Dive Brief:
- Candice Cuoco has been named creative director of Frederick’s of Hollywood, parent company Authentic Brands Group announced Tuesday.
- Cuoco will oversee the brand's creative direction and product design and will focus on modern lingerie with collections that embrace the brand’s history with new designs for the modern customer, per the release. Her first full collection with the brand will debut this fall.
- Authentic acquired Frederick’s in 2015, after the brand filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced it was closing its stores.
Dive Insight:
Cuoco’s hire marks a step toward what Authentic called a “new era for innovation” of the brand, which faced financial difficulties in the modern era of lingerie retail before being acquired by Authentic.
“Her extensive knowledge of fashion and cultural trends as well as her ability to translate trends to products, will elevate the brand’s product offering,” according to the release.
Frederick’s was founded in 1947 by Frederick Mellinger, who is credited with the invention of the push-up bra. Frederick’s also claims to be the first to introduce black lingerie and the thong.
The lingerie brand had been publicly traded before 2013, when it went private in an effort to reorganize and avoid bankruptcy. When Frederick’s closed all of its retail stores in 2015, it pivoted to e-commerce only. Months later, Authentic bought Frederick’s e-commerce operations for $22.5 million and a 25% stake in revenue. Authentic, a company known to buy struggling businesses, owns a portfolio of more than 50 brands including Eddie Bauer, Frye, Reebok and Nautica.
Cuoco is also the owner and creative director of her own eponymous label, which she launched in 2016. She is also the vice president of creative at MRC Creations, a California-based lingerie brand, according to her LinkedIn profile.
"I am honored to be part of such an iconic brand that is steeped in the power of women,” Cuoco said in the release. “Frederick's of Hollywood has a rich history of celebrating sensuality and self-expression and I am eager to build upon that foundation to create a bold and inclusive vision for the future."
She was a finalist on season 14 of “Project Runway” and returned to participate in the sixth season of “Project Runway Allstars.”
"We are thrilled to welcome Candice Cuoco to the Frederick's of Hollywood family as our new Creative Director," Christina Martin Pieper, executive vice president of lifestyle at Authentic Brands Group, said in the release. "Candice's exceptional influence and creative vision align perfectly with our brand's DNA. Her unique perspective will resonate with our customers and will continue to build on its iconic history.”
