WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — August 22, 2018 — Champion Athleticwear, makers of authentic athletic apparel since 1919, is continuing to expand its retail footprint with a second U.S. retail specialty store opening in New York City, at 434 Broadway.

Originally founded in Rochester, N.Y., Champion selected Manhattan because of its global reputation as one of the world’s top shopping destinations. The SoHo neighborhood, in particular, embodies a sphere of significant influence within fashion, art, sports and entertainment. At the store’s grand opening on Saturday, August 25, the first 500 customers to shop will receive a limited-edition canvas tote bag with exclusive art designed by Andre Trenier, a local Bronx artist. The 4,900 square-foot store will feature onsite customization, which now includes embroidery and patches, allowing shoppers to design one-of-a-kind Champion garments made on-demand and tailored to their specific preferences.

“In today’s retail landscape, it’s vital to create a direct connection with our consumers,” said Susan Hennike, President Champion Athleticwear. “With the brand’s 100-year anniversary approaching, being able to celebrate Champion’s rich history while providing a seamless customer experience makes this the right time and place for Champion to continue expanding our retail presence. Our New York store will have the most comprehensive assortment of Champion product assembled anywhere in the U.S., making it the ultimate destination for our shoppers.”

In addition to customization, there will be specialized product assortments available only in the SoHo store, including the ongoing collaboration with designer Todd Snyder and both the European and Japanese collections. Regional collections, inspired by the New York City area in which the store resides, and exclusive styles, colors and partnerships with local artists such as Andre Trenier will be available. With Champion’s step back into footwear this year, a dedicated wall of sneakers will feature items from its new fall 2018 product line. Ranging in materials from suede, leather and knit, the retro-inspired joggers are perfect for consumers looking to shop classic footwear pieces.

“The store will showcase not only our signature franchise, Reverse Weave®, but also celebrate Champion’s unique heritage as an innovator and pioneer in iconic athleticwear products,” said David Robertson, director Champion Brand Marketing. “Establishing this touchpoint in New York creates an opportunity to engage with our consumers, share our company’s strong heritage, and ultimately bring the brand to life and show what it means to be a champion.”

In conjunction with the launch, the store will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Reverse Weave® sweatshirts and hoodie. Five vintage Reverse Weave® items, the brand’s signature franchise, will be displayed throughout the store. To continue the celebrations, a limited-edition anniversary style will be available exclusively at the store in fall 2018. The retail space will display archived pieces of historical significance for the very first time in a permanent vault, allowing Champion fans to better experience the brand’s rich history while in store. Archived pieces include a football jersey, Dream Team jersey, collegiate jacket, an early sweater and a t-shirt.

Through a combination of new and vintage imagery, product displays and merchandising, the store’s design provides a perfect backdrop to bring its heritage to life. Key materials used throughout the store provide a sports-inspired arena for customers to utilize, including actual bleachers for a functional seating option and recycled basketball courts reimagined as display fixtures.

Situated in Lower Manhattan, the store creates a space for shoppers to visit when looking for classic styles, every day staples or bold designs, all curated and merchandised by Champion for a unique experience.

Posted August 22, 2018

Source: Champion Athleticwear

NEW YORK — August 22, 2018 — Play Market 1 Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Power Industry Corp., today announced that it is in the process of developing a line of women’s and misses apparel.

Since 2012, Play Market has designed and manufactured a complete line of men’s denim jeans only, of which are available for purchase at Walmart, Target, JC Penny and other fine stores as well as online at Overstock, Amazon, Zulily and others, sold under the company’s trademarked brand of Indigo People.

The new women’s lines will target three distinct groups: young women, young mothers and daughters, and women on the go. The lines will appeal to those who have an appreciation for classic design, vibrant colors, great fit and who embrace a relaxed and casual design.

The company is seeking to increase its product line from men’s denim jeans only to include a complete line of women’s wear and additional men’s wear.

The company is also in the process of evaluating certain licensing deals for their Indigo People brand as to add men’s and women’s accessory’s such as belts, undergarments, socks, shoes and handbags to its product line.

Updates will be provided of the progress throughout the company’s social media pages Twitter and Facebook , OTCMarkets news and mainstream media services.

Posted August 22, 2018

Source: Universal Power Industry Corp.

NEW YORK CITY — August 22, 2018 — New York & Co. Inc. today announced a partnership with Kate Hudson, further expanding upon its success in developing high-profile collaborations. The award-winning actress, best-selling author and globally-successful businesswomen has signed a multi-year deal with New York & Co. to be the Brand Ambassador of its $200 million “Soho Jeans” collection, and will also partner with the company to develop her own ready-to-wear fashion line.

“We are excited to partner with Kate Hudson and believe she is the perfect addition to our company,” stated Greg Scott, CEO of New York and Co. “Our customers have been asking for a partnership with Kate for years, and we believe her tremendous star power, unbelievable style, and broad social influence will not only strengthen our relationships with existing customers but also ignite our customer acquisition initiatives.”

The Soho Jeans collection represents significant percentage of the company’s annual sales and includes an extensive assortment of jeans and related apparel that are designed with proprietary fabrics. The denim assortment at New York & Co.is designed to fit everyone, and is unique in its attention to on-trend fashion and inclusive sizing, ranging from 00 to 20, including petite and tall.

In addition to her role as a Brand Ambassador, Kate will design and develop her first ready-to-wear fashion apparel collection, slated to launch in March 2019. New York & Co.will leverage its infrastructure, technical design and sourcing capabilities to build the brand. The new brand will be available at New York & Co. stores and its ecommerce site as well as on its own dedicated ecommerce platform, with potential for additional retailer partnerships in the future — a first in New York & Co.’s history.

“It has always been important for me to partner with companies that share my values and creative vision. I love the quality of materials and fabrics New York & Company uses,” said Kate Hudson. “Their size ranges and affordable price points, along with their commitment to empowering women through fashion makes New York & Company an ideal partner for me to launch my new collection with.”

“We believe this will be significant to our continued growth in the ever-changing retail landscape, further solidifying New York & Company as an industry leader that creates digital brands that matter. This strategy provides our company with added diversity in our revenue stream, as we expand the breadth of our assortments and channels served,” said Scott.

Scott further stated: “We are more than excited to partner with Kate, and look forward to developing a collection with her that we believe will be a substantial business. We welcome Kate to the family, joining Eva Mendes and Gabrielle Union as the fashion powerhouses of New York & Company.”

The Kate Hudson for Soho Jeans Campaign was shot by world-renowned photographer, Alexi Lubomirski in Malibu, Calif. and will appear in stores nationwide and online beginning Thursday, August 30th.

Posted August 22, 2018

Source: New York & Company Inc.

TOLLAND, Conn. — August 21, 2018 — Visibility through the entire workflow helps companies be more productive and collaborate to bring new products to market faster than before. “With the implementation of YuniquePLM, we are able to work at a quicker pace than ever before and have control of the full product development process from idea to production,” said Robin Mostacero, CEO at aim’n.

aim’n was created in 2013 to deliver inspiring sportswear to motivate and boost women as they strive to succeed at activities they love. The designs are inspired by owners Tekla and Helens’ childhood experiences, life, nature and favorite things. With more than 100,000 satisfied customers that visit more than 17 retailers in 8 different countries who wear aim’n designs in more than 120 countries, aim’n’s dream has come true — to supply the world with happy pants in the activewear market.

In addition to bringing products to market quicker, aim’n will be able to broaden their network of vendors and have control over the creation process of new products.

“Gerber is excited to add aim’n to the YuniquePLM family,” said Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, enterprise software solutions for Gerber Technology. “aim’n will be able to save more time throughout the entire workflow by streamlining the data through each step.”

Posted August 21, 2018

Source: Gerber Technology

DALLAS— August 21, 2018 — Bioworld Merchandising, a provider of officially licensed apparel and accessories for top entertainment brands, announces the acquisition of Vandor LLC, a design and distribution company that creates licensed home products including drinkware, sculpted collectibles, kitchenware, and home décor.

Vandor introduces hundreds of new designs annually for distribution in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1957, they have over 60 years of industry experience. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices in China and the Philippines, Vandor has built an organization dedicated to exceptional quality in products and service.

“We were impressed by Vandor’s reputation for creating unique/differentiated high-quality products, and we’re excited about our growth in the housewares and home business,” said Raj Malik, Bioworld’s CEO. “This strategic acquisition is consistent with our mission to continue to expand our business into new licenses, channels of distribution, and international markets while continuing to bring an unparalleled consumer experience across all our product categories.  I am confident in our teams’ shared passion for providing consumers with products that truly embody the brands they love and look forward to the success this union will bring.”

“We were thrilled when Bioworld approached us,” said Vandor CEO Sarah DeVoll. “We have heard nothing but positive feedback from our mutual customers and licensors about Vandor joining the Bioworld family.”

The acquisition will increase Bioworld’s global distribution and overall share of the licensing industry. Vandor’s unique design capabilities and manufacturing presence in Asia will continue to build upon Bioworld’s strength and leadership within the industry.

The acquisition comes on the heels of Bioworld’s recent acquisition of Global Design Concepts (GDC) and launch of One61 Studio, its new technology division created to propel officially licensed products and apparel into the future.

Posted August 21, 2018

Source: Bioworld Merchandising

NEW YORK CITY — August 21, 2018 — Gap, the iconic American clothing brand, launches the next Gap | Sarah Jessica Parker collection, a limited-edition assortment of girls and boys apparel and accessories. This is the second season of the collaboration which reunites Gap and Parker, who starred in a series of Gap ads in the early aughts. Inspired by Parker’s childhood memories and favorite hand-me-downs, each piece is meant to be worn, loved and shared forward with a wish for the future.

Rooted in Parker’s affinity for family heirlooms, each piece in the collection is meant to be shared and passed down, with a tale to tell. Filled with classic black watch plaids, whimsical prints, floral embellishments, polka dots and stripes, Gap | Sarah Jessica Parker offers a variety of wardrobe options for boys, girls and toddlers just in time for the back to school season.

“Working with the Gap design team again was just amazing – everyone was so enthusiastic about the idea of hand-me-downs, wearing and passing along to get as much use as possible, especially when the clothes are charming and well made,” says Parker. “The collection was designed with that in mind. It’s important to take care of each other and share pieces that are meaningful and have a sentiment attached.”

The Gap | Sarah Jessica Parker Fall collection favorites for girls include a denim jacket with quilted nylon green floral sleeves, a pink floral print collared shirtdress as well as denim jeans with floral and polka dot embellishments and a black watch plaid long-sleeve dress with floral embroidery which are also available for toddler girls. Boys and toddler boys can choose from a green and navy blue striped rugby, a grey zip-up sweatshirt with reversible green and navy blue plaid nylon lining and a pullover hoodie with headphone graphic, one of Parker’s favorite pieces from the collection.

“We were thrilled to collaborate with Sarah Jessica Parker for a second time and design a collection that captures childhood nostalgia with rich plaids and bold prints combined with classic Gap silhouettes that are perfect for the Fall season,” says Wendi Goldman, Gap executive vice president and chief product officer. “We hope our customers love the fresh twists on true Gap classics and pass these pieces down throughout the years.”

With prices starting from $14.95 up to $78, the collection will be available on August 27 through gap.com and select GapKids stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Greater China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Posted August 21, 2018

Source: Gap Inc.