NEW YORK, Mar 19, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Liz Claiborne Inc.
(NYSE: LIZ) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Kellwood's
Halmode division to license women's dresses and suits, including special
occasion, bridal, mother of the bride, and dresses with coordinating jackets
under the Liz Claiborne, Liz Claiborne Woman and Liz Claiborne Petites labels.
Not included in the agreement are dresses sold as part of the Liz Claiborne
Collection, Lizsport, Lizwear, Liz & Co. and Liz Claiborne Woman sportswear
lines.
The line of dresses will be launched to the trade this month and available in
stores beginning Fall 2003. The initial collection of suits will be launched to
the trade in August 2003 and in stores beginning in Spring 2004. The current
license with The Leslie Fay Company, Inc. will end June 30, 2003.
Commenting on the announcement, Barbara J. Friedman, president of Licensing for
Liz Claiborne Inc., said, "Dresses and suits are an important segment of women's
apparel and Kellwood has shown considerable success in building this aspect of
their business. Our companies share a dedication to superior style, quality and
value and we are confident that this new collection will please the Liz
Claiborne consumer as well as give her more options with the addition of suits.
The decision to end our license with The Leslie Fay Company was a mutual one and
we thank our friends there for a fruitful and enjoyable partnership over these
last few years."
W. John Short, chief executive officer of The Leslie Fay Company, Inc., stated,
"We are pleased by what we were able to accomplish for this collection. The
transfer of this license to Kellwood will allow us to focus on developing and
extending our proprietary brands. We will work closely with Liz Claiborne and
Kellwood through the transition to ensure continuity and an uninterrupted
merchandise flow."
Stephen L. Ruzow, president of Kellwood Womenswear, stated, "We believe this new
venture is a tremendous opportunity for Halmode and Liz Claiborne. Liz Claiborne
is the number one consumer-recognized brand. Teamed with Kellwood's management,
sourcing, and design capabilities, this powerful combination clearly solidifies
our position of being the category leader for better suits and dresses. We are
in the process of assembling a world-class management and design team -- the
best in the business -- to spearhead the Liz Claiborne Dress and Suit division."
With a successful background of over 15 years in women's better suits, Denise
Miller will lead the Liz Claiborne Dress and Suit division as president. She
most recently was division head of Sag Harbor Suits for Halmode. Miller reports
to Jay Diamond, Halmode chief executive officer, and Bea Myerson, Halmode
president.
Liz Claiborne Inc. designs and markets an extensive range of fashion apparel and
accessories for women, men, teens, children and infants. The Company also
markets fragrances for women and men. The 30 brands in the Liz Claiborne Inc.
portfolio are available at more than 26,000 points of sale worldwide. For more
information, visit www.lizclaiborne.com .
Halmode, the leading marketer of dresses in America, is a Kellwood company.
Celebrating over 40 years of value, fashion and diversity, Kellwood is a $2.2
billion marketer of apparel and consumer soft goods. The Company specializes in
branded as well as private label products, and markets to all channels of
distribution with product specific to a particular channel. For more
information, visit www.kellwood.com .
SOURCE Liz Claiborne Inc.
