NEW YORK — The premium jeans market has apparently become so alluring that even companies aiming for a lower tier are landing there.
That’s the case for Marlow jeans, a new line scheduled to reach stores for summer delivery. The line was conceived as a mid-priced junior line.
“They put so much work into the garment that the retail prices came out to be $68 to $120,” said Howard Jacobs, vice president of sales, adding that the move “turned out to be a good mistake because there’s a tremendous amount going on at that level.”
As it is, the line’s wholesale prices range from $28 to $48, bridging the status and premium price tiers, with the fit blurring the line between junior and contemporary jeans. It’s a bit of an effort to differentiate the line, which is partly owned by Albert Dahan of True Blue Denim, from the premium contemporary Da-Nang and Stitches lines, which he also owns through other corporate entities.
The jeans feature extensive embroidery, ranging in style from those with highly detailed pockets to jeans with decorated legs. The line is made in China of Japanese fabric, a balancing act of high-end materials and lower-cost labor, said Jacobs, who joined Marlow in February. He previously ran Blue Taboo jeans, a private label maker that he said is in the process of winding down.
Jacobs said he expects the line to generate at least $10 million in first-year revenues.