La Jolla Group CEO on Hang Ten License

We followed up with La Jolla Group CEO Daniel Neukomm on the news that the company has acquired a long-term license for the Hang Ten brand.

We asked Daniel some questions about plans for the brand, which had its heyday in the 70s.

Since acquiring the license, the La Jolla Group has created a retro 70s collection for Urban Outfitters.

Before the brand came to the La Jolla Group, it had a direct-to-retail licensing agreement with Kohl’s, which still carries the brand. That arrangement ends this year.

What interested you about the Hang Ten license?

La Jolla Group CEO Daniel Neukomm: The La Jolla Group (LJG) can and will address multiple different channels of distribution with an increasingly more segmented mix of products, categories and brands.  Hang Ten was interesting because it provided an opportunity to do just that.

What does the license cover category and gender wise?

Daniel Neukomm: Men’s and women’s sportswear.

What kind of distribution are you seeking for the brand?

Daniel Neukomm: Distribution is designed to be on the peripheral of O’Neill, and for a less endemic consumer.  

More mainstream channels have fueled the brand for the past decade, which we see continuing to some degree, while also addressing the more niche retro heritage trend in more fashion forward channels.

Urban Outfitters is a good example of this retro trend. There is a Hang Ten collection that launched there last month. Key pieces include a corduroy walk short in an early 80s silhouette!

Will your existing team handle the design, etc.? When will the product debut?

Daniel Neukomm: The existing LJG team will facilitate, but dedicated talent/resources were acquired for this.  Product (produced by others) has never been out of the market, in some cases we are taking the baton and running with it and in others we are doing something very new – such as the Urban Outfitters launch, which took place last month.

Are you looking for other licensing deals?

Daniel Neukomm: While I can never say never, I’m really not looking for additional licenses.  Hang Ten was an exception as it offers a complementary balance for the O’Neill brand.