US Fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. has announced that it has purchased a majority interest in luxury specialty retailer Jeffrey.

Jeffrey Kalinsky, the founder of two successful luxury specialty stores, Jeffrey New York and Jeffrey Atlanta will become director of designer merchandising at Nordstrom and will continue to operate his Jeffrey stores as president and CEO. No further details about the agreement were disclosed.

Jeffrey Kalinsky started his retail career selling designer shoes at his

father's store, Bob Ellis, in Charleston, S.C. He opened Bob Ellis Shoes in

Atlanta in 1990, followed by Jeffrey Atlanta and a Jil Sander boutique in 1996.

In 1999, he opened Jeffrey New York. Kalinsky has worked for Bonwit Teller, Bergdorf Goodman, Donna Karan and Barneys New York.

Just Jeffrey, Inc. operates two luxury specialty stores, Jeffrey New York in New York City and Jeffrey Atlanta, in Atlanta, Ga. JSK Enterprises, Inc. runs a luxury footwear boutique, Bob Ellis, recently renamed Jeffrey in Atlanta, Ga.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 152 US stores located in 27 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, Nordstrom now operates 95 full-line stores, 49 Nordstrom Racks, five Faconnable boutiques, one free-standing shoe store, and two clearance stores. Nordstrom also operates 32 international Faconnable boutiques in Europe.