One Step Up is a global wholesale manufacturer that owns and licenses a diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands for women, men, and children. Built on three generations of expertise and a relentless drive to innovate, we deliver fashion-forward style to millions of customers worldwide.
One Step Up is a global wholesale manufacturer that owns and licenses a diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands for women, men, and children. Built on three generations of expertise and a relentless drive to innovate, we deliver fashion-forward style to millions of customers worldwide.
For more than forty years, our success has rested on three enduring pillars,
For more than forty years, our success has rested on three enduring pillars,
Creativity
Collaboration
Craftmanship
At the center of the business is the close partnership between our design and product development teams, whose shared vision and attention to detail bring inspired ideas to life and yield products of genuine quality and exceptional value.
At the center of the business is the close partnership between our design and product development teams, whose shared vision and attention to detail bring inspired ideas to life and yield products of genuine quality and exceptional value.
Our Values
Our Values
Passion
We do what we love with people that we love
Creativity
We cultivate curiosity and seek knowledge to inspire
Community
We know we are
stronger together
Integrity
We act because it is right,
not because it is easy
We act because it is right, not because it is easy
Honesty
We commit to speak and act with truth and transparency
Perseverance
We learn, we grow, we adapt,
we push, we rise, we deliver
We learn, we grow, we adapt, we push, we rise,
we deliver
Passion
We do what we love with people that we love
Community
We know we are
stronger together
Integrity
We act because it is right, not because it is easy
Honesty
We commit to speak and act with truth and transparency
Creativity
We cultivate curiosity and seek knowledge to inspire
Perseverance
We learn, we grow, we adapt,
we push, we rise, we deliver
Our Humble Beginnings
Our Humble Beginnings
1900s
Amin Adjmi was born. June 1, 1907
Before the empire, there was a boy in Aleppo. In a Syrian city that had traded silk and spice for centuries, Amin Adjmi was born into a family of merchants. He didn't know it yet, but the ancient trade routes of Aleppo had already written his destiny.
The world was about to change, and so was he.
1910s
At 11, Amin crossed an ocean
Arriving at Ellis Island, Amin stepped off a boat in 1918 onto the Lower East Side as World War I drew its last breath, brought over by older brothers who largely left him to fend for himself. No English. No map. No safety net. The streets were rough, the hunger was real, and the fire it lit would never go out.
But a hungry boy with nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind of dreamer.
1920s
He didn't wait for an opportunity. He walked to it, every single day
From the Lower East Side to Coney Island on foot, pockets full of candy, a boy built his first business before most kids had finished school. He hired other boys, saved every penny, and by 1927 had married Claire Sultan at the peak of the roaring twenties.
Then the music stopped.
1930s
A decade of setbacks
The Great Depression swallowed his first fortune whole. So distrustful of banks after watching men jump from buildings, Amin buried $80,000 in a coffee tin in the backyard, only to dig it up years later and find the ants had eaten the cash. The bank salvaged $28,000 from the ruins. After 9 years of trying to have children, his wife Claire was unable to conceive. Amin dreamt of having kids and a family, parted mutually with Claire to build his dream.
Some men mourn what they've lost. Amin went looking for what came next.
1940s
Love at first sight
Amin Adjmi (38) met Lilian Akiva (17) at Grossinger's in the Catskills and drove up every single weekend that summer, flowers, candy, jewelry, dancing, until she said yes. They married in 1945 at the Aperion Manor in Brooklyn, honeymooned in Florida, moved into the Waldorf Astoria and spent time in a house they bought in Miami. While the world rebuilt after World War II, Amin rebuilt too, this time with a partner. Finally, came their firstborn, Frieda, with 10 more children to follow.
Their biggest dream had become a reality.
1950s
A factory full of dreams
Amin's plastics company was booming, making everything from shower curtains to doilies at his factory on West 30th Street. The family was growing fast, loud, and joyful. Then in 1959, an elderly secretary left a light on overnight. The factory burned to the ground. No insurance. Lilian panicked.
Amin looked at her and said: "Did the money make the man, or did the man make the money?"
1960s
Great Way Imports was born
One month by boat to Japan. No phone. No fax. Just instinct. Armed with a letter of credit from Bankers Trust, reportedly backed by nothing but his word, Amin sailed to Japan and bought factory overruns, shipping them back to New York. He set up fellow immigrants in their own stores, took back unsold goods after a year, and built a network of trust across the city.
1970s
The right place, at the right time
When Henry Kissinger flew secretly to Beijing in 1971, President Nixon followed in 1972, the world called it a historic breakthrough. Amin had been trading in China for years, living up to nine months at a time in China while Lilian took care of the home. Mid-decade, he pulled sons Harry and Alex out of school to show them the ropes. Lilian Adjmi passed away, far too soon, on Aug 30, 1981.
The man who had lost everything twice now faced a loss no fortune could replace.
1980s
One Step Up established, Jan 8 1983
Ronnie Adjmi, the baby of the family, was born exactly 20 years after his oldest sister, Frieda, turned out to be a merchandising savant. He knew what to buy, how to present it, and exactly how to sell it to the buyers. One Step Up took off almost immediately, riding a wave of red-hot junior sweaters straight onto Walmart's shelves.
But every founder has a moment when they need to hand the torch.
1990s
Harry Adjmi took the helm
Harry transformed One Step Up into a full-scale Junior, Missy, and Plus powerhouse. New categories. New buyers. New ambition. The company didn't just survive the transition; it accelerated through it.
A new decade was coming. And with it, a new kind of loss.
2000s
End of an era, beginning of a new one
Amin Adjmi passed away at the age of 95 on April 12, 2002. He had outlived two fortunes, one factory, and almost everyone who doubted him. The boy who arrived on the Lower East Side with nothing but a dream had built a family, a dynasty, and a philosophy that still runs through everything One Step Up does today. Amin’s life's work was helping people help themselves.
"Give a man a fish, and he eats that night; teach him to fish, and he eats for life."
2010s
One family. One mission
Under the guidance of Harry Adjmi, came his son, Ray Adjmi, his nephew Ames Tebele and Abie Sultan, One Step Up stepped into its global era, building and licensing brands across every lifestyle, every category, and every price point. From Amin's candy money to a worldwide supply chain spanning six continents, the story that started on a boat from Syria had become one of American fashion's most remarkable family dynasties.
And the best chapters? Still being written.
1900s
Amin Adjmi was born. June 1, 1907
Before the empire, there was a boy in Aleppo. In a Syrian city that had traded silk and spice for centuries, Amin Adjmi was born into a family of merchants. He didn't know it yet, but the ancient trade routes of Aleppo had already written his destiny.
The world was about to change, and so was he.
1910s
At 11, Amin crossed an ocean
Arriving at Ellis Island, Amin stepped off a boat in 1918 onto the Lower East Side as World War I drew its last breath, brought over by older brothers who largely left him to fend for himself. No English. No map. No safety net. The streets were rough, the hunger was real, and the fire it lit would never go out.
But a hungry boy with nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind of dreamer.
1920s
He didn't wait for an opportunity. He walked to it, every single day
From the Lower East Side to Coney Island on foot, pockets full of candy, a boy built his first business before most kids had finished school. He hired other boys, saved every penny, and by 1927 had married Claire Sultan at the peak of the roaring twenties.
Then the music stopped.
1930s
A decade of setbacks
The Great Depression swallowed his first fortune whole. So distrustful of banks after watching men jump from buildings, Amin buried $80,000 in a coffee tin in the backyard, only to dig it up years later and find the ants had eaten the cash. The bank salvaged $28,000 from the ruins. After 9 years of trying to have children, his wife Claire was unable to conceive. Amin dreamt of having kids and a family, parted mutually with Claire to build his dream.
Some men mourn what they've lost. Amin went looking for what came next.
1940s
Love at first sight
Amin Adjmi (38) met Lilian Akiva (17) at Grossinger's in the Catskills and drove up every single weekend that summer, flowers, candy, jewelry, dancing, until she said yes. They married in 1945 at the Aperion Manor in Brooklyn, honeymooned in Florida, moved into the Waldorf Astoria and spent time in a house they bought in Miami. While the world rebuilt after World War II, Amin rebuilt too, this time with a partner. Finally, came their firstborn, Frieda, with 10 more children to follow.
Their biggest dream had become a reality.
1950s
A factory full of dreams
Amin's plastics company was booming, making everything from shower curtains to doilies at his factory on West 30th Street. The family was growing fast, loud, and joyful. Then in 1959, an elderly secretary left a light on overnight. The factory burned to the ground. No insurance. Lilian panicked.
Amin looked at her and said: "Did the money make the man, or did the man make the money?"
1960s
Great Way Imports was born
One month by boat to Japan. No phone. No fax. Just instinct. Armed with a letter of credit from Bankers Trust, reportedly backed by nothing but his word, Amin sailed to Japan and bought factory overruns, shipping them back to New York. He set up fellow immigrants in their own stores, took back unsold goods after a year, and built a network of trust across the city.
1970s
The right place, at the right time
When Henry Kissinger flew secretly to Beijing in 1971, President Nixon followed in 1972, the world called it a historic breakthrough. Amin had been trading in China for years, living up to nine months at a time in China while Lilian took care of the home. Mid-decade, he pulled sons Harry and Alex out of school to show them the ropes. Lilian Adjmi passed away, far too soon, on Aug 30, 1981.
The man who had lost everything twice now faced a loss no fortune could replace.
1980s
One Step Up established, Jan 8 1983
Ronnie Adjmi, the baby of the family, was born exactly 20 years after his oldest sister, Frieda, turned out to be a merchandising savant. He knew what to buy, how to present it, and exactly how to sell it to the buyers. One Step Up took off almost immediately, riding a wave of red-hot junior sweaters straight onto Walmart's shelves.
But every founder has a moment when they need to hand the torch.
1990s
Harry Adjmi took the helm
Harry transformed One Step Up into a full-scale Junior, Missy, and Plus powerhouse. New categories. New buyers. New ambition. The company didn't just survive the transition; it accelerated through it.
A new decade was coming. And with it, a new kind of loss.
2000s
End of an era, beginning of a new one
Amin Adjmi passed away at the age of 95 on April 12, 2002. He had outlived two fortunes, one factory, and almost everyone who doubted him. The boy who arrived on the Lower East Side with nothing but a dream had built a family, a dynasty, and a philosophy that still runs through everything One Step Up does today. Amin’s life's work was helping people help themselves.
"Give a man a fish, and he eats that night; teach him to fish, and he eats for life."
2010s
One family. One mission
Under the guidance of Harry Adjmi, came his son, Ray Adjmi, his nephew Ames Tebele and Abie Sultan, One Step Up stepped into its global era, building and licensing brands across every lifestyle, every category, and every price point. From Amin's candy money to a worldwide supply chain spanning six continents, the story that started on a boat from Syria had become one of American fashion's most remarkable family dynasties.
And the best chapters? Still being written.
1900s
Amin Adjmi was born. June 1, 1907
Before the empire, there was a boy in Aleppo. In a Syrian city that had traded silk and spice for centuries, Amin Adjmi was born into a family of merchants. He didn't know it yet, but the ancient trade routes of Aleppo had already written his destiny.
The world was about to change, and so was he.
1910s
At 11, Amin crossed an ocean
Arriving at Ellis Island, Amin stepped off a boat in 1918 onto the Lower East Side as World War I drew its last breath, brought over by older brothers who largely left him to fend for himself. No English. No map. No safety net. The streets were rough, the hunger was real, and the fire it lit would never go out.
But a hungry boy with nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind of dreamer.
1920s
He didn't wait for an opportunity. He walked to it, every single day
From the Lower East Side to Coney Island on foot, pockets full of candy, a boy built his first business before most kids had finished school. He hired other boys, saved every penny, and by 1927 had married Claire Sultan at the peak of the roaring twenties.
Then the music stopped.
1930s
A decade of setbacks
The Great Depression swallowed his first fortune whole. So distrustful of banks after watching men jump from buildings, Amin buried $80,000 in a coffee tin in the backyard, only to dig it up years later and find the ants had eaten the cash. The bank salvaged $28,000 from the ruins. After 9 years of trying to have children, his wife Claire was unable to conceive. Amin dreamt of having kids and a family, parted mutually with Claire to build his dream.
Some men mourn what they've lost. Amin went looking for what came next.
1940s
Love at first sight
Amin Adjmi (38) met Lilian Akiva (17) at Grossinger's in the Catskills and drove up every single weekend that summer, flowers, candy, jewelry, dancing, until she said yes. They married in 1945 at the Aperion Manor in Brooklyn, honeymooned in Florida, moved into the Waldorf Astoria and spent time in a house they bought in Miami. While the world rebuilt after World War II, Amin rebuilt too, this time with a partner. Finally, came their firstborn, Frieda, with 10 more children to follow.
Their biggest dream had become a reality.
1950s
A factory full of dreams
Amin's plastics company was booming, making everything from shower curtains to doilies at his factory on West 30th Street. The family was growing fast, loud, and joyful. Then in 1959, an elderly secretary left a light on overnight. The factory burned to the ground. No insurance. Lilian panicked.
Amin looked at her and said: "Did the money make the man, or did the man make the money?"
1960s
Great Way Imports was born
One month by boat to Japan. No phone. No fax. Just instinct. Armed with a letter of credit from Bankers Trust, reportedly backed by nothing but his word, Amin sailed to Japan and bought factory overruns, shipping them back to New York. He set up fellow immigrants in their own stores, took back unsold goods after a year, and built a network of trust across the city.
1970s
The right place, at the right time
When Henry Kissinger flew secretly to Beijing in 1971, President Nixon followed in 1972, the world called it a historic breakthrough. Amin had been trading in China for years, living up to nine months at a time in China while Lilian took care of the home. Mid-decade, he pulled sons Harry and Alex out of school to show them the ropes. Lilian Adjmi passed away, far too soon, on Aug 30, 1981.
The man who had lost everything twice now faced a loss no fortune could replace.
1980s
One Step Up established, Jan 8 1983
Ronnie Adjmi, the baby of the family, was born exactly 20 years after his oldest sister, Frieda, turned out to be a merchandising savant. He knew what to buy, how to present it, and exactly how to sell it to the buyers. One Step Up took off almost immediately, riding a wave of red-hot junior sweaters straight onto Walmart's shelves.
But every founder has a moment when they need to hand the torch.
1990s
Harry Adjmi took the helm
Harry transformed One Step Up into a full-scale Junior, Missy, and Plus powerhouse. New categories. New buyers. New ambition. The company didn't just survive the transition; it accelerated through it.
A new decade was coming. And with it, a new kind of loss.
2000s
End of an era, beginning of a new one
Amin Adjmi passed away at the age of 95 on April 12, 2002. He had outlived two fortunes, one factory, and almost everyone who doubted him. The boy who arrived on the Lower East Side with nothing but a dream had built a family, a dynasty, and a philosophy that still runs through everything One Step Up does today. Amin’s life's work was helping people help themselves.
"Give a man a fish, and he eats that night; teach him to fish, and he eats for life."
2010s
One family. One mission
Under the guidance of Harry Adjmi, came his son, Ray Adjmi, his nephew Ames Tebele and Abie Sultan, One Step Up stepped into its global era, building and licensing brands across every lifestyle, every category, and every price point. From Amin's candy money to a worldwide supply chain spanning six continents, the story that started on a boat from Syria had become one of American fashion's most remarkable family dynasties.
And the best chapters? Still being written.
Founded in 1983 in New York's Garment District, One Step Up emerged from a bold ambition to redefine junior fashion. Drawing on years of expertise in global sourcing and international partnerships, Harry transformed a modest family enterprise into a dynamic, industry-leading organization, quickly capturing attention with its iconic junior sweaters. The company then expanded into new categories that resonated immediately and established us as a true trendsetter. Today, One Step Up stands as a leader in the North American apparel market. Rooted in quality, innovation, and Amin's enduring values of honesty and integrity, Presidents Ray Adjmi, Ames Tebele and Abie Sultan continues the family legacy, delivering accessible fashion and beloved brands to consumers around the world.
Tab 1 of 3: Offices & Fulfillment
Tab 1 of 3: Offices & Fulfillment
HARRY ADJMI, Chief Executive Officer
"Honesty, integrity, and community are at the forefront of One Step Up's core values. We are incredibly blessed to have served America's fashion needs for the last 40 years. Our mission has always been to deliver great products and unmatched quality. None of this is possible without the trust and support of our loyal partners, dedicated team, and valued customers. If you are new to One Step Up, we welcome you to our family and the bright future ahead."
HARRY ADJMI,
Chief Executive Officer
"Honesty, integrity, and community are at the forefront of One Step Up's core values. We are incredibly blessed to have served America's fashion needs for the last 40 years. Our mission has always been to deliver great products and unmatched quality. None of this is possible without the trust and support of our loyal partners, dedicated team, and valued customers. If you are new to One Step Up, we welcome you to our family and the bright future ahead."
RAY ADJMI, President
"I'm proud to lead the next chapter of a legacy built over four decades, carrying our heritage forward while boldly reimagining what comes next. My focus is on driving our brand portfolio, deepening our retail partnerships, and bringing modern technology and cutting-edge design into every step of how we create. Together, we're building on an extraordinary foundation to move faster, design smarter, and deliver better, always a step ahead in an ever-changing industry. For me, honoring the past and pioneering the future are one and the same mission. This is just the beginning."
RAY ADJMI,
President
"I'm proud to lead the next chapter of a legacy built over four decades, carrying our heritage forward while boldly reimagining what comes next. My focus is on driving our brand portfolio, deepening our retail partnerships, and bringing modern technology and cutting-edge design into every step of how we create. Together, we're building on an extraordinary foundation to move faster, design smarter, and deliver better, always a step ahead in an ever-changing industry. For me, honoring the past and pioneering the future are one and the same mission. This is just the beginning."
Philanthrophy
Philanthrophy
Giving back has always been at the heart of One Step Up, driven by our dedication to supporting those in need of financial, emotional, and spiritual care. We are proud to champion the causes and organizations closest to our family, because lifting up our community is the truest measure of our success.
Giving back has always been at the heart of One Step Up, driven by our dedication to supporting those in need of financial, emotional, and spiritual care. We are proud to champion the causes and organizations closest to our family, because lifting up our community is the truest measure of our success.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility
Every decision we make contributes to a more inclusive, thoughtful, and vibrant future. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards across our entire operation, and we're proud to share our safe, legal, ethical, and sustainable manufacturing certifications.
Every decision we make contributes to a more inclusive, thoughtful, and vibrant future. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards across our entire operation, and we're proud to share our safe, legal, ethical, and sustainable manufacturing certifications.
