Wet Seal of Foothill Ranch will launch a new collection of tops designed by Ashlee Simpson on April 22, the same day that her third album hits stores nationwide.
Wet Seal is the latest retailer or apparel company to team up with a celebrity. Nordstrom is partnering with Fall Out Boy. Rachel Bilson, a former star of “The O.C.”, is designing for DKNY. And Avril Lavigne is Kohl’s new girl.
The Wet Seal collection, which will be priced in line with Wet Seal merchandise, features about a dozen styles inspired by Simpson’s personality, style and artwork from her album, Bittersweet World. CEO Ed Thomas called Simpson’s sense of style “fun and flirty.” The retailer will also be selling her new CD.
“You’ll see a lot more cross promotions with the entertainment industry,” Thomas said during a conference call with analysts today.
Does Wet Seal have more celebs lined up, an analyst asked.
“We’re in discussions with a number of people for Wet Seal,” Thomas said. “There’s a lot of interest in doing stuff with us.” However, no additional deal has been signed.
On the retail front, Thomas said there could eventually be more than 700 Wet Seal stores and about 250 Arden B stores. His goal is higher than that of previous CEO Joel Waller, who said in 2006 that there could be about 600 Wet Seal stores and 200 Arden B stores. There are currently about 400 Wet Seal stores and 95 Arden B stores.
For fiscal 2008, the retailer said in a press release today that it plans to open 20 to 25 Wet Seal stores and close a similar number of combined Wet Seal and Arden B stores as leases expire.
Sales at Wet Seal stores open for at least a year rose 2.1 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter. They fell 12.5 percent for Arden B.
“We realize that we are still in the early stages of the turnaround of our Arden B business … a once very profitable business …,” Thomas said in the press release.
For the fiscal fourth quarter, the company posted a net income of $12.2 million vs. a loss of $5.7 million last year, which was weighed down by a large interest expense. Sales rose 8 percent to $179.6 million.
(Photo from Simpson Web site.)
Recent posts:
- Kitson closing O.C. outlet shop
- babystyle files for bankruptcy, wants to close O.C. store
- Irvine Spectrum Sharper Image starts closeout sale
- Olsen twins’ clothing line hits O.C. shops
- Rachel Bilson, former “O.C.” TV star, teams up with DKNY
- Avril Lavigne: Kohl’s new girl
- Fall Out Boy, Nordstrom launching clothing line in O.C. stores
- Analyst: Arden B owner may sell chain
For more O.C. retail news, see list of links on the right-hand side of this blog.
