Xcel Brands and G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. Announce Halston Master Licensing Partnership Under New 25-Year Agreement

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB), a media and consumer products company, today announced a master licensing partnership with G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (NASDAQGS: GIII), a global expert in design, sourcing, distribution and marketing. Under this new agreement, G-III will design and produce all categories and distribute products globally for the Halston business and all of its brands.

This agreement resulted in an upfront advance payment in May 2023 and has a term of 25 years (consisting of an initial 5-year period, followed by a 20-year period). The agreement provides for a purchase option at the end of the 25-year term.

“We’re extremely pleased to partner with G-III Apparel Group on this long-term master license agreement,” said Robert W. D’Loren, Chairman and CEO of Xcel Brands. “G-III’s design and production expertise, retail distribution, and sourcing capabilities make them an outstanding partner to fulfill our vision for the Halston brand. The company has a strong track record of building substantial brands and we see significant opportunity for Halston as part of G-III’s portfolio.”

G-III is known for unlocking the potential of brands and is a vendor of choice for global retailers, having successfully grown DKNY globally, launched Karl Lagerfeld Paris, and built the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger women’s businesses in North America. The company designs, sources, markets and distributes apparel and accessories for a substantial portfolio of owned, licensed and private label brands. Halston joins other revered American brands and global businesses in G-III’s substantial portfolio of over 30 brands.

“Halston is an American brand with a rich legacy in fashion and we are proud to partner with Xcel to develop the brand to its full potential,” said Morris Goldfarb, Chairman and CEO of G-III. “We are excited about the broader potential of the Halston label and see great opportunity for the brand across multiple channels and geographies of distribution.”

About Xcel Brands

Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, production, marketing, livestreaming, wholesale distribution and direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment and social media as one thing. Xcel owns the Judith Ripka, Halston, LOGO by Lori Goldstein, and C. Wonder by Christian Siriano brands and a minority stake in the Isaac Mizrahi brand. It also owns and manages the Longaberger brand through its controlling interest in Longaberger Licensing LLC. Xcel is pioneering a true omni-channel sales strategy that includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital livestream shopping, brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce channels. The company’s brands have generated in excess of $4 billion in retail sales via livestreaming in interactive television and digital channels alone.

Headquartered in New York City, Xcel Brands is led by an executive team with significant livestreaming, production, merchandising, design, marketing, retailing and licensing experience and has a proven track record of success in elevating branded consumer products companies. With an experienced team of professionals focused on design, production, livestreaming and digital marketing, Xcel maintains control of product quality and promotion across all of its product categories and distribution channels. Xcel differentiates by design. www.xcelbrands.co

About G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.

G-III designs, sources and markets apparel and accessories under owned, licensed and private label brands. G-III’s substantial portfolio of more than 30 licensed and proprietary brands is anchored by five global power brands: DKNY, Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. G-III’s owned brands include DKNY, Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld, Vilebrequin, G.H. Bass, Eliza J, Jessica Howard, Andrew Marc, Marc New York and Sonia Rykiel. G-III has fashion licenses under the Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Guess?, Vince Camuto, Levi’s and Dockers brands. Through its team sports business, G-III has licenses with the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and over 150 U.S. colleges and universities. G-III also distributes directly to consumers through its DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld Paris and Vilebrequin stores and its digital channels for the DKNY, Donna Karan, Vilebrequin, Karl Lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Andrew Marc, Wilsons Leather and G.H. Bass brands.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230605005898/en/

Media Contacts

For Xcel Brands:

Berns Communications Group

Alissa Heumann

aheumann@bcg-pr.com

For G-III:

Investor Relations:

Priya Trivedi

SVP of Investor Relations and Treasurer

(646) 473-5228

Tom Filandro

ICR, Inc.

(646) 277-1235

Source: Xcel Brands, Inc.