JPR Shopping for Licensees for Fever
Calabasas, Calif.-based updated missy manufacturer John Paul Richards Inc. has temporarily put production of its Fever Jean line on hold while executives look for licensees for the contemporary denim line.
The company is currently negotiating contracts for two separate apparel and apparel- related categories, according to John Paul Beltran, one of the owners of John Paul Richards.
While the company searches for new licensees, John Paul Richards will continue to produce a limited amount of Fever apparel for its accounts until a licensee has been appointed, Beltran said. Fever is sold at better retailers such as Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdale’s.
John Paul Richards acquired the Fever label two years ago when the contemporary denim market was at its peak and Fever was competing with mega jean brands such as Earl Jean and Seven for All Mankind.
Executives projected that the jean line would pull in at least $30 million in revenues during the first three years under John Paul Richard’s ownership. Prior to the acquisition, the Fever Jean line shipped more than $1 million in Japan, where the denim line’s popularity skyrocketed, according to Fever founders John Cherpas and Kellie Delkescamp.
Cherpas and Delkeskamp left the company three months ago to start their own venture.
Even though John Paul Richards held controlling interest in Indigenous LLC, the company formed to produce Fever, the original deal called for a 50/50 profit split between the missy manufacturer and the designers.
Beltran said the decision to part ways was mutual.
“They are fantastic designers,” Beltran said. “I think in our case we were looking for a larger business than they were able to provide us.”
In recent years, the missy manufacturer has been in the market to acquire contemporary labels to its stable of missy apparel lines, which include Uniform by John Paul Richard, Studio John Paul Richard and Outfit by John Paul Richard, which is carried by mid-tier department stores such as Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores, St. Louisbased The May Department Stores Company and Charlotte-based Belk Department Stores Inc. Last year, the company launched a contemporary label called Vince with partners Rea Laccone, the former president of Vernon, Calif.-based Laundry by Shelli Segal, and Christopher LaPolice, formerly with New York-based women’s contemporary line Tahari.
Meanwhile, Delkeskamp and Cherpas have acquired a work space near downtown Los Angeles and are planning to launch a new contemporary line called Grass in time for June market.
