Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. said it will launch the Le Tigre brand at JCPenney in spring 2008.
The brand will debut in juniors sportswear and is also expected to expand into other categories, such as juniors footwear and accessories as well as young men's apparel, footwear and accessories.
In conjunction with the arrangement, Kenneth Cole Productions also announced that it has hired Ryan O'Sullivan, the former chief executive officer of Le Tigre, LLC, as divisional president of its new Le Tigre Division. In addition, the company has retained the existing Le Tigre design team and certain key individuals to maximize continuity in the brand aesthetic.
“My team and I are delighted to be joining forces with Kenneth Cole and I am excited to leverage the Le Tigre brand through major new accounts and partners, both in the United States and internationally,” Sullivan said. “We believe that JCPenney is an ideal retail partner for Le Tigre, allowing us to offer premium branded items to consumers at affordable prices.”
JCPenney, which bills itself as a mall destination for teenage shoppers, said Le Tigre “brings a progressive, 'active-inspired' style to our merchandise offerings” needed to meet the “diverse styles of our juniors customer.”
“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Kenneth Cole to offer the popular Le Tigre brand to more JCPenney customers in the future,” said Ken Hicks, president and chief merchandising officer for JCPenney.
