White Mountain to Launch Outerwear as Part of Aggressive Product Expansion
After more than 40 years of specializing in women’s footwear, White Mountain and its sister label, Cliffs, have been undergoing rapid expansion in recent months.
In January, the two brands were acquired by New York-based footwear and accessories company American Exchange Group — and their new parent has quickly unleashed a flurry of licensing deals to broaden the scope of the collections, including entering the kids’ category and the legwear market, and adding slippers and flip-flops.
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Its latest move is to launch White Mountain and Cliffs outerwear. The line will consist of raincoats, puffer jackets, vests and ski pants for women, men and kids, produced under license by Mirage Fashion Group, a privately held global outerwear company.
American Exchange Group said the first outerwear collections are due to launch in fall ’23 and initially will be available at major retailers such as Kohls.com, Burlington, Sierra Trading and the TJX stores. Expanded distribution to all outdoor retailers is expected in 2024, at which point the brands will also introduce additional items including 3-in-1 jackets and ski jackets for men and women.
Cynthia Nixon, EVP of licensing and brand development at American Exchange Group, explained the motivation behind the launch. “The brands ‘White Mountain’ and ‘Cliffs’ each evoke a sense of adventure and lifestyle, making it the perfect complement to introduce a line of outerwear products,” she said in a statement. “We are confident that our dedication to comfort, affordability, and timeless style will translate seamlessly into this new venture, providing our customers with a complete head-to-toe experience they can rely on.”
Product expansion has been a top priority for the brand leaders since their union earlier this year. At the time of the acquisition, White Mountain’s chief revenue officer, Robert Geller, said in a statement, “We are looking forward to carrying on the 40-year tradition of the White Mountain brand under new ownership. Teaming up with American Exchange Group will allow us to grow and expand our business, add additional product categories and leverage synergies.”
Other changes have been underway at White Mountain as well. As part of the merger, White Mountain’s New Hampshire-based team took over the sourcing and manufacturing responsibilities for another American Exchange Group brand, Aerosoles, which has been expanding as well with new collections for women, men and children.
For the kids’ business in particular, White Mountain announced on June 5 that it appointed Ian Eichin as VP to oversee the children’s collections for both White Mountain and Aerosoles. Eichin, who most recently held sales and production roles at ES Originals, will report directly to Geller. “Ian’s experience in the U.S. retail market and product sourcing knowledge make him the perfect addition. We are looking forward to this new chapter for the brand and anticipate much success from it,” Geller said in a statement.
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