PEOPLE’S CHOICE: IN MEMORIAM

Raphael Shaya, the CEO and Head Designer of Raffi and patriarch of the Shaya Family, passed away on June 14^th 2023 at the age of 80. Born in Iraq, when he was 8 years old his family moved to Israel, where, like many in the menswear industry, he began his career by selling neckties. For more than 50 years, he and his wife, Arlette, built a successful business and a loving family. Full disclosure: I worked for Raffi as his Communications Director from 2000 to 2004. To prepare for this story, I took the Long Island Rail Road to Port Washington, New York, to Raffi’s headquarters and warehouse, where I caught up with his wife, Arlette, and his daughters, Limor, Shirley, and Kareen, all of whom are running this thriving business. The meeting was part interview and part family reunion, and I can tell you that they finished each other’s sentences, answered the questions, and operated almost as one mind. It was a gratifying opportunity to hear Raffi’s story and to see how the family is continuing to build his legacy.

“As a boy, he’d always been artistic and entrepreneurial,” says Arlette. “During his summer vacations, he delivered neckties and liked the business. After he finished his military service, he opened his own company, inviting the guy he used to work for to be his business partner. He purchased fabric in Europe and imported it to Israel, where he manufactured the ties and sold them to stores throughout the country.”

“We met when I was working as a travel agent. We got married, and I started working with him soon after. He decided that ties were not enough, so he ventured into the sweater business, expanding to include shirts, pants, and suits, all sourced from Europe and England. He also imported the Hom swimwear and underwear brand from France. We were a prominent wholesaler, and one of our customers mentioned that he had a son in the United States, suggesting that we introduce the Hom line to the U.S. market. So, we moved here and started that business.” In what those who knew him would call a classic Raffi story: “He went to the Macy’s buyer, who said ‘No,’ so Raffi said, “If I was your boss, I would fire you for not trying new things.’ So the buyer tried it and, of course, it sold very well.”

Eventually, Raffi launched his own swimwear and T-shirt collection, also with the help of business partners, and opened 90 department stores in the early 1980s. The problem was that Raffi was doing all the work, while the partners were doing very little. So, he and Arlette decided to launch their own collection.

The original article can be found in the July 2025 Issue of Mr. Mag, available here.