Durango moves beyond boots into clothing and bags
Durango, the Western footwear brand owned by Rocky Brands Inc, the American footwear and apparel group, has signed two licences that take its name beyond boots into clothing, bags and small leather goods.
The deals use licensing, where an outside company designs and sells products under a brand's name for an agreed period, to add matching lines to Durango's core boots business. The partnerships are intended to extend that established footwear business with complementary products. WWD
The first licence is with licensee NYC Alliance, which will produce apparel and wearable accessories for men and women. Men's apparel is expected to launch in March, with women's apparel to follow in the autumn. The staggered start spreads the two launches across separate selling seasons.
The second licence is with licensee Designer Fashion Group, which will develop men's and women's bags and small leather goods. Those products are expected to launch in the second quarter of next year. The timetable puts the bags introduction behind the first men's clothing drop.
The bags line is broad and covers everyday carries as well as Western-linked styles. It includes handbags, fashion backpacks, hobos, totes, crossbody bags, sling bags, satchels, duffel bags and boot bags. A boot bag, in this context, is a bag shaped to carry boots.
The small leather goods line alongside it includes belts, wallets, wristlets, passport cases and key chains. Small leather goods is the trade term for compact accessories cut from leather or similar materials. Both licence agreements run through the end of 2029, giving each partner several full selling years from first launch.
Accessories are not entirely new for the group. Rocky Brands, which trades on NASDAQ under the ticker RCKY, previously signed a multi-year agreement allowing 3D Belt Company to design, manufacture and sell belts and wallets. It later entered a licence with Status Accessories to design and distribute belts and wallets under the Durango brand. SGB Media That history provides background to the wider move now into full apparel and bags.
Rocky Brands describes itself as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of footwear and apparel sold under a portfolio of brand names. Durango sits inside that portfolio as its Western brand. The new licences keep footwear at the centre while adding clothing and carries around it.
For shoppers, this means a fuller wardrobe under one Western label. Boots first. Clothes next. A customer who arrived for footwear could in future find a matching tote, belt and jacket in the same brand family.
