NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kellwood Company, a leading apparel manufacturer, today announced a new strategic distribution channel with the launch of Mason & Belle, a country-inspired fashion brand and retail website slated to go live in August, 2014.
Mason & Belle is designed to appeal to a country girl’s point of view, combining on-trend fashion with down-to-earth attitude, and is the first in a series of anticipated moves by Kellwood to reach niche consumer segments. Mason & Belle is operated at Kellwood Western Region, the Company’s largest operational unit, headquartered in City of Industry, CA.
Kellwood Company has positioned itself as a unique platform for brand and private label growth through its internal design development and production expertise, e-commerce, digital direct-to-consumer marketing and communication capabilities. This new channel offering gives Kellwood the means to connect directly with a consumer segment from brand conception to product delivery.
Strongly visual, Mason & Belle was conceived, developed and will be managed by the in-house e-commerce team led by Kellwood Vice President of E-Commerce, Elton Graham, a key early executive of the pioneering e-tail shop Nasty Gal.
“Through detailed online research and community outreach, we identified a consumer base that was not being spoken to and created a destination uniquely hers. Mason & Belle is 100% digital, and is an online venue that communicates directly with a customer who identifies herself with country tastes, tones and values,” said Graham. The consumer will be able to shop a full assortment of clothing from day to night, top to bottom within main categories, such as dresses, tops, denim shorts, bottoms and outerwear. Monthly deliveries online for "shop now and buy now" fashion will be priced in the range of $29 to $89. Mason & Belle apparel will be sold exclusively at www.MasonBelle.com.
“We are solidifying Kellwood’s position as the relevant, strategic, and executional platform that positions our brands to achieve global growth – driving Kellwood’s unbeatable fast-fashion capabilities in juniors, and developing and growing the modern missy and contemporary businesses,” said Kellwood CEO Lynn Shanahan. In addition to Mason & Belle, Shanahan has made other recent strategic moves, adding to Kellwood’s contemporary platform with Sam Edelman Apparel, launching at retail August, 2014. The new partnership of Sam Edelman and Kellwood marks the significant venture into apparel for the award-winning shoe designer, and creates an opportunity for Sam Edelman to become a lifestyle brand.
About Kellwood Company
Kellwood Company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of premier contemporary fashion brands, junior and women’s fashion labels and private-label apparel. These brands cover a broad range of consumer lifestyles, including Rebecca Taylor, Sam Edelman, XOXO, My Michelle, Jolt, Democracy, Sangria, Jax, Sag Harbor and Briggs NY. Kellwood operates retail stores and the e-commerce site for Rebecca Taylor and the e-tail store Mason & Belle. Kellwood is an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
For further information please contact Irene Pappas at irene@aammanagement.com or 212.661.1336.
