25th July 2024, Colombo, Sri Lanka – Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a global brand development, marketing, and entertainment platform, today announced a long-term partnership with Focus Brands, the brand licensing division of Hela Apparel Holdings PLC, for Reebok. Through the partnership, Focus Brands will design, manufacture and distribute Reebok-branded outerwear products across the UK and Europe.
“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Focus Brands and Hela to build Reebok’s presence in the premium, technical outwear category across the UK and Europe,” said Henry Stupp, President, Lifestyle – EMEA and India at Authentic. “This partnership will elevate the brand’s offerings and bring a fresh, innovative approach to our product lineup, enhancing our appeal to consumers and solidifying our market position.”
Focus Brands will serve as Reebok’s partner in the UK and Europe for its outerwear category, which covers a wide range of products for men, women, and kids, including outdoor jackets, soft shells, bonded fleeces and padded jackets. The products will be sold across speciality retailers, department stores and e-commerce platforms in the region.
“Our team has been working closely with Authentic Brands Group for the past three years as the brand licensing partner for Nautica in the UK and Europe,” said Ray Evans – CEO of Focus Brands. “This agreement with Reebok is an exciting opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with the Authentic team, and we are looking forward to bolstering Reebok’s presence in the outerwear category through a strategically structured long-term plan, capitalizing on the Hela Group’s manufacturing capabilities.”
The partnership marks the expansion of Focus Brands’ existing strategic relationship with Authentic Brands, as well as the first major milestone for the Hela Group since its acquisition of Focus Brands in January 2024. The new licensing agreement with Reebok is a further step forward in the Group’s strategy to grow Focus Brands into a world-leading brand management company supported by the Hela Group’s agile manufacturing solutions.
About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a unified platform that integrates M&A, brand strategy, creativity and digital innovation to unlock the power of its global portfolio. It connects iconic sports, lifestyle, entertainment and media brands with best-in-class partners to optimize long-term value in the marketplace. Generating more than $29 billion in global annual retail sales, Authentic’s brands have an expansive retail footprint in 150 countries, including 13,000-plus freestanding stores and shop-in-shops and 400,000 points of sale.
Authentic’s brand portfolio includes Shaquille O’Neal®, David Beckham®, Sports Illustrated®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Reebok®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Ted Baker®, Hunter®, Vince®, Hervé Léger®, Frye®, Nautica®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Aéropostale®, Forever 21®, Nine West®, Sperry®, Rockport®, Eddie Bauer®, Boardriders®, Quiksilver®, Billabong®, Roxy®, DC Shoes®, RVCA®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Prince®, Izod®, Van Heusen®, Hart Schaffner Marx® and Thomasville®.
For more information, visit authentic.com.
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About Hela Apparel Holdings PLC
Hela Apparel Holdings PLC provides sustainability-focused apparel supply chain and brand management solutions encompassing design, sourcing, marketing, and distribution through its global footprint, which includes a brand licensing division based in the UK. The company works closely with global brands in the intimate, active and kids wear product categories. With 10 manufacturing facilities across four countries, 04 design centres, and 06 product showrooms in key markets, the Hela Group’s multifaceted workforce tops 14,000 globally, and it leads the industry in providing ethical and sustainable apparel solutions.