, a court battle over legal rights to his name, and a failed flagship store that is now occupied by Donna Karan.
[19] In 2002, he was the first fashion designer to throw out the opening pitch at Boston's Fenway Park for a Red Sox game.