Designer licenses added

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/7/2002 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Revving up its engines as it emerges from Chapter 11, Glenoit is adding seven new designer licenses to Ex-Cell Home Fashions and Glenoit Consumer Products as it prepares to make a major push in design, building a new marketplace presence.

"We have a great design team in place, but it's important to have a variety of different looks. And we're going to be placing an enormous emphasis on design going forward," said Barry Leonard, Glenoit ceo and chief of the company's Ex-Cell unit.

"We have been active in brand licensing for several years, with Royal Velvet and Cannon in bath and Pfaltzgraff in table top," Leonard told HTT. "Now we're going to support that effort with some designer licenses we've recently signed for bath, table linens and decorative pillows. Design, along with superior customer service, will be a focal point for the company going forward. It's important to have a broad variety of different looks to present to your customers, especially as you try to reposition your line somewhat and expand your channels of distribution."

The new roster of designer licenses includes:

• Alma Lee, for table linens and decorative pillows;

• Naylor Faulkner, for table linens;

• Sarah Frederking, for table linens and bath;

• Christian Lassen, for table linens and bath;

• Paul Brent, for decorative pillows and bath;

• David Carter Brown, for decorative pillows and bath;

• Pierre Matisse for bath.