Marquee Links With Apparel Group to Bring 5 Brands to New Markets
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Marquee Brands has linked with Apparel Group to bring five of its brands to countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council and India.
That opens up a market of 1.5 billion people for Marquee fashion brands BCBG, Ben Sherman and Bruno Magli as well as its home and kitchen-oriented brands Martha Stewart and Sur la Table.
More from WWD
Heath Golden, president of Marquee Brands, described the deal as “a key step forward in our strategic plan to expand the categories and geographies covered by our brands.”
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council — which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman — represents a big opportunity for brands looking to go global, if they can connect with the unique desires of consumers there.
“In teaming up with the partner of choice in the region for the world’s most desirable brands, we are confident that local consumers will embrace our brands via Apparel Group’s innovative, omnichannel, and quantitative retail approach,” Golden said.
Marquee’s brands — which also include Body Glove, Destination Maternity and others — produce about $3.5 billion in retail sales annually.
In an interview, Golden declined to specify just how much of the company’s future growth will come from the new deal, but made clear that the opportunity is significant, with expectations for more than 100 stores in the next five years as well as wholesale distribution.
Neeraj Teckchandani, chief executive officer of Apparel Group, said: “Our strategic partnership with Marquee Brands underscores our steadfast strategy to be the epicenter of global fashion in the GCC and India. As we join forces, we’re not just expanding our retail footprint, but elevating the fashion landscape in the region, setting new benchmarks for what consumers can expect. We’ve always positioned ourselves at the crossroads of innovation and excellence, and this partnership further exemplifies our commitment to providing unparalleled shopping experiences while strategically enhancing our global brand stature.”
Brand management firms — including Marquee, but also WHP Global and Authentic Brands Group — have proven to be a potent and growing force in fashion, snatching up well-known names and projecting them out onto the global stage through deals with local players.
Best of WWD
