G-III Apparel Group announced Monday they have entered into a wholesale license agreement for Genesco to design, distribute and market G.H. Bass men’s and women’s footwear in the United States and Canada.
The first collection for Spring ’16 will debut at trade shows this summer, and will be targeted to better department and specialty stores.
“G.H. Bass has the consumer recognition and the growth potential, both with the G.H. Bass retail stores and in the wider wholesale marketplace, to become a meaningful addition to our diversified portfolio of owned and licensed brands,” said Andy Gilbert, president of Genesco’s licensed brands. “We are looking forward to working with our partners at G-III to position the G.H. Bass brand as one of the premiere global lifestyle brands in the market today.”
The licensing agreement is G-III’s fourth since purchasing G.H. Bass in 2013. The company has agreements with PVH Corp. for wholesale distribution of men’s sportswear and with Overland Shoes Limited, which manages the wholesale distribution of men’s, women’s and children’s footwear and operations of retail stores throughout Europe.
In addition to tapping outside expertise, G-III also intends to use its in-house designers to produce other product categories, including Bass women’s apparel planned for a Fall ’15 delivery.