New York, NY – April 26, 2013 – Slazenger announces a new three year licensing agreement with Y & S Handbags Inc. (Y&S) for a line of accessories to include hosiery, bags and headwear. The athletic fashion accessories are scheduled to debut across the U.S. this summer.
“Y & S Handbags has a strong history in the accessories business and will help expand Slazenger’s presence in the U.S. market,” states Neil Morton, CEO of IBML-US.
“We are thrilled to debut the Slazenger accessory line,” said Pinny Rand, President,Y&S Handbags. “Slazenger has such a rich history in the tennis and golf categories, and we look forward to growing the Slazenger Sport brand with a more mainstream fashion customer.”
“Slazenger is of an outstanding addition to the Y&S portfolio of brands,” said Charles Rand, Vice President, Y & S Handbags. “We wanted to expand our accessory categories to include an athletic brand, and we are very lucky to partner with Slazenger. They are an established player in the sports category, and we are excited to launch the brand with our wide network of retailers. It’s going to be a very successful partnership.”
Mitch Berlin, Director Magid Legwear, added, “We look forward to marrying the comfort and performance features of the Slazenger classic brand, with our expertise in fashion forward trends and design. Retailer response to our debut sport sock collection has been outstanding, and the initial Slazenger collection will hit stores in July. The trend-driven collection will continue to grow, with more men’s and ladies’ performance socks debuting in Fall 2013.”
Slazenger is a property of International Brand Management & Licensing (IBML).
About Slazenger
Founded in England in 1881, Slazenger is an iconic tennis and golf brand. In 1902 Slazenger was appointed as the official tennis ball and equipment provider for Wimbledon, and is celebrated as the longest continuous sports sponsorship in the world. Slazenger has outperformed the competition on playing fields, courts and courses throughout its rich history.
About IBML
International Brand Management & Licensing is a global licensing company for sport, fashion and lifestyle brands. With over 300 licensee partners across the world, IBML represents premier brands in the industry including Slazenger, Dunlop, Everlast, Kangol, and many others. Corporate offices are located in London, New York, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
About Y & S Handbags
Founded in 1916, Y&S Handbags,is a leading resource for moderately priced, on-trend handbags, evening bags, hats, fascinators, hair accessories and hosiery. Their brands are available at leading department stores including Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom and BELK and at bridal and specialty stores across the U.S. Based in NYC, with offices in Hong Kong and China, Y&S Handbags is a family-owned business, led by brothers Larry, Pinny, Ari and Charles Rand.