Profile: Von Schroeder ’01 Creates Exclusive Menswear
by Robert S. Benchley
As a goalkeeper, he played professional soccer on three continents. As an attorney, he fought for social justice in the courts. Now Craig Arthur von Schroeder ’01 is five years into a third career as founder of Commonwealth Proper of Philadelphia, selling both ready-to-wear and custom-made clothing to “the new American gentleman who wants a little bit of an edge.”
Von Schroeder, a government and law graduate, was starting goalie on coach Tim Lenahan’s Patriot League championship team. As a senior, he received the Class of 1913 Trophy, presented annually to the College’s best male and female student-athletes. He takes his College connection seriously, and likes to give back.
“Lafayette prepared me for the rest of my life,” he says. “I’ve sponsored Lafayette interns in both my law practice and my clothing business, and I always take calls from Lafayette grads.”
The company has garnered media attention from Esquire and Elle, as well as local CBS and Fox affiliates. In July, it won in the Made-to-Measure category in the Best of Philadelphia Style competition. The showroom on Rittenhouse Square offers stylish garments.
“Our made-to-measure clothing begins with basic patterns that we customize,” he says. “Then our tailors make the garment, which takes three to four weeks.”
He began studying the garment trade while earning a J.D. at Rutgers. “I’m the creative director; a sense of styling is what I bring to the company,” he says. The business savvy comes from his investors and advisers, including Lafayette soccer teammate Matthew Hoffman ’01, an analyst at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong.
Female fans have asked for a similar line for women. Although von Schroeder has not made a decision, he gets expert advice from his fiancée, Rhonda Clark Carlson, an interior designer.