JUNIOR BEAT
BEACON HILL BEGINS: Beacon Hill U is a new sportswear collection aiming to inject the casual collegiate looks of the specialty chains into department stores.
The New York line, which ships Sept. 30, includes looks such as ring-spun denim shirts, cargo pants, plaid shirts, leather jackets, wool and wool blend sweaters, and knit tops.
Items include yarn-dyed plaid shirts wholesaling at $17.50, bootleg cargo pants at $20, fair isle wool sweaters at $34, tank tops at $7 and a leather peacoat at $135.
Showrooms are at 1466 Broadway, New York, and the California Mart in Los Angeles. There is also an office in Cincinnati.
Michele Schmalfuss is head designer.
The firm has several fixtures that may be used by department stores to create a branded image for the line, said president Akshaya Parker. The fixtures include a sweater table, a hang/fold fixture, two- and four-way T-stands, and a back-wall fixture. All fixtures are made of pale maple wood with brushed steel details.
Parker projected the firm will make between $5 and $7 million wholesale its first year. The parent company, Access Code, is based in New York and manufactures private label sportswear.
ILU DEVELOPS: Los Angeles sportswear manufacturer ILU is expanding its bottoms-driven line to include woven tops for fall.
Styles will include button-down shirts in stretch cotton and poplin, printed broadcloth tops and reversible satin and polyester blend tops.
Details will include three-quarter-length sleeves, French cuffs and notched collars. Wholesale prices range from $8.50 to $16. The first shipping is July 30.
The line is available through ILU’s Los Angeles showroom at 110 East 9th Street and its New York showroom at 1407 Broadway. The line is aimed at specialty and department stores.
MADDEN CHANGES: Richard Catalano, former president and chief executive officer of the Steve Madden Sportswear division of licensee Weiner Industries, has left to pursue other interests.
Lawrence Weiner has succeeded him as president. Weiner previously oversaw the private label division of the firm.
The sportswear division is now looking to expand and add additional management, according Michelyn Camen, Steve Madden’s vice president of marketing and licensing.