News
February 7, 2007
KOHL'S ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ELLE
ELLE Women's Apparel Brand Available in United States and Sold Exclusively at Kohl's Stores in Spring 2007
Kohl's Brings Contemporary Fashion to Customers Faster than Ever Before
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., February 7, 2007 — Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) and Lagardère Active Media Licensing, a division of the company that publishes ELLE magazine, today announced a multiyear licensing agreement to develop an ELLE-branded line of women’s apparel to be sold in the United States exclusively at Kohl’s stores. The collection will initially launch in approximately 300 stores nationwide and on Kohls.com this Spring, ultimately expanding to all stores by Spring 2008.
“Since sharing our speed to market strategy last October, we have made significant progress with several existing brands, reducing merchandise cycle time by 12 weeks. The launch of the ELLE brand demonstrates our speed to market success with new partners, allowing us to bring young women contemporary, runway-inspired fashions several months faster than ever before,” said Kevin Mansell, president of Kohl's Department Stores. "With consistent double-digit growth in readership, ELLE magazine is one of the most recognized women’s brands in publishing and we are confident that this brand will resonate with young, hip shoppers. Our speed to market with world-class brands such as ELLE further delivers on our strategy of bringing exclusive merchandise to our customers nationwide.”
“This exciting licensing agreement with Kohl’s is an extension of our parent company’s global strategy for ELLE, the largest fashion magazine brand in the world. ELLE launched in France over 50 years ago, now publishes 39 magazine editions worldwide and has licensed products in more than 80 countries, including over 250 free-standing ELLE stores. Through this exclusive arrangement with Kohl’s, ELLE-branded product will now be offered in the U.S. We are very pleased to be part of this unique partnership with one of the most successful department stores in this country,” said Fabrice A. Plaquevent, CEO, Licensing, Lagardère Active Media.
“Fashion, stylishness and lifestyle have always been associated
with ELLE, and we strongly believe that this collaboration will offer
tremendous opportunity to develop innovative, modern and fashionable
products,” said Jack Kliger, president and CEO, Hachette
Filipacchi Media U.S.
Kohl’s will
collaborate with Lagardère Active Media’s Licensing
Division based in Paris on the ELLE product design. The
collection will launch and be quickly replenished with the
season’s hippest wardrobe essentials and key trend items such as
knit and woven tops, denim and twill bottoms, skirts, dresses, shorts
and jackets.
Kohl’s will lead the development, distribution and marketing of the collection. Leveraging the strength of the ELLE brand and Kohl's, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. will coordinate print advertising in the U.S. edition of ELLE magazine.
Pasadena, California-based Miramar Brands Group, Inc. exclusively represented Lagardère Active Media and Hachette Filipacchi Media (Paris) in the transaction.
About Kohl's
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's is a family-focused,
value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced,
exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and
home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl's operates 817
stores in 45 states. For a list of store locations and information, or
for the added convenience of shopping online, visit Kohl's website at
www.kohls.com.
About ELLE and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (www.hfmus.com)
ELLE is the largest fashion magazine in the world, with 39 editions on
five continents. ELLE in the U.S. reaches an audience of 4.9
million readers each month with millions more online who find that ELLE
represents style and substance with an independent point of view.
ELLE is published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.
Hachette's enthusiastic brands reach over 50 million consumers through magazines and millions more online and thanks to mobile content. The company’s other prestigious brands include American Photo, Boating, Car and Driver, Cycle World, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography & Imaging, Premiere, Road & Track, Shock, Sound & Vision and Woman's Day. In addition to the print titles, each brand has a digital edition and a website; and a growing number of Hachette brands, including Car and Driver, ELLE, ELLEgirl and Woman’s Day have brand extensions in television, radio, mobile services and consumer-branded events. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. also includes book and custom publishing, integrated marketing, database and market research, as well as licensing, and is part of the Lagardère Active Media division of Lagardère SCA (www.lagardere.com) headquartered in France.
About
Miramar Brands Group
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.