Members Only acquired by JR Apparel World

by Harry Sheff

NEW YORK—The Members Only brand has been acquired by JR Apparel World, LLC from Members Only Licensing Group. JR Apparel World has been manufacturing Members Only jackets since 2009 and says it has grown the business seven-fold.

“I have been a licensee for many years and always knew I would acquire a brand one day and become a licensor,” said JR Apparel CEO Jaggi Singh. “I saw a great opportunity with Members Only to revive a powerful, iconic American brand. Members Only is one of the few brands that has solidified its reputation in outerwear and can be extended from its core product to other categories such as sportswear and accessories. There is tremendous potential to develop Members Only into a full lifestyle brand.”

Singh says that he is in talks with potential licensees for numerous other product categories, like accessories, sportswear, sunglasses, tailored clothing and fragrance.

Members Only was founded in 1975 and became popular in the 1980s for their band collared bomber style jackets. The company was re-launched in 2009 and is currently distributed in Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, Kitson, Fred Segal and better specialty stores.

Singh has been an outerwear licensee for Kenneth Cole, Elie Tahari, Joseph Abboud, Rocawear and Nicole Miller.

Members Only will be showing at the Project trade show in Las Vegas next week.