The Walt Disney
Company (Asia Pacific) Limited (¡§Walt Disney¡¨) and Giordano International
Limited (¡§Giordano¡¨) today unveiled the first collection of apparel produced
under a region-wide product license agreement between the two companies.
The collaboration, which involves the design and development of a new
¡§Disney brought to you by Giordano¡¨ Tee Collection, marks the first
licensing agreement that Giordano has entered into with another brand.
Pursuant to the agreement, Walt Disney has granted Giordano the license to
design, manufacture and market adult and children¡¦s T-shirts and sweatshirts
featuring Disney characters. This is a special license because it includes
the full range of Disney characters and covers the entire Asia Pacific
region. Detailed terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
The ¡§Disney brought
to you by Giordano¡¨ Tee Collection covers the entire portfolio of Disney
characters including Standard Characters like Mickey and Minnie, Winnie the
Pooh, Disney Princesses like Snow White and Cinderella, Classic Characters
like Bambi and Peter Pan, and Movie characters like Finding Nemo and The
Incredibles and comprises T-shirts and sweatshirts for the whole family.
The collection has just been launched in Hong Kong, to be followed by China
next week. Taiwan and Southeast Asia will follow in early August, then
Korea and Australia in September. In order to keep the program fresh and
exciting for consumers, Giordano will roll out new prints and designs every
four weeks.
¡§We are delighted to
be able to work hand-in-hand with Giordano, an international lifestyle
apparel company renowned for the quality and comfort of its products.
Together, we have combined Giordano¡¦s expertise and a touch of Disney Magic
to produce a brand new Disney Tee Collection, which will be launched in 12
countries in the Asia Pacific region. Most importantly, this collection
represents an alliance that is extremely valuable to both brands, and we
have high hopes for long term development,¡¨ Mr Norman Janelle, the Vice
President & General Manager ¡V Disney Consumer Products, said at the launch
ceremony.
¡§The reason why we
are so excited about the deal is because the two companies have so much in
common. We are both about quality, innovation, fun and family. Through
continuous innovation and renewal, Disney has forged deep and enduring
connections with people of all ages worldwide. Compared to Disney, Giordano
is just the new kid on the block, having been around for only 24 years. But
by focusing on the same four values of quality, innovation, fun and family,
we have also established strong ties with our customers. This partnership
will allow us to bring greater joy and excitement to consumers everywhere in
the region¡¨ commented Mr Peter Lau, Chairman and Chief Executive of Giordano
International Limited. ¡§We had a really great time working with Disney to
develop the line, and we are very excited with the results. We are
confident that this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful
partnership¡¨ Mr Lau added.
Giordano
International Limited is a leading international retailer of men¡¦s, women¡¦s
and children¡¦s apparel under the brand names ¡§Giordano¡¨, ¡§Giordano Ladies¡¨,
¡§Giordano Junior¡¨ and ¡§Bluestar Exchange¡¨. Established in 1981, Giordano
International now operates over 1,500 stores and counters in over 30 markets
in Asia, Australia and the Middle East, and had over US$500 million in
turnover in 2004. Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since June 1991,
Giordano trades under the stock code 709.
