SYDNEY: Iconic surfwear brand Mambo is preparing to break into the discount department store sector in the wake of a freshly inked licensing agreement.
Distribution group Hotsprings has been appointed as the apparel licensee for Mambo in Australia and New Zealand. In an exclusive interview with Ragtrader, Hotsprings managing director Wassim Gazal revealed he made a direct bid for the contract earlier this year.
“I have always felt that Mambo is an iconic brand and an opportunity existed for it to be distributed to a wider audience,” he said. “I felt our resources coupled with those of Mambo would make for a great partnership.”
The brand is currently distributed through surf chains Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski and Beach Culture, as well as major department stores Myer and David Jones.
“We are looking at widening that to discount department stores, allowing us to take the brand to a wider audience to include Big W, whilst retaining a presence in Myer and specialty surf stores,” Gazal said.
Hotsprings will be “working closely” with Mambo’s design team to generate new and archival artwork for the apparel line.
The company will also be directly responsible for the manufacture and distribution of product across the Australian and New Zealand markets. Gazal declined to specify the length of the contract.
“Our view is very much long term,” he said. “The collaborative nature of our agreement will ensure the success and sustainability of the brand through our designated distribution network.”
Hotsprings currently manufactures and distributes a broad range of licensed and branded apparel, including Coast, Milk and Honey, Flinders Lane and underwear label 2xist. The first delivery of Hotsprings-associated Mambo product is scheduled to land in stores from August.
The first drop will include womenswear, menswear and childrenswear (sizes 0-4) and will be anchored by graphic tees, swimwear and board shorts. Gazal said key retail partners had expressed strong interest in non-apparel items such as towels, hats and backpacks, opening up further growth opportunities in the near future.
Mambo was sold to private equity firm Equity and Capital Finance Australia in 2008, after domestic wholesale giant Gazal Corporation offloaded both its national and European brand rights. Equity and Capital Finance is headed by Australian surfwear entrepreneurs Angus Kingsmill and Tony Woodward.
Established in 1984 by Dare Jennings and Andrew Rich, Mambo garnered an international reputation for its offbeat t-shirt prints, which included ‘The Farting Dog’, ‘Beer Tree’ and ‘Prawn Stars’.
Assia Benmedjdoub