Najjar Moves to JEM from Target

NEW YORK – Andrei Najjar has joined JEM Sportswear, the California-based knit top resource, in the new post of senior vice president of the company’s men’s and boys’ division.

Najjar comes to JEM from Target Corp. in Minneapolis, where he was most recently merchandising manager of junior knits and graphic T-shirts and as women’s division marketing and trend captain. Earlier in his career, he held merchandising posts with Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap Inc.

At JEM, Najjar will be responsible for the men’s and boys’ division, which specializes in core licensed and private-label tops for mid-tier retailers and mass merchandisers. He will oversee design, product development, manufacturing and sales for JEM’s male apparel business and report to Jeff Marine, chief executive officer. The firm is currently introducing its Well Worn brand of premium vintage T-shirts for men and women.

“We’re delighted to capture Andrei Najjar’s unique expertise as we expand our men’s graphic tee lines into bold new design concepts, and extend our reach into fashion-forward and high-end retail outlets,” said Marine. “Andrei clearly is in complete sync with today’s young fashion consumers, as evidenced by his extraordinary success at Target. We plan to make full use of his talents as we continue to reinvent the knit top for a wide range of men’s and boys’ markets.”

Najjar said, “When I was at Target, I was always aware that JEM was one of the few knit top suppliers that could successfully deliver both the art and the science sides of fashion—their tee lines are creative and artistic, and they also feature top-quality production execution.”

During the upcoming Las Vegas markets, JEM will be in Booth CA 5707 at MAGIC and its premium products, including Well Worn, at 1715 Thompson St. at Project. Its women’s Awake brand will be housed separately in the Contemporary section of MAGIC.