Amerex and Jeep launch family outerwear collection

Jeep is moving from trails to coat racks.

Amerex Group, the New York-based apparel maker, has teamed up with Jeep, the American vehicle brand, to launch a Jeep-branded outerwear collection, according to WWD. Outerwear here means coats and jackets cut for cold, wind and rain.

The range is built for the whole household. It includes styles for men, women and kids. Each group gets its own sizing and fit, rather than one shared cut.

The launch is timed for the cold-weather season. The collection is rolling out to shops and online in September. That puts it on sale as autumn stock reaches the floors.

Shoppers will have three places to look. In the United States, the collection will be available through Macy's, the department-store chain, Amazon, the online retailer, and Belk, the department-store chain. The mix covers two routes to the customer: physical shops and e-commerce, meaning orders placed online.

Amerex describes the line as combining Jeep brand design cues with practical performance and everyday versatility. The description points to two jobs for the clothes: to look like Jeep, and to work for school runs, commutes and weekends outdoors. The arrangement is a licence, where an apparel company pays for the right to use another brand's name on its products.

Ira Ganger is chief executive officer of Amerex. He leads the group behind the range.

Amerex specialises in three categories: swimwear, outerwear and ready-to-wear, meaning everyday clothing, according to Amerex Group. The group is headquartered in New York City. Its stated expertise spans design, brand development, sourcing, manufacturing, merchandising and distribution, from sketch to delivery to shops.

It works in three ways: through owned brands it controls itself, through strategic licences to make goods for outside names, and through private-label partnerships, where it makes clothes sold under a retailer's own label.

What makes this stand out is the pairing. Jeep makes vehicles. Amerex makes volume clothing. Together they are offering family outerwear with a car badge on the chest.

For shoppers, the message is simple. One collection. Three age groups. Online and in store.