News
May 11, 2005
QUIKSILVER LICENSES TONY HAWK CLOTHING BRAND EXCLUSIVELY AT KOHL'S DEPARTMENT STORES
Tony Hawk, Quiksilver, Inc. and Kohl's Combined Expertise Brings New Category to Consumers
License with Quiksilver, Inc. continues Kohl's Brand Momentum and Differentiation
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., May 11, 2005 —Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) and Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE:ZQK) today jointly announced the signing of a license agreement, under which Quiksilver would grant exclusive rights to the Tony Hawk clothing brand to Kohl's. The license encompasses a range of apparel and related products, including outerwear and accessories, for both the boys' and young men's categories and will be in all Kohl's stores and Kohls.com beginning in the spring of 2006. Quiksilver, Inc. will be responsible for product design and Kohl's will manage sourcing, distribution, marketing and all other functions.
Tony Hawk, a boardriding icon and the most dominant athlete in skateboarding history, was the founder of Hawk Clothing, which was sold to Quiksilver, Inc. in 2000. He was ranked the number one vertical ramp skateboarder in the world every year from 1984 to 1996. With a highly successful suite of licenses, including his signature video games on a number of popular console and hand-held platforms, Tony Hawk is one of the most visible links between the action sports world and the mainstream consumer market.
Tony Hawk said, "We are really excited to expand the reach of our brand and connect the culture of action sports with the Kohl's customers. We are committed to making sure that the product, the marketing and the vibe of the line is true to our roots."
Kevin Mansell, Kohl's president, said, "Tony Hawk has strong name-recognition among Kohl's young male shoppers and their Moms. We look forward to developing the Tony Hawk Clothing collection, offering a cool, trend-right alternative that addresses the fashion demands of today's young male shopper. This is an exciting partnership with Quiksilver that strengthens our mission to deliver exclusive national brands, but even more importantly, continues to differentiate Kohl's in the marketplace."
Bob McKnight, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, "The continued growth of the boardriding lifestyle has strengthened both our brand and industry's position in mainstream culture while new business opportunities have been created. Our agreement with Kohl's brings together the power of one of the country's leading retailers and our product and branding expertise. This connects us with a whole new group of young people."
Pasadena, California-based Miramar
Brands Group, Inc. exclusively represented Quiksilver, Inc. in the
transaction.
Quiksilver designs, produces and distributes clothing, accessories and related products for young-minded people and develops brands that represent a casual lifestyle — driven from a boardriding heritage. Quiksilver's authenticity is evident in its innovative products, events and retail environments across the globe.
Quiksilver's primary focus is apparel, footwear and related
accessories for young men and young women under the Quiksilver, Roxy,
DC Shoes, Raisins and Radio Fiji labels. Quiksilver also manufactures
apparel, footwear and related accessories for boys (Quiksilver Boys and
Hawk Clothing), girls (Roxy Girl, Teenie Wahine and Raisins Girls), men
(Quiksilveredition and Fidra) and women (Leilani swimwear), as well as
snowboards, snowboard boots and bindings under the Lib Technologies,
Gnu, DC Shoes, Roxy and Bent Metal labels. Quiksilver's products are
sold throughout the world, primarily in surf shops, skate shops and
other specialty stores that provide an authentic retail experience for
our customers.
About Kohl's
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis.,
Kohl's is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store
offering moderately priced national brand apparel, shoes, accessories
and home products. The company operates 669 stores in 40 states. For a
list of store locations, or for additional information, visit Kohl's
Website at www.kohls.com.
About Miramar Brands Group, Inc.
Privately held, Pasadena, California based Miramar Brands Group, Inc.
(MIRAMAR), with offices in Montreal, New York and Paris, is a world leader
in the licensing, brand management and representation of established
consumer brands globally. MIRAMAR’s executives efforts and
expertise have directly led to the generation of over five (5) Billion
USD in annual retail sales of licensed products globally.
MIRAMAR’s leading clients include, among others:
Lagardère Active Media (Bourse: LGA.PA), Hachette Filipacchi
Media (Paris), Hachette Filipacchi Media (US), ELLE, Road & Track,
Car and Driver, American Brand Holdings, Hang Ten, Quiksilver’s
(Nasdaq: ZQK) Tony Hawk Clothing brand and its Hawk Designs, Inc.
subsidiary, Russell Corporation, owned by Berkshire Hathaway
(NYSE: BRK.A and BRK.B) and its Spalding division, Design Within Reach
(Nasdaq: DWR), The Rays Group’s Split Clothing, Con Surfboards,
Maui and Sons and others. Among its holdings, MIRAMAR owns the
worldwide intellectual property rights to the “King of the Beach
®,” and “Havuk ®” brands. MIRAMAR’s
global retail partners for brands it owns or represents include among
others, Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS), Dick’s
Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS), Target Stores (NYSE: TGT), Wal*Mart Stores
(NYSE: WMT), The Sports Authority , Sport Chalet (Nasdaq:SPCHA),
Academy Sports, Big Five Sporting Goods (Nasdaq: BGFE), Costco
(Nasdaq:COST), Chicks Sporting Goods and other leading specialty stores
and chains throughout the world.