The jeans belts, to retail from $15 to $24, will consist of about a dozen items and are being introduced for spring. They are designed to work with denim apparel as well as other casual looks. Styles in the first group include a silver mesh belt with military buckle, a chain belt with miniature buckle and a rubber belt in black, white or clear.
SPADE STRIKES DEAL: New York-based handbag maker Kate Spade has signed a licensing agreement with Palm Beach print designer Lilly Pulitzer, known for her Floridian print fabrics.
The Kate Spade for Lilly Pulitzer line, which bowed at the recent Accessorie Circuit show, features six silhouettes, including shoulder bags and Bermuda bags, each available in five prints.
Wholesale prices range from $56 to $105. The first collection is for spring and summer.
TIMBERLAND GLOVES UP: The Timberland Co. has licensed Swany America to manufacture a line of women’s and men’s dress and sport gloves.
It will be launched at this week’s MAGIC show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The first collection, for fall, will consist of three groups: dress casual, rugged casual and performance. Wholesale prices are between $10 and $49.
According to a Timberland spokesman, the firm made some gloves in-house in the past, but decided that licensed products are “a real growth area for us right now.”
BAGS FOR BLASS: Bill Blass has signed a new licensing agreement for handbags and small leather goods with F.J. Benjamin, a Singapore-based manufacturer, distributor and retailer.
Gail Levenstein, director of licensing for Bill Blass Ltd., said Benjamin will produce two lines, one called Bill Blass Collection, the other Bill Blass USA. The license is worldwide, exception for Japan.
The Collection line will be more expensive, wholesaling from $200 to $400. It will be rolled out to the U.S. market in March, Levenstein said. Benjamin is currently setting up an office and showroom in New York and will open in time for the launch, she noted.
Related Galleries
The less expensive Bill Blass USA line will be introduced later in the year, at a still undetermined time. Wholesale prices also have not been set, Levenstein said.