NEW YORK — Barbara K has a solution for the woman who is handy around the house and wants to look good wielding a hammer.
The company, run by entrepreneur and former construction worker Barbara Kavovit, who is known as Barbara K, signed a licensing agreement with Tharanco Group, parent firm of Bill Blass Ltd., to create clothing, work gloves and iPod accessories.
“This isn’t couture, but these clothes are comfortable, feminine, great-fitting and sexy,” Kavovit said in an interview. “It’s all about an easygoing lifestyle.”
The collection includes carpenter pants with loops for hammers, painters’ pants that hold brushes, tool belts, denim vests, corduroy vests, jeans and zip-up sweatshirts, merchandise ranging from a $19.99 hoodie to a $49.99 pair of jeans. There are about 20 items in the collection, including many that are stain-resistant. The concept blends durability and functionality with style, said Kavovit, who will collaborate with the Bill Blass designers to develop the collection. She expects it to be sold at department stores, starting in September.
“Barbara brings a fresh face to the retail business that is sorely needed,” said Mike Sholtis, managing director, Tharanco Group. “Together we will work on exciting feminine products that will be compelling and address solutions that this time-starved consumer needs.”
Three years ago, Kavovit developed a line of tools for women to do their own repair work around the house and on their cars. The tools are sleeker, more stylish and lighter than standard equipment. There are nonslip grips, spring-loaded pliers and a screwdriver with a place to fit your thumb so you don’t break a nail.
She has been branding herself, and branching out with how-to kits, a roadside safety kit, a dorm survival kit and books. Her second book, “Invest in Your Nest,” is due out in June. Kavovit also authored “Room for Improvement: Change Your Home! Enhance Your Life! With Tools, Tips and Inspiration from Barbara K!”
In addition, she is becoming a home improvement coach on AOL in April with five-minute segments on how to hang speakers, shelves, change showerheads and otherwise make repairs around the house. The show is called “You Can Do It With Barbara.”
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Kavovit said her mission, aside from growing her company, is to build confidence and a sense of independence among women, and help them avoid the expense of hiring handymen. Before launching her firm, the New Rochelle, N.Y., native years ago handed out business cards to women in shopping center parking lots, offering to act as an “interpreter” between them and their contractors. That led to overseeing some repair work at IBM, and eventually forming a construction firm. Her philosophy is, if you can fix your home, you can fix your self-confidence.