Brand News

Jockey expands with license

According to Licensemag, Jockey International signed a brand license with Komar Layering for men’s and women’s thermals and layering apparel.

Product will ship to stores in August 2012 for the fall shopping season.

Items planned for the collection include thermals, tops, leggings and modern silhouettes.

This pretty close to what Jockey manufactures and markets itself.

DeBeers sold, almost completely

As reported, among others by WWD, Anglo American bought the stake from the Oppenheimer family in DeBeers. Now Anglo American owns
85% of the diamond company.
As the Oppenheimer family owns shares in Anglo American, the family indirectly and partially still owns De Beers.

In recent years, DeBeers increased its consumer branding effort. It opened stores, went into a joint venture with LVMH and tried to become a luxury brand.

Fossil takes Karl Lagerfeld license

Fossil, Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Karl Lagerfeld to design, develop, and distribute a line of men’s and women’s timepieces under the Karl Lagerfeld label.

The first timepiece collection is scheduled to launch in spring 2013.

As genial as Karl Lagerfeld seems to be as a designer for Chanel and Fendi, besides perfume, not too many licensees were successful in the past.
Menswear licensee  ultimately failed after many years of losses. Then is was picked up again. But, the website, www.Karl-Lagerfeld.de, is dead. And even on his own site, KarlLagerfeld.com, nothing.

Association of German Luxury Industry

WWD reported here, that representatives of more than 40 German and international luxury brands launched the Meisterkreis – German Forum for Luxury, which joins the European Union’s four existing luxury associations.

Among the founding members are A. Lange & Söhne, Comtesse, KaDeWe, Leica, Gaggenau and the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin. International members include luxury brands Estée Lauder, Chanel and Dior. Some of those like Leica and Dior are already members of other European Luxury Associations, for example in France.