(Editor: Leona)
Kate Spade & Company (NYSE: KATE) today announced an expansion of its growing home category with four new licensing agreements under the kate spade new york brand. The partnerships will fuel Kate Spade & Company's long-term growth strategy and continued focus on product category expansion. The collections, which will debut between May 2015 and spring 2016, will be available in a range of fine retailers, interior design showrooms and on katespade.com.
The new home collections include bedding, bath, furniture, fabric, wallpaper and rugs and will complement existing successful categories including tabletop with Lenox Corporation, table linens and kitchen textiles with Town & Country Living and stationery and gifting collections with Lifeguard Press. To ensure high-impact, authentic expansion in the home category for kate spade new york, Kate Spade & Company is collaborating with the following best-in-class licensing partners:
•DWI Holdings, a recognized leader in sophisticated and luxurious home textile products, will manufacture and distribute bedding and bath;
•EJ Victor, a quality fine furniture maker, will manufacture and distribute furniture;
•Kravet, a global home furnishings leader, will manufacture and distribute fabric and wallpaper; and
•Jaipur, one of the largest global manufacturers of exquisite, handmade rugs known for their commitment to social responsibility, will manufacture and distribute rugs.
Craig A. Leavitt, Chief Executive Officer of Kate Spade & Company, said, "We are intently focused on our two key axes of growth – product category expansion and geographic expansion – and reaching customers across our four category pillars, women's, men's, children's and home. This robust expansion of home decor offerings under the kate spade new york brand is an important step towards our vision of becoming a powerful, global, multichannel lifestyle brand."
The Company is also expanding its successful license with Lenox Corporation and introducing a kate spade new york housewares collection named All in Good Taste. The new collection will feature decorative food prep items, cookware and bakeware, and will be available in August 2015.