Brand News

Procter & Gamble und Dolce & Gabbana verkündeten, dass P&G Prestige Products, die Geschäftseinheit für edle Düfte von P&G, einen Vertrag zum Abschluss einer Lizenzvereinbarung mit Dolce & Gabbana S.r.l. unterzeichnet hat.

P&G wird ab dem 1. Juli 2006 das bestehende Parfümsortiment vermarkten und vertreiben.

“Dolce & Gabbana gilt auf der ganzen Welt als Symbol für italienischen Glamour. Die Marke steht für einen zeitlosen Stil für unkonventionellen Luxus, der in jeder neuen Saison Innovation
mit dem starken mediterranen Flair seines Ursprungs verbindet. Ihr sinnlicher und einzigartiger Stil findet bei den Prominenten aus Hollywood und der Musikbranche Anklang und geniesst Ikonenstatus. Diese Faktoren schaffen ein überragendes, traumhaftes Niveau, das der Marke alle wichtigen Mittel zur Kreierung und zum erfolgreichen Wachstum von Parfümklassikern in die Hand gibt,” kommentierte Hartwig Langer, Präsident von P&G Prestige Products.

Durch die Unterzeichnung der Lizenzvereinbarung für Parfüme mit Dolce & Gabbana kann P&G Prestige Products seinem gegenwärtigen Geschäftssortiment eine starke Palette an edlen Luxusparfümen hinzufügen, sodass sein starkes Luxuswarenangebot ergänzt und weiter gefestigt wird.

Laut WWD soll der Lizenzvertrag als Garantiesumme 100 Mio. Euro und 10% Royalties beinhalten.

Ellen Tracy, the 56-year-old brand that is a division of Liz Claiborne Inc., has signed a new license for eyewear.

The licensee will design and manufacture eyeglass and sunglass silhouettes for the Ellen Tracy Eyewear collection. The collection will comprise 20 ophthalmic styles and five prescription sunglasses in metals or plastics.

The looks will be unveiled in March at the Vision Expo East trade show in New York, and will ship to independent optical professionals and select optical retail chains nationwide in April.

WWD reports here:

The fashion duo has signed a new fragrance license with Procter & Gamble Prestige Products, ending drawn-out negotiations and nearly two years of speculation.

According to industry sources, P&G beat other top-flight competitors, which reportedly included L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, market sources said the price tag was at least 100 million euros up front, or $120 million, and a 10 % royalty agreement.

“We want the Dolce & Gabbana fragrance house to become the [number] -three or -four player in the world. That’s the objective. It’s ambitious, but the platform is clearly there also because
the strength of the fashion house is unprecedented,” said Hartwig Langer, president of P&G prestige products.

The production and distribution of Dolce & Gabbana’s fragrances will pass to P&G on July 1, ending the Italian brand’s historic 15-year license with Euroitalia. Riding the wave of Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion success, Euroitalia built a robust fragrance business for the fashion house with annual wholesale sales in excess of 200 million euros, or $240.8 million at current exchange, according to Dolce & Gabbana’s general affairs director, Cristiana Ruella.

While Langer shied from giving a time frame for sales growth, Markus Strobel, general manager at P&G prestige products, is confident they will double the brand’s wholesale volume in the next five years. Plans include launching three new fragrances in the first two years and eventually developing a makeup line.

On the retail front, the plan is to secure more exposure within strategic doors rather than increase the number of sales points.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, Dolce & Gabbana’s consolidated revenue, which excludes that of licensees, totaled 686.4 million euros, or $826.5 million.

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 153-year old global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to license use of the Smith & Wesson brand and logo on a new line of large capacity safes to be launched in 2006.

The new Smith & Wesson line of large capacity safes will complement an existing line of small safes available through the Smith & Wesson website.

Licensed safe products featuring the Smith & Wesson name and logo will be available mid-year through licensee distribution channels and on the Smith & Wesson website.

WWD reports about Nicole Miller increasing the number of her licenses. Considering that every license, no matter how small or big, requires a minimum of attention, to us this rather sounds like handling a bag of fleas, then a profitable licensing portfolio.

“Now when Nicole Miller dresses her customers, she will do it from head to toe. The designer and president of the 23-year-old eponymous brand is rolling out footwear, handbags, belts and
jewelry for spring in a renewed accessories push that she and chief executive officer Bud Konheim anticipate will boost the $800 million the brand generates at retail by more than 25 percent.

The expansion into accessories will all be under license, increasing the brand’s partnerships with outside firms for accessories to seven from two. Nicole Miller has a deal for an assortment of sunglasses and a second for hosiery, both of which have been active for more than a decade.

Recent agreements include a license for luggage, one for women’s shoes, another for handbags and umbrellas and one for belts.

Last month, Nicole Miller rounded out the mix by entering into an agreement for a collection of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

Nicole Miller counts 24 licenses for its brand, including 11 for its home collection distributed exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and the brand has had licenses for accessories in the past.

“We’ve learned a lot,” said Konheim. “When you hear about us in the past in terms of licensing, we made some mistakes and we had to switch. We had to learn every lesson in a painful way.”