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Jun 22 2009
Maclaren Acquires Netto
Maclaren, a British manufacturer of strollers and other baby products, announced last week it has acquired the NettoCollection modern juvenile furniture company based in New York. The deal marks Maclaren’s entry into nursery furniture. Dan Pennacchio, president of Maclaren USA, said NettoCollection was a good fit because it is well known for the quality, style […]
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Jun 22 2009
Trimfoot Co. to Handle Sales of Guess Kids Footwear
BBC International, a global footwear design and development company based in Boca Raton, Fla., has announced that Farmington, Mo. -based Trimfoot Co. will handle the U.S. sales and distribution for Guess Kids footwear. Trimfoot has sold and distributed the Guess infants’ program for the past four seasons and will now cover both the infant and […]
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Jun 15 2009
Winners of 2009 iParenting Awards Announced
After extensive product testing and evaluation, iParenting Awards, a division of Disney Interactive Media Group, has revealed its picks for the year’s best baby, toddler and pregnancy products. This year’s award-winners include: Halo’s 100-percent Certified Organic Cotton four-piece gift set (wearable blanket, hat, long-sleeve coverall and bodysuit Shooshoos’ white/pink lace flower soft-sole leather baby shoes […]
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Jun 15 2009
Stella McCartney to Design Children’s Line for Gap
Fashion designer Stella McCartney will team up with GapKids and babyGap for a new collection that will launch this year. The line—Gap by Stella McCartney—will be carried in select stores Stateside as well as Canada, the U.K., France, Ireland and Japan. It will also be available online in the United States. According to a recent […]
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Jun 15 2009
Kids Headquarters Acquires Avirex
Kids Headquarters of New York has purchased the Avirex label for young men from Marc Ecko Enterprises, which reportedly constitutes a $50 million wholesale business. Avirex president Jeff Strumeier will continue to run the brand. Kids Headquarters has held the children’s wear license for Ecko Unlimited for many years and has created kids’ apparel for […]
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Jun 15 2009
Independent Bookseller Debuts Zutano Shop-in-Shop
Last week, Northshire Bookstore, an independent retailer in Manchester, Vt., launched a 250-square-foot Zutano boutique within its children’s book department. Modeled after the Zutano flagship in the company’s hometown of Montpelier, Vt., the mini boutique features white-washed shelving stocked with a full array of the brand’s trademark brightly patterned newborn and toddler apparel. A sculptural […]
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Jun 15 2009
Tea Collection Aids D.C. Nonprofit with Clothing Donation
San Francisco-based Tea Collection made a donation of 160 Global Fund for Children bodysuits to Ascensions Community Services Inc. (www.2ascend.org), an organization in the nation’s capital that provides holistic, integrated psychological interventions to children and their families living in poor neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. The baby apparel will be given away at “Bringing […]
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Jun 15 2009
Showroom News
• Seattle-based Greensource, the ninth largest designer and manufacturer of organic cotton apparel in the world, has opened a New York office and showroom for sales of its affordable organic apparel. The office will be led by Brady Hill, vice president of sales, formerly located in Bentonville, AR. In line with the company’s philosophy, the […]
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Jun 8 2009
Wildbrain Names New CEO
Charles Rivkin, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based entertainment company Wildbrain Inc., announced the appointment of Michael Polis to the newly created position of CEO, Wildbrain Entertainment. Rivkin, who oversees operations for Wildbrain and its subsidiary Kidrobot, stepped down last Friday, having been named as President Obama’s candidate to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to […]
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Jun 8 2009
LIMA Reveals Annual Licensing Award Winners
Coinciding with last week’s Licensing International Expo, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) announced its annual awards for licensing excellence at a presentation at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Top honors went to Nelvana Enterprises and Cartoon Network Enterprises’ Bakugan property, which nabbed the title of 2008 Overall Best Licensed Program of […]
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Jun 8 2009
Heir Debuts Retail Store, Announces Model Search
Last month, children’s wear company Heir Apparel opened an 800-square-foot retail space in El Segundo, Calif.’s Plaza El Segundo. The store carries Heir’s clothing for boys and girls as a select few other lines. Owner Zna Houston noted an adjacent 200-square-foot space has been set up as an Etiquette Pavilion, where the company hosts a […]
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Jun 8 2009
Royalty Revenues Down 5.6% Per 2008 Licensing Survey
According to the latest annual survey from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), brand owners collected $5.7 billion in licensing royalty revenue in 2008—5.6 percent less than they collected in the previous year. The report showed royalty revenue collected by brand owners declined in eight of the nine categories of licenses tracked. The collegiate […]
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Jun 8 2009
Showroom News & Vendor Updates
• Having outgrown its previous space, baby products company Patricia Ann Designs and its spin-off business, the PADShowroom, recently relocated to a 2,000-square-foot home at 22821 Lake Forest Dr., Suite 113-114, Lake Forest, CA 92630. In addition to Patricia Ann Designs, the PADShowroom carries Aloha Baby, Gem Bébé, Georgie Tees, Posh ‘n’ Pretty and other […]
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Jun 2 2009
Toys ‘R’ Us Acquires FAO Schwarz
Last week, Toys “R” Us Inc. of Wayne, N.J., announced its purchase of iconic toy retailer FAO Schwarz. “We have enormous respect for the FAO Schwarz brand and for the special place it holds in the hearts of children everywhere,” said Jerry Storch, Toys “R” Us chairman and CEO. He noted the company will continue […]
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Jun 2 2009
K.I.D.S., Fashion Delivers Initiate California Aid Campaign
Aiming to provide relief to the homeless and other families across California—where the unemployment rate has hit 10.5 percent and home values have taken a nosedive—Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) and Fashion Delivers have launched an outreach campaign with a goal of raising more than $5 million in goods from the retail industry. The two […]
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Jun 2 2009
’09 Fashion Grads Make Their Mark
Major fashion schools across the country recently held showcases of their graduating students’ children’s wear collections, proving the industry has no shortage of incoming talent. View Larger At Parsons, The New School, top honors went to two students: Anika Gupta drew inspiration from her bike trip in India and Tibet for her “On The Road […]
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Jun 1 2009
Fashionology Wins Retail Innovation Award
Fashionology of Los Angeles, an interactive store that allows tweens to design and customize their own look, was honored for “Retail Innovation of the Year” at the World Retail Awards 2009 held in conjunction with the recent World Retail Congress. Other nominees in this category included Aqui É, Koton “My Fit,” Real–Future Store/Metro Group, Urban […]
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Jun 1 2009
CPSC Chief Steps Down
Nancy Nord, acting chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, stepped down last week. Fellow commissioner Thomas Moore takes over the position today and will serve in the role until a new chairman is confirmed by the Senate. Nord said she plans to remain a commissioner until the end of her term in 2012. […]
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Jun 1 2009
LJBryn & Co. Rep Group Adds New Brands
LJBryn&Co., a Midwest-based independent rep group specializing in children’s apparel, gifts and gear, has brought on four new brands: Txai Organics, a label offering trendy, organic fashions for girls; Leg Huggers, an organic bamboo baby leg warmer company; Tuff Cookie, which offers fun, colorful and U.S.-made coats, hats and mittens for girls; and Life Factory, […]
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Jun 1 2009
MGA Entertainment Files Emergency Motion to Continue Bratz Production
MGA Entertainment filed an emergency motion last Tuesday requesting a stay pending appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Through this motion, MGA requests the authority to continue making and selling Bratz dolls until the appellate court decides its case. It argues that an emergency stay is warranted because of the […]