Authentic Brands Group has inked a licensing deal with Centric Brands for the design, manufacturing and distribution of kids apparel for Quiksilver, Billabong and Roxy in the U.S.and Canada, Centric Brands announced Monday in a press release.
Centric Brands already has a similar partnership for the design, manufacturing and distribution of children’s apparel for Authentic’s Izod brand. The companies expanded that licensing agreement in 2021 to include men’s sportswear, activewear, golf apparel and accessories.
The core product categories in the recently announced children’s agreement include sportswear, activewear and swim, and the release says Centric will develop opportunities for brand expansion through outdoor, surf and skate products.
“As industry leaders in kids apparel, Centric is strategically positioned to operate and grow these brands by leveraging our speed-to-market expertise, expanding consumer reach and delivering high-quality apparel that inspires confidence in young boys and girls,” Steve Pinkow, kids group president at Centric Brands, said in the release.
The first delivery under the agreement will launch for spring 2024 in boys’ sizes 0-20 and girls’ sizes 0-16, available through department stores, specialty stores and e-commerce channels, per the release.
“Expanding the brands’ presence within the kids apparel market provides the ability to establish a lifelong relationship with consumers,” David Brooks, executive vice president of action and outdoor sports and lifestyle at Authentic, said in the release. “We are thrilled to strategically position these iconic brands for continued growth in these key categories and further reinforce our partnership with Centric.”
The deal builds on Authentic’s existing partnership for the Boardriders portfolio. In September, Authentic announced it had partnered with Liberated Brands for the retail and e-commerce operations for brands it acquired through its deal with Boardriders, which also includes the RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, Honolua and Boardriders brands.
