NEW YORK — Beyoncé and Tina Knowles are continuing to build up the House of Deréon.
The mother-and-daughter duo said last week the contemporary brand, named after Beyoncé’s grandmother, will be adding handbags and small leather goods to its assortment of sportswear, outerwear and fur, under a licensing agreement with New York-based Accessory Exchange.
Beyoncé, co-creative director at the House of Deréon, said in a statement that she sees the handbag license as another step in making her dreams come true.
“In the same way that lighting and sets and sound design are necessary for an engaging concert performance, handbags harmonize with shoes and other accessories to create an unforgettable look,” she said.
The collection, organized in about a dozen different groups, from casual looks to more contemporary styles, is scheduled to bow alongside House of Deréon footwear in better specialty stores nationwide for spring. Retail prices will range from $90 to $300.
“[The handbags] will completely complement the [apparel] line, with like prints, patterns and materials,” Tina Knowles, founder and creative director of the House of Deréon, wrote in an e-mail. “They will also work independently and feature hot, must-have designs.”
Knowles said the company chose to work with Accessory Exchange due to its talent.
“The sensibility and passion were there,” she said. “It was an instant partnership from the first time the creative team met.”
Acccessory Exchange, which also holds the handbag licenses for XOXO, Via Spiga and Bongo, among others, generates about $125 million in retail sales in the U.S. No projections for its new license with the House of Deréon were disclosed.
The announcement on the handbag license came on the heels of the company’s disclosure that the brand will not be staging a runway show to launch its spring collection during September’s New York Fashion Week, instead targeting February for a catwalk presentation.