YMI Jeanswear Teams With Henri Levy in Licensing Deal
Los Angeles–based YMI Jeanswear has signed a licensing agreement with HMS LLC to produce and market YMI women’s activewear, fashion tops and dresses.
The partnership will launch as early as the holiday 2009 season, and the product will be distributed at better department and specialty stores.
HMS, led by President Henri Levy, has been a key licensee of the Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier brands (dresses, kids’ and women’s denim) and the Spy and Sheragano labels. Levy also owns the Twin Springs buildings, located at 419/433 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. It houses showrooms for several Hardy licensees.
“We have watched YMI develop over the years and become one of the top-selling brands in the women’s denim category,” Levy said. “With extraordinary brand-marketing initiatives and wide retail distribution, YMI fits perfectly with our merchandising and retail strategy. We are a product-oriented company. With our design and manufacturing know-how and YMI’s brand power, this should be a sensational program.”
Added YMI President David Vered: “HMS LLC has done a remarkable job with both Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier collections. Henri has a well-earned reputation for producing exceptional merchandise in a wide variety of apparel products with trend-setting fashion and superior quality. His company’s apparel design, manufacturing and distribution are second to none. We are thrilled that he and his team have joined the YMI family.”
YMI is sold through specialty and department-store chains such as Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Belk, Macy’s and JCPenney. —Robert McAllister
