Two former Haggar Corp. women’s fashion executives in Dallas are helping to breathe new life into two venerable sportswear labels.
Ed Vierling and Sam Klapholz, both alumni of Haggar who departed in February, have established partnerships with two veteran women’s sportswear firms — Sharon Young in Dallas and City Girl by Nancy Bolen in Los Angeles — in a bid to reinvigorate and grow each separate business.
Under the umbrella company Sharon Young Inc., based in Dallas, Ed Vierling is chairman and chief executive officer and Sam Klapholz is executive vice president of sales and marketing.
Vierling was formerly president of Haggar Women’s Wear Ltd., and Klapholz was previously senior vice president of sales merchandising at Haggar. Both Vierling and Klapholz built Jerell Inc. into a major moderate and better powerhouse, which was sold to Haggar Clothing Co. in 1999.
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They departed in February when Haggar was acquired for $212 million by buyout firms Perseus LLC, based in Washington; Infinity Associates, New York, and Hong Kong-based footwear firm Symphony Holdings.
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After a six-month hiatus, in May they decided to reinvest in the women’s apparel industry, specifically in established brands that might benefit from capital infusions and new growth strategies.
“We wanted to support the Dallas apparel community and everyone who has worked with us for so many years. We wanted to bring back the concept of Dallas as a third fashion coast. We’re sourcing globally and could have been based anywhere in the world, but we wanted to stay in Dallas and rebuild the fashion community here. We now have offices in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Hong Kong,” said Vierling.
Vierling projected the two businesses will generate combined volume of at least $30 million over the year.
At Dallas-based Sharon Young Inc., a modern updated sportswear house, Vierling and Klapholz have become partners along with company founder Sharon Young, who oversees all design and merchandising at the 20-year-old company.
“With the Sharon Young brand, our focus is to build the core product, add new concepts, add select private label businesses and continue to look for other growth opportunities,” said Vierling.
Added Klapholz, “We’ve already launched our newest concept for spring called A La Carte, which is a label targeted to the all-important demographic of women over 35. A La Carte is a related separates novelty-driven brand, which incorporates a forgiving fit at an upper-moderate price point.”
For spring, A La Carte wholesales for $21 for layering tank tops to $69 for embellished hand-detailed lined jackets, with a strong emphasis on novelty surface detailing. The line is 70 percent tops and 30 percent bottoms.
Initial deliveries of A La Carte will start in February and target better specialty retailers including Nordstrom and Von Maur.
For spring, the Sharon Young label wholesales from $29 for a blouse to $79 for a hand-detailed jacket. The trend and styling focus at Sharon Young includes a big emphasis on a traditional structured ensemble-style look as well as novelty items that work with the base fabrics and prints in the 120-piece collection.
With the City Girl by Nancy Bolen brand, Vierling and Klapholz saw an opportunity to further build their portfolio with the purchase of the assets of the company, which is based in Los Angeles.
The partners in City Girl by Nancy Bolen include Vierling, Klapholz, Nancy Bolen and Sharon Young.
For spring, there are nine groups of 20 styles each with deliveries starting in January and running through April. Wholesale prices range from $27 for an embellished top to $74 for an ornate silk jacket with hand detailing.