Phillips-Van Heusen licenses IZOD in India, Middle East

Friday, 18 February 2011 02:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation has licensed Arvind Mills Ltd. to manufacture and market men’s, women’s and boys’ apparel and accessories under the IZOD brand in India, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Madagascar, Seychelles, Oman, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Under the agreement, Arvind, based in Bangalore, India, will have the right to produce and market a wide range of products, including tops, casual pants and shorts, jeans, sweaters and unconstructed blazers, outerwear, and accessories, such as women’s handbags and men’s and boys’ small leather goods. The initial term of the license agreement is through 2019, with renewal options that would extend the term through 2029.

“We have high expectations of Arvind, a long-time licensee of our ARROW brand, as we begin to plot a course to establish IZOD throughout India and the rest of Asia,” said Allen Sirkin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Phillips-Van Heusen.

“We see the active, energetic personality of the IZOD brand as an ideal fit for the fashion needs of men, women and boys in the region. Based on our extensive experience with Arvind as a licensing partner and Arvind’s knowledge of consumers and retailers in India and the Middle East, we strongly believe that Arvind is the right partner for us in these emerging markets.”

J. Suresh, Chief Executive Officer of Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd. And Arvind Retail Ltd., said, “We are extremely pleased to launch IZOD in India and the Middle East and also very confident that we can duplicate with IZOD the enormous success we’ve had with ARROW.”

The license agreement has a specific focus on the development of IZOD retail locations. Arvind, a significant retail operator throughout India, has already opened the first freestanding IZOD store in India, in Ahmedabad, as well as more than a dozen shop-in-shops in department and specialty stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central, Kapsons and Club America. A network of up to 100 freestanding IZOD stores is planned for the licensed territory in the next five years.

Dating back to the 1930s, the sports-inspired IZOD brand now is licensed to 23 companies covering 26 different product categories in the U.S. and seven international markets.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel companies, owns and markets the iconic Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands worldwide. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Trump, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY and Timberland.

Founded in 1931, Arvind Mills Ltd. is a vertically integrated manufacturer of textile and apparel products with expertise in wholesaling and retailing. Believed to be the world’s largest manufacturer of denim, the company has been instrumental in the introduction of a number of U.S. brands, including Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation’s ARROW brand, in India. Arvind operates Megamart, the largest value retail chain in India.