House & Home
House and Home
House and Home 
Wed, June 30, 2010
Ike Behar Expands Licensing Partnership with Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation for Better Dress Shirts and Neckwear
NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Ike Behar Apparel & Design Inc., designer and manufacturer of Ike Behar apparel, today announced it is broadening its licensing partnership with Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (NYSE: PVH) to include dress shirts. This follows a successful ten-year relationship between Ike Behar and the Insignia Division of PVHa™s Dress Furnishings group to produce neckwear under the Ike Behar brand.
"We are very excited to join our fine quality dress shirt product line with the dynamic worldwide sourcing and distribution network of Phillips-Van Heusen"
Beginning January 2011, the Ike Behar brand embarks upon a new chapter in the Behar family's 50-year business by developing a long-term license with PVH for ready-to-wear dress shirts.
"We are very excited to join our fine quality dress shirt product line with the dynamic worldwide sourcing and distribution network of Phillips-Van Heusen,a said Ike Behar President Alan Behar. aIn this highly competitive and global marketplace, combining the strengths of our companies positions us enviably for expansion and growth. The Ike Behar brand provides PVH deeper penetration into the better ready-to-wear dress shirt category and PVHa™s strength and reach will afford us the growth and exposure necessary to further build the Ike Behar lifestyle brand.a
aPVH has done an outstanding job with our neckwear, perfectly aligning the design and quality with our top-tier distribution,a Behar added. aBased on this model we will be working with PVH to create a dress shirt component to their business which maintains the quality standards for which our family's company is known. This is an essential and key positioning step as we move our brand forward as a total menswear concept. This strategy now allows us to concentrate on design, marketing and brand development."
Marc Schneider, President of Dress Furnishings at Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, said, "We could not be more pleased to be expanding our relationship with Ike Behar. As leaders in the dress furnishings business, we continually look to bring the strongest brands to market and Ike Behar is certainly a key leader in the better market. We have expanded the reach of our Insignia Division to include dress shirts, as well as neckwear, and the Ike Behar offerings will fall into that group along with offerings under some of our other current brands and future partners. We look forward to working with Alan and the Behar team to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and consumers."
Ike Behar Apparel and Design Inc. will license ready-to-wear shirts and ties under its Ike Behar labels to PVH, which will continue to manufacture Ike Behar dress shirts in factories in North America, South America and Italy where the product is currently produced.
Ike Behar Apparel and Design Inc. will continue to manufacture its Custom Tailored, CEO, and Made-to-Measure shirt programs worldwide, expanding on the branda™s heritage. Additionally, Ike Behar Sportswear will be broadened by the company. Ike Behar will maintain operation of its Hathaway brand in Canada under established and new licensing agreements and will continue to manufacture and distribute Joseph Abboud dress shirts, which it licenses from J.A. Apparel Corp.
About Ike Behar
Ike Behar Apparel and Design Inc. (Ike Behar) is the designer, manufacturer and marketer of IKE BEHAR, the premium lifestyle brand whose legacy began more than 50 years ago with custom tailored shirts and grew to include neckwear, formalwear, tailored clothing, sport coats, slacks, coats, loungewear, underwear, hosiery, belts, small leather goods, boysa™ wear, outerwear and top coats. Founded by Isaac aIkea Behar, the son of one of Cubaa™s finest custom tailors, the company is family-owned and operated with offices in Miami, New York City, Ontario and Peru. Ike Behar apparel is available at the finest specialty stores and department stores worldwide, including Barneys New York, Harvey Nichols, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. For more information, visit [ www.ikebehar.com ].
About Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, one of the world's largest apparel companies, owns and markets the iconic Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands worldwide. It is the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Trump, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY and Timberland.