Changes Afoot at Maxine Swim Group
Allan Colvin has replaced Vincent E. Rojas as president and chief operating officer of the Maxine Swim Group Inc. His appointment was effective as of April 12.
Before his appointment, Colvin served as president and chief executive officer of Manhattan Beachwear Inc., a division of the Maxine Swim Group.
For the past 58 years, the Maxine Swim Group has produced branded and private-label swimwear under the Maxine of Hollywood brand. In 1993, Rojas acquired Maxine of Hollywood, and in 1999, the company acquired Manhattan Beachwear, forming the Maxine Swim Group.
Under Rojas’ direction, the company acquired the licensing rights to produce swimwear for Liz Claiborne under the Liz Claiborne, Elisabeth, Crazy Horse, Villager and Kenneth Cole Swimwear labels in 2001.
Colvin’s appointment comes in the wake of longtime Liz Claiborne Swimwear President David Burnett’s departure last month. Burnett was recently named senior vice president of design and merchandising at Portland, Ore.–based Jantzen, the VF Corp.’s swim division.
Neither Rojas nor Liz Claiborne President of Licensing Barbara Friedman could be reached for comment at press time.
The Maxine Swim Group is a privately held company. Industry sources said the company’s board of trustees voted to place Colvin at the helm of both companies at the beginning of April.
In a press statement, Colvin said: “Until this point, the Maxine of Hollywood and Manhattan Beachwear divisions of Maxine Swim Group had been operating independently of each other. Bringing these two divisions together under one roof is just a natural progression.”
Colvin started Manhattan Beachwear 20 years ago with a license for the Hobie namesake, for which the company produced surf-inspired swimwear. Since then, Manhattan Beachwear’s stable of branded and private-label swimwear has grown to include VM Sport, Surfside, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction and Hot Kiss.
Alan Schwartz, Manhattan Beachwear’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, has been promoted to executive vice president of the Maxine Swim Group. He will oversee design and production of the Maxine of Hollywood, Rose Marie Reid and Liz Claiborne collections. Swim designer Mary Beth Sales, who had worked at the Maxine Swim Group prior to a brief stint at the Authentic Fitness Corp., returned to the company in April. —Claudia Figueroa
