Nautica, Raj Manufacturing Sign Licensing Deal
Raj Manufacturing, the Tustin, Calif.– based maker of licensed and private-label swimwear, has signed a licensing agreement with Nautica Apparel, a subsidiary of VF Corp. The deal—which licenses Raj to manufacture and distribute women’s Nautica- branded swimwear in North America, Asia and Latin America—will launch with an early Cruise 2012 collection. The Nautica women’s swimwear license was previously held by Mainstream Inc., which will continue to operate the license until June 2011.
“We are excited to be working with Raj Manufacturing on this category,” said Maria Vicari, president of global licensing at Nautica Apparel, in a statement. “As we continue to grow our brand footprint in womenswear throughout the 64 countries in which our brand lives, we see opportunity for expansion of this important heritage category. Raj brings international experience in product development and distribution, which will support our expansion strategy.”
Raj designs, manufactures and markets designer and private-label swimwear and coverups under the Athena Pick Your Fit, Next by Athena, Luxe by Lisa Vogel, Ella Moss Isla, Splendid Swim, Guess Swimwear, Hurley Swimwear, St. John Swim and Reef Swimwear labels.
“We are very excited to partner with Nautica,” said Alex Bhathal, president of Raj Manufacturing. “With our 44 years of experience in the category and our strong global capabilities, we are confident that a partnership between our companies will provide a successful formula for growth, both for our respective companies as well as for our retail partners.” —Erin Barajas
