Tag: Chaps

  • Thai police seize counterfeit items

    Thai police seize counterfeit items

    Police in Bangkok have arrested two drivers who delivered nearly 7000 counterfeit items to Lumpini Park.

    Police chief Sanit Mahathavorn says the two drivers were taken into custody after a routine search of the parked bus.

    Hat Thongbu from Chainat and Niran Damthunghong, from Aranyaprathet, both 47, had hidden the goods in a bus they had driven from the Rong Kleua market in Aranyaprathet, near the border with Cambodia.

    The alleged fake designer goods included bags, watches, clothes, shoes and glasses carrying such labels as Adidas, Casio, Chanel, Chaps and Ekko.

    Mahathavorn says the drivers told officers they had been paid 10,000 baht (US$285) for the delivery and had done this kind of thing many times before over many years.

    Police say the goods were worth around 5 million baht and were set to be delivered to market traders in the capital.

    Some foreigners seemed bemused by the arrests, with one member of Thai Visa Forum saying: “Can’t let Cambodian-made pirated goods compete with Thai-made pirated goods. Excellent police work!”

  • Fossil wearables offering doubles

    Fossil wearables offering doubles

    Fossil Group will double its Fossil wearables production this year to 300 new products, plus add new brands.

    • Fossil Group has announced it will double its Fossil wearables production this year to an unmatched 300 new products, plus add new brands.
    • New connected products were also revealed by the US group’s brands…
      Armani Exchange has entered the wearables market with Armani Exchange Connected, a collection of hybrid smartwatches.
    • Fossil has extended its Fossil Q hybrid smartwatch line with Fossil Q Accomplice, with the brand’s slimmest case to date.
    • Skagen has introduced Hald and Jorn hybrid smartwatches, offering thinner cases.
      Misfit has unveiled Vapor, the brand’s first touchscreen smartwatch featuring heart rate, GPS and standalone music access.

    Fossil Group’s wearables include touchscreen smartwatches, hybrid smartwatches and activity trackers.

    “Customers crave connectivity that doesn’t compromise style,” says Fossil Group chief strategy and digital officer Greg McKelvey. “We’re creating more options to seamlessly integrate desired tech features into our customers’ style and lifestyle.

    He says the group’s design, scale, speed to market and portfolio of fashion brands, coupled with its cloud and app platform plus tech and hardware innovation “have pulled us ahead of the wearables pack”.

    Fossil Group last year launched more than 140 wearables across Chaps, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, Misfit and Skagen brands throughout 40 countries and in 20 languages.

    “The success of our hybrid smartwatches has proven that our consumers want a balance of function and fashion,” says McKelvey. “We’ve effectively filled that gap in the market. Hybrids pack the power needed to efficiently accomplish daily tasks in a beautifully crafted timepiece.”

  • Fossil wearables teams with major fashion labels

    Fossil wearables teams with major fashion labels

    Fossil wearables has teamed with major fashion brands Chaps, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, Misfit and Skagen to launch in 40 countries in 2016.

    Fossil Group says it plans more than 100 wearables products – which include display- and non-display watches and trackers – will be available in 40 countries and more than 20 languages later this year. The category of wearables offered will vary by brand.

    Fossil Group will support the wearables with unique and branded apps across all brands, three product categories, and two operating systems. The 2016 launches are part of the company’s efforts to bring a fashion-first focus, innovation and an increased variety of products to the wearables industry.

    “One of the distinct advantages of a fashion company over traditional consumer electronics manufacturers is our product cycle,” said Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer with Fossil Group.

    “We demonstrate remarkable speed to market, from development to launch, in order to meet the retail industry’s seasonal new product deadlines.

    “The industry has been slow to adapt to growing consumer desires for new styles and options for wearables. With the diversity of major fashion brands we offer, customers will be delighted with the sheer volume of styles and options available when shopping for a wearable that fits their personal style.”

    With the look, feel and fashion appeal of traditional watches, Fossil Group’s digital display watches and non-display watches leverage the company’s core competency in making beautiful, quality watches.

    Since acquiring Misfit in November 2015, Fossil Group has increased capabilities for the development and production of the technology supporting its wearables products. The company’s wearable technology platform includes proprietary power management technology that enables coin cell battery-powered non-display watches and trackers to be deployed across the entire Fossil Group brand portfolio.

    Without the need for daily, weekly or even monthly charging, the new devices function much more like traditional watches and lifestyle accessories than as typical consumer electronic products that require daily maintenance.

    Concurrent with the advancement of Fossil Group’s owned technology and research and development capabilities, the company continues its strong partnerships with third-party technology partners, including Google and their Android Wear platform, to deliver on the company’s short- and long-term wearables strategy.

    Fossil Group this week displayed Fall products – including wearables, watches, jewellery, leather goods and other accessories – to business partners and media in its new European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, during the annual Baselworld marketplace show for the world’s watch and jewellery industry.

    The new, 108,000 sqft, seven-floor Basel facility was constructed with modern geometric architecture. Three floors of brand showrooms present brand-immersive experiences for each of the company’s 17 owned and licensed brands, and a large auditorium and event space.

  • PVH takes control of Tommy Hilfiger China

    PVH takes control of Tommy Hilfiger China

    PVH Corp, the parent of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, is to take full control of its China business.

    PVH, together with funds advised by Apax Partners, will acquire the 55 per cent interest in TH Asia Ltd, their joint venture for Tommy Hilfiger China, which PVH does not already own.

    The purchase price for the transaction is about US$172 million, net of cash of approximately $100 million, subject to adjustment.

    The closing, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to occur early in the second quarter of 2016.

    “Today’s announcement represents a significant development for our company as we continue to execute against our key strategic priorities and demonstrates our commitment to making strategic investments to support the long term growth of PVH and our Tommy Hilfiger business,” said Emanuel Chirico, chairman and CEO of PVH.

    “This transaction enables the Tommy Hilfiger business to directly operate its fastest growing market, while leveraging our well-established infrastructure in Asia, our regional leadership expertise and strong brand momentum across both our Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein businesses in the region.”

    This transaction has been envisioned since PVH and the funds advised by Apax Partners established the Tommy Hilfiger China joint venture in connection with the Tommy Hilfiger acquisition in 2010.

    Since 2012, the first full year of operations after the joint venture acquired the Tommy Hilfiger China business from the former licensee, the Tommy Hilfiger business in China has doubled from approximately $70 million in revenue to a projected $140 million in 2015, with over 350 stores, of which 65 are directly operated.

    Daniel Grieder, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger, commented: “We are looking forward to executing a more fully integrated strategy for China that takes advantage of our current momentum in the region. This will allow us to further realise the growth opportunities that exist for the brand by offering consumers a greater breadth of Tommy Hilfiger product lines and a more elevated brand presentation. Building on our strong existing regional foundation, we plan to accelerate the growth of the Tommy Hilfiger business by increasing our brand marketing in China and capitalising on our strong market positioning and price, value proposition. We plan to invest further in driving the expansion of the brand through new store openings (both company-operated and franchised stores) and improved productivity in existing stores, while rapidly expanding our traditional and digital marketing initiatives to further reinforce the brand in this exciting market.”

    PVH Corp owns and markets 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, Warner’s and Olga, and its licensed brands, including Speedo, Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Michael Michael Kors, Sean John and Chaps.

    The other shareholders in the China joint venture include an affiliate of Silas Chou and, indirectly through an investment vehicle controlled by funds advised by Apax Partners, members of Tommy Hilfiger management at the time of the acquisition in 2010, such as Fred Gehring (former CEO and executive chairman, Tommy Hilfiger and current vice chairman of PVH), Daniel Grieder (CEO, Tommy Hilfiger), and Tommy Hilfiger himself.