The Aldo Group has inked two long-term licensing deals with Authentic Brands Group.

Jonathan Frankel, president of Aldo Product Services on the Aldo Group, told FN, a sister publication of WWD, in an interview that the corporate has signed a 10-year licensing agreement with Authentic to design, produce and distribute Ted Baker footwear globally in addition to handbags across the U.S. and Canada.

The primary collection managed under Aldo Group will launch in spring 2024 through Ted Baker’s direct channels, online and in stores in addition to at wholesale accounts worldwide.

What’s more, Frankel said the Aldo Group will “work closely” with the London-based Ted Baker global design team to develop “premium” footwear and handbag collections that “preserve the brand’s unique design ethos.” The chief added that there will probably be 4 collections a yr, with the chance for some special releases.

As for what varieties of shoe styles to expect from Ted Baker, Frankel noted that the U.K. label will release a variety of flats, casuals, sandals, dress and occasion footwear for ladies. In men’s, the identical styles might be expected along with “a little bit of fashion athletic styles” and boots, Frankel said.

“What we actually love is Ted Baker’s design flair and use of color and prints,” Frankel said. “It’s not day-after-day that a brand might be each quirky and quiet in its details at the identical time. It’s something we’re looking forward to within the design process.”

At the identical time, the 2 groups are coming together for one more 10-year licensing deal to design, produce and distribute men’s footwear, bags and small leather goods for Authentic’s Brooks Brothers brand within the U.S.

The primary collection managed under Aldo Group will launch in-store in February 2024 and will probably be distributed in higher malls, specialty retailers, Brooks Brothers stores, web sites in North America and franchised stores globally.

In accordance with Frankel, traditional men’s shoe styles in the gathering will use premium leathers and be priced between $250 and $450.

“It’s pretty rare that you simply get to work with a brand that’s been around well before you and will probably be around well after you,” Frankel said. “That’s my favorite thing about Brooks Brothers; I actually have a deep level of respect for its heritage, its legacy. While you consider other brands which have achieved that it’s very unique within the marketplace.”

Frankel noted that he’s “excited” to work with Authentic and SPARC, the owners of Brooks Brothers, and believes Aldo may help them within the brand’s expansion. “We are able to not only help with a really aggressive expansion plan, but additionally with more relevancy on an e-commerce business specific to our categories, while also helping them expand our categories right into a greater percentage of their overall revenue.”

And for Jarrod Weber, group president of lifestyle and chief brand officer at Authentic, Aldo was the correct partner for the job when it got here to those two deals. He noted that the footwear and accessories company was “extremely intentional” about immersing themselves into Ted Baker and Brooks Brothers.

“We’re all the time searching for aggressive and talented corporations that we imagine would represent our brands well and we’re an admirer of what the Aldo Group represents within the marketplace,” Weber told FN. “Once dialogue began, each corporations believed this chance was value pursuing. Their expertise and speed to market ensures that Ted Baker and Brooks Brothers will proceed to deliver high-quality products that our consumers have come to expect and appreciate.”

This isn’t the primary time the Aldo Group has partnered with the powerhouse on footwear licensing deals. Frankel told FN that the corporate currently holds the license for Element and Billabong footwear under the Boardriders Group, which Authentic announced it was acquiring in March for an undisclosed sum.

Asked whether we could see a bigger partnership between Aldo and Authentic, Frankel comes wanting confirming more licenses, noting that each corporations work well together, but not exclusively together. “We’re excited concerning the chemistry we’re constructing together,” he added.

These recent deals come as Authentic announced last week that it had inked long-term strategic deals with two recent operating partners, PDS Group and AARC, to run the Ted Baker brand within the U.K. and Europe.

Authentic also said last week that it signed a partnership with AARC to operate Ted Baker’s 120-plus retail stores and concessions, and the brand’s online business. AARC is a retail operator in 11 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Consequently of the changes, Rachel Osborne, chief executive officer of Ted Baker, together with other senior executives, will step down from their roles.

Authentic acquired Ted Baker in 2022 for $255 million. Before it was purchased by Authentic, Ted Baker brought its footwear business in-house in 2018. Within the deal, the British luxury brand entered into an agreement with Pentland Brands, its footwear licensee since 2001, to accumulate the issued share capital of No Peculiar Shoes Limited and No Peculiar Shoes USA LLC — the entities through which Pentland operates Ted Baker’s shoe business.