NEW YORK — Lana Winer International is revving it up in the fast-paced junior market.
The company, known as a private label manufacturer supplying department and specialty stores and catalogues, has launched a junior sportswear brand called 99 MPH. It’s being shown for holiday and spring at the firm’s showroom at 134 West 37th Street here, and is expected to be ramped up by January to a 200-piece collection.
Lana Winer executives see 99 MPH as a fashion alternative to the bubblegum or more basic styles that pervade juniors, and is inspired by the contemporary market, though without the higher prices of those lines.
“We are reintroducing girls to fashion,” said Alana Aldrich, design director. “They have been into basic five-pocket jeans and Ts for so long.”
“Femininity is coming back and we are looking to capture that,” added Apryl Hladki, vice president of sales. “The fashion has been missing from the junior market.”
The collection is based in mix-and-match items, textures such as ripstop parachute fabrics, embellishments including appliqués and patchwork and details such as “eyelid” lace trims on skirts. There are also lots of belts attached to garments, plenty of glitter, Bedford cords twills, poplins and unusual big, bright hangtags. Wholesale prices are $15 to $18 for jackets, $10.50 to $12.50 for vests, $10.50 to $12.50 for jeans and $9.50 to $11.50 for tops.
The emphasis is on stylish but toned-down looks. The color palette is in the “midbright” range like turquoise, mauve and khaki, and while juniors still want to show their midriff, 99 MPH offers a little longer baby-doll top or tank top, offset by a slightly shorter cover, like a little vest or cropped jacket.
“All those girls have tattoos or their belly pierced and like to show it off,” Aldrich said.
“Every month, we will ship a new group,” said Lawrence Winer, senior vice president. “A junior line wouldn’t survive unless it is shipped on a monthly basis.”
Still, officials acknowledged that it’s not a slam dunk launching a new brand.
“Finding space in the stores for a new brand is challenging. Stores are consolidating,” said Joseph Wong, president of the firm. “Hopefully, with time, we can earn space that we need for this brand. We definitely have a lot of product.”
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He described Lana Winer International as a $50 million apparel manufacturer supplying companies such as Saks Inc., Lands’ End, Orvis, QVC, J. Jill, Harold’s and Talbots, among other retailers.
“Sometimes we do a bigger portion of our volume in private label, sometimes a smaller portion,” Wong said.
The split is 80 percent private label, 20 percent branded, he said.
With the move into another brand, “The benefits are you have control of the products, you are able to get a better margin compared to private label and you can develop more products that could be used in the private label business, as well,” Wong said.
The company also creates the Kazu Collection for moderate-to-better-priced misses’ private label, and about four years ago discontinued its Tao better sportswear collection when there was a perceived need to shift efforts to more private label.
“It’s always good to have both sides in a company,” Wong said. “I believe by having both dimensions, we are able to serve our customer better.”
The company owns two factories in China, in Guang Zhou and Shanghai, where sportswear and suits are produced. In addition, the company sources in Guatemala, Egypt, China, the U.S. and India.
“We know the piece goods markets, the trim markets, all the components-related fields,” Winer said. “And most importantly, we are soup-to-nuts manufacturers. We can make a blazer, pants or a skirt at a price that makes sense. A lot of apparel companies are not true manufacturers.”