London Fog Home to Launch

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 2/12/2008 12:00:00 AM

At the New York Market —

London Fog, a venerable outerwear apparel brand now part of the Iconix Brand Group family, is making its debut into the home furnishings market via licenses with Westgate and PEM America.

Westgate will launch a collection of bedding coordinates, bath coordinates and window coordinates that will preview in mid-April, according to Tom McElroy, vp product development for Westgate.

PEM America is offering throws, blankets, comforters, and pillows at this week's market, according to a statement from Iconix.

PEM American declined to discuss the company's product involvement with London Fog.

The Westgate collections "will represent a wholly new vocabulary from a design standpoint for us," McElroy related. "We're now in the developmental stage and we're working on designs based on London Fog apparel looks — plaids, reversibles, detail stitching, buckles, toggles, belt looping — a tailored look."

Fabrics in the Westgate collection will include yarn dyed woven plaids, brushed cottons, and microfiber polyester. Prices will be aimed at the mid-tier range, McElroy said.

For Westgate, the London Fog brand "offers us a bridge to getting our great value message across even quicker than before," said David Li, Westgate ceo. "We already have great perceived value across our product lines."

Kimberly Lee Minor, vp of brand management at Iconix said, "I am very pleased and excited about this new development. Adding home as a category to London Fog is the natural progression of building this label from a historically outerwear brand to a major lifestyle brand."

The tagline on all advertising, Minor noted, will emphasize the message that the brand is more than outerwear: "Weather or Not."